Abstract:
Wildlife tourism is a major part of global tourism, allowing visitors to experience
wildlife in natural habitats. In Sri Lanka, Minneriya National Park, famous for its
elephant gatherings, diverse fauna, and scenic beauty, attracts local and foreign
tourists, with safari jeeps serving as the main mode of transport within the park.
However, many previous studies have highlighted the challenges faced by top parks
in achieving comprehensive service quality engagement, resulting in sparse
evaluations of overall service quality. This study investigates the impact of safari jeep
service quality on tourist satisfaction at Minneriya National Park, with the aim of
identifying how this relationship can be enhanced to improve the overall visitor
experience. Guided by the SERVQUAL model, this explanatory research examined
five service quality dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance,
and empathy of safari jeep service at Minneriya National Park. Quantitative research
design was employed, using a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of
200 local and foreign tourists through on-site surveys. Data analysis was conducted
using SPSS software, applying correlation and regression analyses. The findings
revealed a positive correlation between the five service quality dimensions and tourist
satisfaction. Regression analysis indicated that reliability, responsiveness, assurance,
and empathy had a positive and significant impact on satisfaction, while tangibility
demonstrated a negative but statistically insignificant effect. The results highlight that
factors such as dependable service delivery, prompt responsiveness to tourist needs,
professional assurance, and empathetic engagement significantly contribute to
enhancing the tourist experience in wildlife tourism contexts. Conversely, the
tangibility aspect, including the appearance of vehicles, comfort, guide appearance,
overall physical environment, and related facilities, did not emerge as a decisive
factor in determining satisfaction. These insights have practical implications in
prioritising resource allocation and training initiatives to improve service dimensions
with the strongest influence on satisfaction.
