Understanding the Behaviour of International Tourists from China Visiting Malaysia: Proposing a Conceptual Model

Abstract

The growth of international tourist receipts and arrivals to Malaysia from year 2010 until 2019 demonstrated an unstable and declining pattern. Specifically, this study intends to investigate international tourists from China visiting Malaysia because China is listed in the top three international market of tourists visiting Malaysia. However, lesser repeat visits from this country were recorded compared to first-time visits to Malaysia in 2019, indicating a severe problem in terms of destination loyalty. Hence, the study aims to mitigate this issue by proposing a new conceptual framework consisting of service quality, destination image, perceived value, tourist satisfaction, and destination loyalty. The study expects to discover eight direct effects and four mediation effects between these constructs which will be tested in one complex model. Further to this, the study will explicitly examine the international tourists from China, which is important for tourism management in Malaysia to develop effective market positioning because each population has different belief, lifestyle, and culture.