CREATING MEMORABLE TOURISM EXPERIENCES THROUGH SERVICESCAPE DESIGN: A PROPOSED MODEL FOR ZOO NEGARA MALAYSIA

Abstract

This paper explores how different dimensions that form the overall servicescape of Zoo Negara Malaysia impact visitors’ memorable tourism experiences (MTE). The servicescape concept, which describes the overall physical environment within a service setting that can be controlled by the organization, is adopted for the study. In other words, it is suggested that physical cues such as animal conditions, zoo layout, design and facilities may be used by zoo operators to create memorable tourism experiences. Aspects of MTE
consist of knowledge, hedonism, meaningfulness, refreshment, local culture, novelty and involvement. A conceptual framework is proposed to investigate the relationship between zoo servicescapes and memorable tourism experience. It is expected that this study contributes towards existing academic research related to zoo tourism and provides insight into how zoo operators could design and manage their zoological facilities to increase visitor numbers.