Research Project

Sayuri Welagedara

HOW BRAND IMAGE INFLUENCE THE PURCHASE

INTENTION IN THE SRI LANKAN HOTEL INDUSTRY

Sayuri Welagedara

HND in Business Management

International College of Business and

technology

KD/HNDBSM/56/17

Research Project

Submitted to – MR. Suboda Perera

2021.04.06

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Assignment Cover Sheet

Qualification Module Number and Title

HND in Business Management BHND 5208: Research Project

Student Name & No. Assessor
Sayuri Hansika Welagedara Mr. Suboda Perera
KD/HNDBSM/56/17
Hand out date Submission Date

23/02/2021 6 th April2021
Assessment type Duration/Length of Weighting of Assessment
Assessment Type

Report 6000 words 100%

Learner declaration

I, Sayuri Welagedara, certify that the work submitted for this assignment is my own and
research sources are fully acknowledged.

Marks Awarded

First assessor

IV marks

Agreed grade

Signature of the assessor Date

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The success and final outcome of this research project has given me the chance to present
my gratitude to everyone who guided me throughout.

Firstly, I would like to express my very great appreciation to MR. Subodha Perera for the
guidance, encouragement and the inspiration given for me throughout this module. Advice
given by Subodha sir has been a great help in this research project module, which is
unbelievably valuable and helpful for our future.

I am extremely thankful for your support and it is a great honor for me to provide these few
words to thank my lecturer.

I am really grateful because I have been able to complete my research project successfully at
the given time frame.

And also, I would like to thank my parents and my friends for providing valuable assistance
for me in doing this individual report by sharing their truthful views.

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Contents
.................................................................................................................................................... 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................... 3

Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 6

Chapter 01 - Introduction ........................................................................................................... 7

1.0) Role of the hospitality industry and brand image ....................................................... 7

1.2) Research problem identification ......................................................................................... 8

1.3) Research questions ............................................................................................................. 8

1.4) Research objectives ............................................................................................................ 8

1.5) Significance of the study .................................................................................................... 9

1.6) Limitations .......................................................................................................................... 9

Chapter 02 – Literature review ................................................................................................ 10

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 10

2.1 ) overview ....................................................................................................................... 10

2.2) Importance of brand image to the hotel industry .......................................................... 13

2.3) Conceptual framework .................................................................................................. 13

2.4) Formulation of hypothesis......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.4) Formulation of hypothesis ............................................................................................ 14

Chapter 03 – Research Methodology ....................................................................................... 15

3.1) Introduction ................................................................................................................... 15

3.2) sampling method and population .............................................................................. 15

3.3) Data collection method.............................................................................................. 15

3.4) Analysis method ........................................................................................................ 15

Chapter 04 - Data presentation and analysis ............................................................................ 16

4.1) Introduction ................................................................................................................... 16

4.2) Data Analysis ............................................................................................................ 16

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1. Correlation between Consumer perception factor and Customer Purchase Intention ......... 23

2. Correlation between Brand Trust factor and Customer Purchase Intention ........................ 25

3. Correlation between Customer Innovations factor and Customer Purchase Intention ........ 26

4. Correlation between Brand Reputation factor and Customer Purchase Intention. .............. 28

Chapter 5 – Conclusion and Recommendation ........................................................................ 29

5.1) Introduction ................................................................................................................... 29

5.3) Limitations .................................................................................................................... 29

5.2) conclusion on findings and recommendations .............................................................. 30

References ................................................................................................................................ 31

Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 33

.................................................................................................................................................. 33

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Abstract

The purpose of this study evaluates how brand image influence the purchase intention in the
Sri Lankan hotel industry. As brand image being considered as an important factor in
Marketing, the motive for researching on this topic is to find out how people’s purchase
intention changes towards different hotels considering their brand image. As there are various
factors rounded around brand image it is necessary to find out the changes on people’s attitudes
when the brand image is divided into reputed and less reputed.
The Sri Lankan hotel industry is taken into research as it has given a huge support to the Sri
Lankan government by uplifting the tourism industry while earning huge profits to the country
so as there are many players in this industry having different levels of brand images it is likely
to find out how they are being maintained, under which circumstances and how people’s
perceptions differ on these hotels having brand images. So, recently the Sri Lankan hotel
industry has faced a huge loss and a downturn in the industry due to the global pandemic
situation. so, it is likely to find out how these hotels maintained their brand image and what
people’s attitudes were towards them and how it affected their purchase intention. these areas
will be covered in this research by gathering information from certain valid sources such as
growth and fall reports taken from few hotels, sales reports, and also information from
websites, existing research articles etc,. in addition to that questionnaires will be distributed to
get information from people towards their attitudes on branded hotels and their purchase
intentions. This will be mostly focused considering the recent pandemic situation. Along with
that the literature review is written according to few similar studies and the study gaps will be
identified to complete them within this research. Afterwards, the research methodology is
developed including the research population, sampling method used and the various data
collection methods. Finally, a Gant chart is included to show the time taken to complete the
research.
This study will bring out the importance of having a brand image and whether it affects the
purchase intention of people and how it happens.

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Chapter 01 - Introduction

1.0) Role of the hospitality industry and brand image

The highly diversified landscapes and natural attractions in Sri Lanka have been welcoming a
growing number of visitors to the country. the total tourist arrivals by the end of 2019 amounted
to more than 2.3 million. the revenue generator through travel and tourism sector remained a
high contributor to the national economy it is estimated that five point 1% towards the GDP
came from the hospitality industry. With the increase in tourism the hospitality industry
developed. As per the facts more than 2000 new luxury hotels were built by the mid of 2019.
Due to expansion and development in the industry Sri Lanka was named as the fourth best
country to travel in 2019 and Asia’s leading emerging tourism destination at the world travel
awards 2019. (SLTDA, 2019)

Sri Lanka has not only built a brand image for their tourism but also the country is recognised
for offering the best hospitality services for both local and international visitors. As there are
many hotel groups that has developed a brand image throughout it has given a huge support to
the hospitality industry while attracting tourists, locals and making the best out of it. But
however, the Easter terror attacks on April 2019 cost Sri lanka to lose a 70.8% decrease in
tourist arrivals and made the lowest number of arrivals compared to past years. so, as this
negatively affected few of the reputed hotels in Sri Lanka the overall revenue decreased making
a huge loss at the end of 2019.

With the time when the tourism sector was rebuilding Sri Lanka had to face the global covid
19 pandemic which largely affected the hotel industry than any other period. so, still the
industry is slowly recovering from the huge downturn. Therefore, as it has given a big impact
to the Sri Lankan hotels operating under 2 star - 3 star are now closed down however, the luxury
hotels are operating well due to their brand image built throughout the years. So, as brand image
is all about competition the hospitality industry in Sri Lanka is experiencing fierce competition
across all segments ranging from city hotels to resorts however hotels are expected to act as a
differentiator for the brands. So, it is likely to find out how competitors in the industry has
faced the pandemic situation while maintaining their brand image, how they have improved
their brand image after the lockdown periods and how people have reacted to these changes
and made their purchase intentions.

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1.2) Research problem identification

The problem of this study was to identify whether brand image influence the purchase intention
in the Sri Lankan hotel industry.

Reasons for identifying the knowledge gap

Brand image can be defined as a unique group of associations which creates a perception about
an offering retain the minds of the target customers

Brand image has a major impact on consumers buying behaviour if the brand image is positive,
the customers behaviour towards the brand is also positive. So, it is necessary that every
industry and every company creates a positive brand image on people’s mind.

There is no proper research done covering the influence in brand image to purchase intentions
researching from customers point of view

With the recent pandemic companies have to rebrand or improve their brand image in order to
attract customers so it is likely to find out how and why they have done it

And finally, it is mandatory to find out whether people have positively reacted to these bran
improvements or not and what people really need after this pandemic situation for instance
what people look in and what they are expecting Sri Lankan hotels to have and how it supports
to improve their brand image.

1.3) Research questions

▪ What factors influence people to create different perceptions towards brands on their
minds?
▪ Is there a relationship between brand image and consumer buying behaviour ?
▪ Are people attracted to the brand considering their previous experiences or based on
other factors?

1.4) Research objectives

▪ To identify how consumer’s purchase intentions change towards different brand images
in certain situations.

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▪ To discover whether there is a relationship between brand image and purchase

intentions.
▪ To find out whether people’s attitudes towards brands change with the improvements
and changes done to particular brands in certain periods.
▪ Finally, to reveal the most consistent reason that affects people to change their buying
behavior considering brand image.

1.5) Significance of the study

It is observable that in the past years several studies have specifically done focusing on brand
image and its relationship with consumer buying behaviour but in order to cover the Sri Lankan
context I believe these studies are insufficient besides even though there are a few studies done
covering brand image and purchase intentions in industries in Sri Lanka there were no proper
research done on how the brand image influence purchase intentions in the Sri Lankan hotel
industry. and the information given was not sufficient to build up a conclusion proving that
there is a significant relationship between brand image and purchase intentions that affects the
Sri Lankan hotel industry. So, it is likely to find out that building a positive brand image will
bring positive responses and increase sales in this industry.

1.6) Limitations

Unlike other countries Sri Lankans not much aware about brand image they are for marketeers
have to put on a huge effort to convey this to people and get attraction. As brand image is
created on people’s mind with what they see, hear, and experience it is difficult for hotels to
create a good impression on people’s mind and it takes time. therefore, as it takes more time to
build a reputed brand image the studies done on these hotels will also take much of time to
gather information covering various areas as the time given to complete the research is limited.
Moreover, as Sri Lankan people are not much forward to look on what they really want it is
hard for this industry to create brand awareness and build a positive attitudes towards them.
For instance, As mentioned earlier the 2019 easter terror attack is a good example because after
the attack took place in certain 5-star hotels such as Shangri La and Kingsbury in Colombo Sri
Lanka, people started believing that the customer safety was not enough and the whole tourism
chain was affected through this. It takes little time to build negative impressions on customers
mind even though a good brand image is being built earlier. Therefore, the customer
perceptions change quickly so it is difficult to figure out exactly whether the brand image

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influence people’s purchase intentions, and as the sample size is limited for this research due
to the current pandemic situation it is difficult to give an accurate conclusion on overall sri
Lankan’s purchase intentions. finally, experience of the researcher is limited as well therefore,
to conduct the research with limited experience, the process and conclusion may not be a
perfect work.

Chapter 02 – Literature review

Introduction

Throughout this chapter the key theories, concepts and models of the research will be discussed
supported by up-to-date literature. each area is to be given in depth focus and elaborated on
necessary areas would be the prime intention of the researcher to the reader itself.
2.1 ) overview

In the past years, the hotel industry in Sri Lanka has increased, triggered by international
networks in the field of tourism and social media. besides the implementation of government
programs in the sector of building infrastructure's such as roads new ports strongly support the
tourism industry, which ultimately has an impact on the hotel industry.
Continuity of hotel performances must be maintained for several reasons an appropriate
marketing strategy is needed. the effect of implementing marketing strategies is to build brand
image. Some literature that discussed brand image also includes marketing strategies in
example branding. in practise , many service organisations such as hotels use communication
channels to build a brand image to position the intended brand or hotel name. (intelligence,
2019) The marketing activities carried to create brand awareness is linked to consumers
purchase intentions.
Another opinion explained that service organizations such as hotels stated that organizations
are brands (Wallace and De Chernatony, 2009). Thus, the organizational values are represented
by brands. Imagery is part of the discussion about brands ( Falola et al., 2018; Minkiewicz
et al., 2011). This argument reinforces that when an employee/manager displays a brand
through interactive activities with customers, it affects the perception of the company's image.
Service organizations such as hotels practice brand image through the intermediaries of
managers in communicating and providing services to consumers (Wallace and De
Chernatony, 2009). Employees directly provide values to consumers who later become positive

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perceptions, beliefs and impressions (Alvarez Dominguez, 2011; Wallace and De Chernatony,
2009). Some marketing strategies are programmed to obtain positive perceptions, beliefs, and
impressions from the minds of consumers. This effort can be made through internal and
external marketing strategies. Brand image is the impact of organizational activities to obtain
a collection of perceptions, beliefs and impressions from the target market (Aziz,
2018; Heinberg et al., 2018; Singh and Sarkar, 2019) This explanation confirms that brand
image is the primary indicator to assess the success of an organization's marketing strategy.
But as this is only limited to the organisation’s end with their marketing strategies it is difficult
to identify what exactly triggers customers to build a brand image on their mind. Apart from
that another research shows that image is developed in the customers mind through the impacts
of promotion, advertisement, public relations, word of mouth and customers encounter with
the products and services (kandampully, 2008) Moreover one approach in keeping up
customers brand education is to emulate an existing positive brand image implemented by
successful organisation. the hotel image is also an important variable that positively or
negatively influences marketing strategies of the hotel itself (Arasli, 2007) image is an
important element to organisations due to the ability to influence customers perception towards
goods and services and it affected by indecision and behaviour. the customer will cooperate
actively and ignore competitors and become brand loyal. So according to this research it has
being proved that customers perceptions change towards a brand due to their marketing
activities and in accordance to that another research is being developed proving that price is
the main factor that led customers to change purchase intentions. This study was done in sri
lanka and this has proved that most of the sri Lankan people are staying at budget hotels and
not into luxury (wijayasundara, 2020) so this shows that brand image is not considered when
people are looking for stay in hotels in Sri Lanka.
But however, on the other hand luxury hotels in Sri Lanka such as Shangri La has done
researches and found out that their customers are highly considering about their brand image
around the world, and it is their most important objective to maintain brand image. Shangri-
La’s brand architecture is strategically planned and executed to target every type of traveller,
from business travellers, individuals, couples to families. These sub-brands help Shangri-La to
operate in many segments of the hospitality industry across the world. However, this is not all
that Shangri-La offers.
Whenever a brand gains popularity and acceptance from its target customers in its core
business, the next obvious step for the brand is to charter a new course by venturing into
different product lines, segments, and markets. This phenomenon seems common across

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industry sectors. Besides straddling many segments within the same category, Shangri-La also
has offerings in related categories in the hospitality sector. (roll, 2019) so as they have
maintained their brand image people are likely to stay at Shangri la but due to the easter attack
and due to the current covid-19 situation they had different experiences and customers have
different attitudes with the change in time so it is likely to find out how they have implanted
new measures and the improvements done to their brand image and how customers reacted to
them. Furthermore, as now the technology has improved consumers have started seeing brands
in a different way the development of digital information systems with high access speeds has
made the brand image as an urgent main idea to be investigated. de Chernatony and Segal-
Horn (2003) explains that there is also a lot of literature that discusses interactions between
employees and consumers to create a brand image. This is known as internal marketing. But
internal marketing cannot stand alone. Internal marketing requires the role of competent human
resources as an essential element in creating and maintaining a brand image.
The activity of creating perceptions in the minds of stakeholders through a company's
marketing strategy is referred to as forming the company's image (Balmer, 2012; Christelle,
2012). Dowling (1986) defines a company's image as a set of meanings on an object, in this
case, is a company, where the purpose comes from perceptions, memories and connections,
can also go from one's beliefs, ideas, feelings and impressions. Christelle (2012) determines
the meaning of the brand image is the company's efforts to provide a vision and hope to
stakeholders and the public. The views of other researchers explain the brand image is a picture
of the company according to the opinions of customers, shareholders, the people, the media,
and other parties developed to meet the interests of stakeholders (Jo Hatch and Schultz, 2003).
Brand image is formed through total brand communication activities (Heinberg et al., 2018)
For an example as Shangri La and Marriot is operating under most technologically built hotels
people have created different brand images on these compared to other traditionally operating
hotels and customers are also looking on what these hotels have done and added in order to
prevent their customers from the pandemic so these things will also affect their purchase
intentions. So, all the above-mentioned studies are covering different ends of brand image and
purchase intentions of customers therefore as per this study the researcher is bound to find out
the buying behaviour of Sri Lankans and whether the brand images built in hotels is really
affecting their purchase intentions.

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2.2) Importance of brand image to the hotel industry

Having a strong brand image of your brand can deliver benefits for your organisation and it
proves to be extremely helpful in fulfilling motives and objectives of one business. Brand
image in the hotel industry can build credibility, giving customers a valid reason to consider
above rivals. Hotels with a brand image, delivering delightfully services can bring customers
back to them do you do the brand loyalty. As brand image considered to be the first impression
More customers will become loyal if hotels offer a good service. Not only that, but if looking
to increase consumer acquisition rates this is a good avenue to go down because 84% of people
make a purchase because of a referral so if the first impression is worthwhile it could lead to
additional business. Having a brand image is important to attract to potential customers as well
as to keep the existing customers.

2.3) Conceptual framework

In light of the literature review , the study includes two variables including brand image and
the purchase intention of consumers in the Sri Lankan hotel industry
Independent variable for this study is brand image whereas the dependent variable is purchase
intention of customers. conceptual framework clarifies what the researcher expect to find
through the research and how the variables that studying relates each other. and this research
aims to find out that whether the purchase intention of customers vary due to the changes in
brand image or not. So in order to find this brand image is divided into sub variables as there
are many factors rounded around this variable so here few mostly affecting factors will be
covered. Final aim is to find out to which hotels people have visited the most in the covid-19
period and is it because of the brand image or other factors. So finally, the research can prove
whether the brand image influence the people’s purchase intention in the Sri Lankan hotel
industry.
Figure 1- Research model

Individual Variable Dependent Variable

Dimensions

Consumer Perception

Brand Trust

Customer Purchase Intention

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2.4) Formulation of hypothesis

Based on the inside driven by the literature review above, the following set hypothesis will be
stated for this study.

Hypothesis

H1 = There is a positive relationship between Consumer Perception and Purchase Intention in

the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry
H0 = There is no positive relationship between Consumer Perception and Purchase Intention in
the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry
H2 = There is a positive relationship between Brand Trust and Purchase Intention in the Sri
Lankan Hotel Industry
H0 = There is no positive relationship between Brand Trust and Purchase Intention in the Sri
Lankan Hotel Industry
H3 = There is a positive relationship between Customer Innovativeness and Purchase Intention
in the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry
H0 = There is no positive relationship between Customer Innovativeness and Purchase
Intention in the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry
H4 = There is a positive relationship between Brand reputation and Purchase Intention in the
Sri Lankan Hotel Industry
H0 = There is no positive relationship between Brand reputation and Purchase Intention in the
Sri Lankan Hotel Industry

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Chapter 03 – Research Methodology

3.1) Introduction

The research methodology used within this study is addressed below, research approach ,
sampling methods , and data collection methods will be covered

3.2) sampling method and population

Cluster sampling which comes under the probability sampling method worst used for this study
and here the total population is divided into groups and random sample of the group is selected.
The population is considered as families who visited hotels in different districts in Sri Lanka
during and after the COVID-19 pandemic period. 25 families all targeted in the research with
a total of 50. and 30 respondents were taken as the sample size and hypothesis was tested using
correlation with a confidence level of 95%. reason for selecting this population is as these
families have visited luxury hotels it is easier to get their opinion towards brand image on these
hotels and to find out whether they have changed their buying behaviour after the covid
pandemic period.

3.3) Data collection method

Primary data collection method was used for this research because online questionnaires are
used for the survey in purpose of this research. a questionnaire made through Google form
were send to 50 people and 30 respondents from each family had given the response for the
questionnaire. The questionnaire is made from journals written by previous researches.

As the layout of the questionnaire, a brief introduction and purpose of conducting this survey
is included. this research can get direct response and feedback from the respondents thus, more
accurate information was collected from the respondents as they have travelled to these hotels
at this period. The structure of the questionnaire was designed in a convenient way example:
the Likert scale questions is easy for the respondents to give their ratings.

3.4) Analysis method

Each data collected from the questionnaires and other sources will be analysed using the data
analysis tools. in the data analysis process , descriptive statistics including frequencies and
percentages will be used and when analysing the data, the SPSS software will be used. SPSS

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is an extremely powerful tool for manipulating and analysing survey data since there are a
handful of statistical methods that can be leveraged in SPSS. Moreover, the variables derived
in the research and its relationship will be analysed using an inferential statistics technique
which is the correlation analysis. the correlation analysis will conclude through a graph
showing that whether there is a relationship between brand image and purchase intentions in
the Sri Lankan hotel industry. apart from that the demographic variables will be analysed using
descriptive statistics and frequencies and finally it will be displayed in charts for further
understanding. Finally, the Likert scale questions also will be analysed using regression and
correlation.

Chapter 04 - Data presentation and analysis

4.1) Introduction

Throughout this chapter it is researcher’s intention to analyse the data carried out through the
survey. Moreover, this analysis will be generating results on how brand image influence
purchase intention of the customers with reference to the hotel industry. By using the collected
data, descriptive analysis and correlation tests will be carried out and further the researchers of
opinion and findings will be provided.

4.2) Data Analysis

Gender

Statistics

Gender

Valid 30
N
Missing 0

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Gender

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Male 20 66.7 66.7 66.7

Valid Female 10 33.3 33.3 100.0

Total 30 100.0 100.0

Above shows the number of males and females that responded to the questionnaire. As the total
respondents is 30 20 of them are male and 10 of them are female. And these are also the
respondents who visited hotels after the covid-19 period.

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Age Group

Age Group

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Less than 20 3 10.0 10.0 10.0

21-30 10 33.3 33.3 43.3

31-40 6 20.0 20.0 63.3

Valid
41-50 6 20.0 20.0 83.3

Above 50 5 16.7 16.7 100.0

Total 30 100.0 100.0

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Above shows the age groups that took part in the survey and who visited hotels. The majority
who visited hotels and responded to the survey is between 21-30 and least is age less than 20.

Reasons for Visit

Reasons for visit

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Leisure and Relaxation 9 30.0 30.0 30.0

Business Purpose 12 40.0 40.0 70.0

Valid Sports and Recreation 3 10.0 10.0 80.0

Other 6 20.0 20.0 100.0

Total 30 100.0 100.0

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According to the above chart is shows the various reasons that people have visited to hotels. It
is evidenced that 12 people which means the majority has visited hotels for business purpose.
So, when it comes to business purpose brand image is important to be considered when
choosing hotels.

Visiting on Pandemic Period

Above pie chart shows that 30% of people have visited to hotels at the covid-19 period. So it
is likely to find out whether these people have visited hotels with a brand image and why so
and what factors influenced them to make this purchase intention.

Star rating of hotels

Statistics

Star Rating of Hotels

Valid 30
N
Missing 0

Mean 3.77

Median 4.00

Mode 5

Std. Deviation 1.357

Sum 113

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Star Rating of Hotels

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

2 Star 3 10.0 10.0 10.0

3 Star 3 10.0 10.0 20.0

4 Star 4 13.3 13.3 33.3

Valid
5 Star 8 26.7 26.7 60.0

Above 5 Star 12 40.0 40.0 100.0

Total 30 100.0 100.0

According to the above Tables, the average frequency of visiting hotels and star rate chose can
be studied. With the reference of 30 sample collected from Sri Lankan Hotel field, it indicates
that most of the customer visit to Hotels for above 5-star Hotels. Specially, 40% people are
belonged to the category of above 5-star hotels. On the other hand, 26% customers are from

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category of 5-star hotels. Furthermore, 13.3% of customer tend to visit for hotels which have
4 stars. Apart from that, minimum percentage of 10% are belonged to 2- and 3-star hotel
category.

Visited Hotel Names

Statistics

Visited Hotel Names

Valid 30
N
Missing 0

Mean 2.67

Median 2.50

Mode 1a

Std. Deviation 1.626

Sum 80

a. Multiple modes exist. The

smallest value is shown

Visited Hotel Names

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Shangri La 9 30.0 30.0 30.0

Marriot Hotels 6 20.0 20.0 50.0

Jetwing Hotels 9 30.0 30.0 80.0

Accor Hotels 1 3.3 3.3 83.3

Valid
Amaya Hotels 3 10.0 10.0 93.3

Araliya Hotels 1 3.3 3.3 96.7

Other 1 3.3 3.3 100.0

Total 30 100.0 100.0

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According to the above chart it shows that most of the people have visited the Shangri la hotels
( 9) which is having a good brand image and also other hotels like Marriott’s, Jetwing and
Amaya also has customers who are visiting at the covid-19 period, as they are also brand
reputed hotels. The mean value is 2.67 whereas the median value is 2.50 and the mode is 1.

Correlation

1. Correlation between Consumer perception factor and Customer Purchase Intention

Correlations

Customer Purchase Consumer

Intention Perception

Pearson Correlation 1 -.356**

Customer Purchase Intention Sig. (2-tailed) .007

N 30 30

Pearson Correlation -.356** 1

Consumer Perception Sig. (2-tailed) .007

N 30 30

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

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According to the above table, Pearson correlation has been examined by using the data
collection of survey. The relationship between Consumer Perception and Customer Purchase
Intention are taken as average score in above table.

Using the confidence level of 95%, the correlation is 0.05 and the significance level is 0.05
after analyzing the data collection. Hence, H0 can be rejected which shows that there is a
relationship between Consumer Perception factor and customer Purchase Intention.

H1 = Consumer Perception factor does affect Customer Purchase Intention of the customers
who visit to the Hotels in Sri Lankan Hotel Industry.

Descriptive Statistics

N Range Minimu Maximu Mean Std. Variance Skewness

m m Deviation

Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Std. Statistic Statistic Statistic Std.
Error Error

Consumer 30 4 1 5 3.55 .149 0.101 1.213 -.077 .321

Perception

Customer 30 4 1 5 3.39 .144 0.063 1.133 -.121 .321

Purchase
Intention

Valid N (list wise) 30

According to the above Table, the mean value of Consumer perception is 3.55 and it seems that
Customers have a perception of Consumer perception factors in the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry

3.55 + 0.101 = 3.651 = 4 --- Agree

3.39 - 0.063 = 3.327 = 3 --- Neutral

In this case, there is a (+) positive perception on consumer perception factor in Sri Lankan
Hotel Industry and this analysis shows that the Sri Lankan hotel industry conduct a better
consumer perception to be improved the customer Purchase intention.

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2. Correlation between Brand Trust factor and Customer Purchase Intention

Correlations

Customer Purchase Brand Trust

Intention

Pearson Correlation 1 -.211

Customer Purchase Intention Sig. (2-tailed) .119

N 30 30

Pearson Correlation -.211 1

Brand Trust Sig. (2-tailed) .119

N 30 30

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

According to the above table, Pearson correlation has been examined by using the data
collection of survey. The relationship between Brand Trust and Customer Purchase Intention
are taken as average score in above table.

Using the confidence level of 95%, the correlation is 0.05 and the significance level is 0.05
after analyzing the data collection. Hence, H0 can be rejected which shows that there is a
relationship between Brand Trust factor and customer Purchase Intention.

H2 = Brand Trust factor does affect Customer Purchase Intention of the customers who visit to
the Hotels in Sri Lankan Hotel Industry.

Descriptive Statistics

N Range Minimu Maximu Mean Std. Varian Skewness

m m Deviation ce

Statisti Statisti Statistic Statistic Statisti Std. Statistic Statisti Statisti Std.
c c c Error c c Error

Brand Trust 30 4 1 5 3.74 .126 .931 .866 -.254 .321

Customer 30 3 2 5 3.61 .136 1.011 1.021 -.004 .321

Purchase
Intention

Valid N (list wise) 30

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According to the above Table, the mean value of Brand Trust is 3.74 and it seems that
Customers have a perception of Consumer perception factors in the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry

3.74 + 0.126 = 3.866 = 4 --- Agree

3.61 - 0.136 = 3.474 = 3 --- Neutral

In this case, there is a (+) positive perception on Brand Trust factor in Sri Lankan Hotel Industry
and this analysis shows that the Sri Lankan hotel industry conduct a better Brand Trust to be
improved the customer Purchase intention.

3. Correlation between Customer Innovations factor and Customer Purchase Intention

Correlations

Customer Purchase Customer

Intention Innovations

Pearson Correlation 1 -.295*

Customer Purchase Intention Sig. (2-tailed) .027

N 30 30

Pearson Correlation -.295* 1

Customer Innovations Sig. (2-tailed) .027

N 30 30

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

According to the above table, Pearson correlation has been examined by using the data
collection of survey. The relationship between Customer Innovations and Customer Purchase
Intention are taken as average score in above table.

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Using the confidence level of 95%, the correlation is 0.05 and the significance level is 0.05
after analyzing the data collection. Hence, H0 can be rejected which shows that there is a
relationship between Customer Innovations and customer Purchase Intention.

H3 = Customer Innovations factor does affect Customer Purchase Intention of the customers
who visit to the Hotels in Sri Lankan Hotel Industry.

Descriptive Statistics

N Range Minimu Maximu Mean Std. Varian Skewness

m m Deviation ce

Statisti Statisti Statisti Statistic Statisti Std. Statistic Statisti Statisti Std.
c c c c Error c c Error

Customer 30 4 1 5 3.42 .131 .982 .964 -.104 .321

Innovations

Customer 30 3 2 5 3.62 .144 1.066 1.137 -.145 .321

Purchase
Intention

Valid N (list wise) 30

According to the above Table, the mean value of Customer Innovations is 3.42 and it seems
that Customers have a perception of Customer Innovations factors in the Sri Lankan Hotel
Industry.

3.42 + 0.131 = 3.551 = 4 --- Agree

3.62 - 0.144 = 3.476 = 3 --- Neutral

In this case, there is a (+) positive perception on Customer Innovations factor in Sri Lankan
Hotel Industry and this analysis shows that the Sri Lankan hotel industry conduct a better
Customer Innovations to be improved the customer Purchase intention.

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4. Correlation between Brand Reputation factor and Customer Purchase Intention.

Correlations

Customer Purchase Brand

Intention Reputation

Pearson Correlation 1 -.356**

Customer Purchase Intention Sig. (2-tailed) .008

N 30 30

Pearson Correlation -.356** 1

Brand Reputation Sig. (2-tailed) .008

N 30 30

**.Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

According to the above table, Pearson correlation has been examined by using the data
collection of survey. The relationship between Brand Reputation and Customer Purchase
Intention are taken as average score in above table.

Using the confidence level of 95%, the correlation is 0.05 and the significance level is 0.05
after analyzing the data collection. Hence, H0 can be rejected which shows that there is a
relationship between Brand Reputation and customer Purchase Intention.

H4 = Brand Reputation factor does affect Customer Purchase Intention of the customers who
visit to the Hotels in Sri Lankan Hotel Industry.

Descriptive Statistics

N Range Minimu Maximu Mean Std. Variance Skewness

m m Deviation

Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Std. Statistic Statistic Statistic Std.
Error Error

Brand Reputation 30 4 1 5 3.55 .149 0.101 1.213 -.078 .321

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Customer 30 4 1 5 3.41 .144 0.066 1.133 -.111 .321

Purchase
Intention

Valid N (list wise) 30

According to the above Table, the mean value of Brand Reputation is 3.55 and it seems that
Customers have a perception of Brand Reputation factors in the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry.

3.55 + 0.149 = 3.699 = 4 --- Agree

3.41 - 0.144 = 3.266 = 3 --- Neutral

In this case, there is a (+) positive perception on Brand Reputation factor in Sri Lankan Hotel
Industry and this analysis shows that the Sri Lankan hotel industry conduct a better Brand
Reputation to be improved the customer Purchase intention

Chapter 5 – Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1) Introduction

This chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations drawn from the data analyst says
and presentations carried out in chapter 4. based on the previous chapters of this study this
chapter will provide answers to research questions in order to answer the research questions
further, the chapter is organised in a manner that focuses on explaining the conclusions and
findings on each of the objectives, presenting the recommendations.

5.3) Limitations

However, as the research was done with a small population it is difficult to conclude the overall
Sri Lankans perceptions towards brand image and whether it affects the purchase intentions in
the Sri Lankan hotel industry. and also ask the time frame was limited and due to the current
Covid19 situation it was difficult to gather information from hotels and was only limited to
customers apart from that unfortunately the regression part used to determine which factor

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matters the most was unable to complete due to a technical error that occurred in the spss
software.

5.2) conclusion on findings and recommendations

As the research verse carried out to find how brand image influence the purchase intentions in
the Sri Lankan hotel industry the hypothesis formed were analysed separately, as the values
shows that majority is higher than 0.05 and also as they are positive values it is necessary to
conclude that all the four sub variables are influencing the purchase intention of customers. and
also, it proves that there is a relationship between brand image and purchase intentions. also,
as per the survey conducted people have visited five-star hotels more which are having a good
brand image and also they are highly satisfied with the safety measures taken against COVID-
19. which means that even after the downturn in the hospitality industry the hotels have taken
action to maintain their brand image and to attract their existing customers as well as potential
customers. So finally, the researcher is able to conclude that Srilankan people are aware about
the brand image and their purchase intentions are affected through the brand image because it
seems that list number of people has visited two star and three-star hotels due to the lack of
brand image created.

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References

|. 2021. Importance of a Positive Brand Image. [ONLINE] Available at:

https://www.wdipl.com/blog/importance-positive-brand-image/. [Accessed 16 March 2021].

Hospitality Industry in Sri Lanka - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 -
2026). 2021. Hospitality Industry in Sri Lanka - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and
Forecasts (2021 - 2026). [ONLINE] Available at:
https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/hospitality-industry-in-sri-lanka.
[Accessed 17March 2021].

Sri Lanka Travel - Tourism Awards. 2021. Sri Lanka Travel - Tourism Awards. [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.tourismawards.lk/. [Accessed 18 March 2021].

SLTDA. 2021. SLTDA | Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. [ONLINE] Available at:
https://www.sltda.gov.lk/en. [Accessed 18 March 2021].

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QCjoHCCMQsQIQJzoHCCEQChCgAToGCAAQFhAeOgoIIRAWEAoQHRAeUPzLwQFY
upPDAWD3n8MBaAdwAngAgAHnAYgB3T2SAQYwLjQ0LjeYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd
2l6sAEKwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz. [Accessed 20 March 2021].

dspace.bu.ac.th. 2021. P D F. [ONLINE] Available at:

http://dspace.bu.ac.th/bitstream/123456789/2736/1/yossawut_laow.pdf. [Accessed 02 April
2021].

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[Accessed 02 April 2021].

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core.ac.uk. 2021. P D F. [ONLINE] Available at:

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234694064.pdf. [Accessed 03 April 2021].

UKEssays.com. 2021. Hotel Industry: Brand Image and Customer Loyalty. [ONLINE]
Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/hotel-industry-brand-image-
customer-9285.php. [Accessed 04 April 2021].

www.bu.ac.th. 2021. P D F. [ONLINE] Available at:

https://www.bu.ac.th/knowledgecenter/executive_journal/jan_june_15/pdf/aw06.pdf.
[Accessed 02 April 2021].

Brand tourism effect in the luxury hotel industry | Emerald Insight. 2021. Brand tourism effect
in the luxury hotel industry | Emerald Insight. [ONLINE] Available at:
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[Accessed 03 April 2021].

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Appendices

How Brand Image Influence the Purchase Intentions in the Sri Lankan Hotel
Industry
Please ready carefully and put a tick in the blank area which is mostly suitable
Demographic info – part 01
1. What is your gender?*
Male [ ]
Female [ ]
2. Age group you belong to *
Less than 20 years [ ]
21 - 30 years [ ]
31 - 40 years [ ]
41 -50 years [ ]
Above 50 years [ ]
3. Do you visit hotels? *
Yes [ ]
No [ ]
4. Reasons for your visit to any hotel *
Leisure and relaxation [ ]

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Business purpose [ ]
Sports and recreation [ ]
Other:
5. Did you visit any hotel during the pandemic period (2020 Sept - 2021 March)? *
Yes [ ]
No [ ]
6. Star rating of the hotel you visited *
2 star [ ]
3 star [ ]
4 star [ ]
5 stars [ ]
Above 5 stars [ ]
7. Name of the hotel you visited *
Shangri La hotels [ ]
Marriot hotels [ ]
Jetwing hotels [ ]
Accor hotels [ ]
Amaya hotels [ ]
Araliya hotels [ ]
Other
Likert scale questions – Part 02

Please read carefully and put tick in the blank which is mostly appropriated in a rating
scale of 1 to 5?

➢ Strongly disagree – 1

➢ Disagree – 2

➢ Neutral– 3

➢ Agree– 4

➢ Strongly agree -5

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Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

disagree agree
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
8. How would you rate the
quality of services
offered by the hotel you
visited?
9. The convenience
service of the
reservation system.
10. How would you rate the
food and
accommodation at the
hotel?
11. How would you rate the
friendliness of the hotel
employees?
12. How would you the rate
the safety measures
taken against covid-19
at the hotel?
13. How would you rate the
food serving safety
measures taken at the
hotel?
14. How would you value
the brand image of the
hotel you visited during
the covid-19 pandemic?

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The End

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