Abstracts in English, Southern Sotho and Zulu / The primary objective of the study was to explore customers’ perceptions of the service quality provided in the hotel industry, in Pretoria. Considering the growth of the hotel industry in Pretoria, this study revealed that customers expect to receive a high level of service quality, which will lead to customer satisfaction and produce a positive perception of hotel service. An exploratory research design was adopted in this study and qualitative data were collected through interviewing customers of a hotel. In terms of limitations, this study was conducted at one selected hotel in Pretoria. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse collected data. The analysis of the data identified a number of specific themes that were relevant to shaping the perceptions of the respondents, in terms of service quality and their satisfaction with the service quality received. The themes supported existing literature in terms of the factors influencing perceptions of service and the specific influences within those themes were elaborated on, leading to recommendations for managing service quality perceptions in the hotel industry. / Maikemišetšomagolo a dinyakišišo e bile go utolla maikutlo a badiriši mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tše di abiwago ka intastering ya dihotele ka Pretoria. Ka ge di hlokometše kgolo ya intasteri ya dihotele ka Pretoria, dinyakišišo tše di utollotše gore ba emetše go hwetša ditirelo tša boleng, tšeo di tlago feletša ka go kgotsofala ga badiriši le go tšweletša maikutlo a makaone a tirelo ya dihotele. Tlhamo ya dinyakišišo tša go utolla e dirišitšwe ka mo dinyakišišong tše gomme tshedimošo ya boleng e kgobokeditšwe ka go botšiša badiriši ba dihotele dipotšišo. Mabapi le mellwane, dinyakišišo tše di dirilwe ka hoteleng e tee yeo e kgethilwego ka Pretoria. Softewere ya Atlas.ti e šomišitšwe go sekaseka tshedimošo ye e kgobokeditšwego. Tshekatsheko ya tshedimošo e utollotše merero ye mmalwa ye itšego yeo e bego e le maleba mabapi le go beakanya maikutlo a baarabi, mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo le go kgotsofala ga bona mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tšeo di hweditšwego. Merero e thekgile dingwalwa tše di lego gona mabapi le mabaka ao a huetšago maikutlo ka ga ditirelo gomme dikhuetšo tše itšego ka gare ga merero yeo di hlathollotšwe, gomme se sa feletša ka ditšhišinyo tša go laola maikutlo ka ga boleng bja ditirelo ka intastering ya dihotele. / Inhloso enkulu yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlola imibono yamakhasimende ngekhwalithi yesevisi enikezwa embonini yamahhotela, ePitoli. Uma kubhekwa ukukhula komkhakha wamahhotela ePitoli, lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi amakhasimende alindele ukuthola izinga eliphakeme lezinsizakalo, okuzoholela ekwanelisekeni kwamakhasimende futhi kuveze umbono omuhle wensizakalo yamahhotela. Lolu cwaningo oluchazayo lwamukelwe kanti lakhelwe phezulu kwemininingwane ebhekelele ubunjalo besimo yaqoqwa ngokuxoxisana namakhasimende asehhotela. Ngokwemikhawulo, lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ehhotela elilodwa elikhethiwe ePitoli. Kusetshenziswe isofthiweye noma uhlelo lokusebenza elibizwa nge-Atlas.ti ukuhlaziya imininingwane eqoqiwe. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kukhombe izingqikithi ezithile ebezifanele ukwakhela imibono yabaphenduli, ngokuya ngekhwalithi yesevisi nokweneliseka kwazo ngekhwalithi yesevisi etholakele. Izindikimba zisekele imibhalo ekhona ngokwezinto ezinomthelela emibonweni yesevisi kanye nemithelela ethize kulezo zingqikithi yachazwa kabanzi, okuholela ezincomweni zokuphatha imibono yekhwalithi yesevisi embonini yamahhotela. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Indianapolis is considered by many a competitive, large population city with incredible resources for business conferences and event tourism. The city’s flagship event, The Indianapolis 500, has paved the way for the city’s success. With initiative, planning, construction, and implementation the city’s tourism prowess has grown over the past three decades. Indianapolis has become host to a plethora of mid-size and large conferences every year, a regular on the host circuit for the NCAA Final Four, host of the annual Big Ten basketball tournament and most recently the host of the 2012 Super Bowl. Indianapolis continuously attempts to bring in more events every year. Not many residents get to see, or are even aware of, the associates busy at work attempting to fill hotel rooms, conference centers and stadiums. The Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) of the city are constantly working and tweaking strategies to increase exposure and get tourists excited about visiting Indianapolis. However, it is difficult to identify what truly separates Indianapolis as a tourist destination from any other competitive, second-tier population, landlocked city. Centrality within the country and the tourism infrastructure may be argued, but a representative from nearly any city in competition with Indianapolis may make a counterpoint to most resources. Instead of running in circles with this argument, this thesis looks to probe into a resource for Indianapolis that could be turned into a strong marketing tool for tourism: its employees. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of resident contact employees in the food service and lodging industries concerning Indianapolis’ tourism attributes, and their relation to Indianapolis’ destination marketing and managerial strategies.