Tourist-Centric Service Quality and Sustainable Tourism Development: Evidence from Indonesian Small Island Destinations

Yusuf Yusuf; Sri Ismulyati; Hubertina Karolina Ngarbingan; Ginta Ginting

doi:10.32535/ijabim.v11i2.4715

Tourist-Centric Service Quality and Sustainable Tourism Development: Evidence from Indonesian Small Island Destinations

Yusuf Yusuf, Sri Ismulyati, Hubertina Karolina Ngarbingan, Ginta Ginting

Abstract

Small island destinations in Indonesia have substantial tourism potential but face significant sustainability challenges. This study aims to examine the effect of tourist-centric service quality (TCSQ) on sustainable tourism development (STD) through tourist perception and to investigate the moderating role of environmental concern in this relationship. Data were collected from 477 domestic and international tourists visiting selected Indonesian small islands and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that TCSQ significantly enhances STD both directly and indirectly through tourist perception (p < 0.001), highlighting the importance of positive environmental perceptions in encouraging sustainable tourism. However, the moderating effects of environmental concern on responsiveness (b = 0.029, t = 1.851, p = 0.064) and tangibility (b = ?0.021, t = 1.330, p = 0.183) were not statistically significant, suggesting that environmentally concerned tourists value long-term sustainability commitments over operational service attributes. This study extends sustainable tourism literature by proposing an integrated moderated-mediation framework and offers practical guidance for destination management organizations to align service quality with environmental sustainability in small island destinations.

Keywords

Environmental Concern; Sustainable Tourism Development; Tourist Perception; Tourist-Centric Service Quality; Tourism Destinations

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32535/ijabim.v11i2.4715