Browsing by Author "Kulathilake, C.J.P."
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Item A Comparative Study on the Influence of Promotional Mix Factors on Domestic Tourists' Destination Choice: Evidence from Dambulla & Sigiriya UNESCO World Heritage Sites(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2018) Kasthuri, W.G.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.The domestic tourism in Sri Lanka has a long history. A specific feature of domestic tourism in Sri Lanka is the rising middle class that emerged with the opening up the economy of the country. Strategies used in tourist destinations and the factors affecting tourists' destination choice are highly important for the promotional activities. This study depends on domestic tourists' destination choice with respect to two UNESCO World heritage sites. According to Annual Statistical Report of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, it is revealed that there are lowest domestic tourist's arrivals to Dambulla heritage site and highest domestic tourist's arrivals to Sigiriya heritage site. Hence, the intention of this paper is to fill the gap in literature using secondary and primary data. Primary data were gathered through distributing a self-administered questionnaire and fifty domestic tourists per destination were selected by using convenience sampling technique. Correlation coefficient analysis and Regression analysis were used for the purpose of data analysis. Results revealed that the public relations were the most significant tool influence on destination choice in Dambulla heritage site and personal selling was the most significant tool influence in Sigiriya heritage site. According to the results, Dambulla heritage site should consider the other promotional activities such as personal selling, advertising and sales promotions to enhance the domestic tourist arrivals.Item Factors Influencing Consumers’ Purchase Intention of Ecofriendly Apparel (With Special Reference to Colombo District Millenials)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Handagama, H.R.K.H.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.; Rajapaksha, R.M.M.C.The ecofriendly apparel is an emerging concept in Sri Lanka. The purpose of the study was to examine consumers‟ purchase intention towards eco-friendly apparel by investigating the effects of their expectations, perception, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes. The study was selected six eco-friendly outlets and collected data from 150 millennials who live in Colombo the questionnaire was used as the data collecting technique. Millennials were selected by using a simple random sampling method. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were used to analyze data with the support of the SPSS 22.0 version. The purpose of the study was to examine consumers‟ purchase intention towards eco-friendly apparel by investigating the effects of their expectations, perception, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes. Based on the result all the independent variables have positive relationship with dependent variables. All the independent variables (expectation, perception, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes) positively impact on purchase intention. As well as subjective norms are the most impacting predictor of purchase intention. This study provides recommendations and suggestions to sales and marketing managers should implement marketing strategies to enhance purchase intention concerning the factors of eco-friendly apparel. Hence marketing managers, fashion designers, and relevant policymaker need to identify what are the factors influencing purchase intention towards eco-friendly apparel with special reference to Colombo districts millennials. Keywords: Attitude and Purchase intention; Ecofriendly apparel; Expectation, Millennials; Perception; Subjective norms; Perceived Behavioral ControItem Identifying the Potential to Promote Wildlife Photography Tourism in Sri Lanka (Empirical Evidence from Yala National Park in Sri Lanka)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Sayuranga, M.L.C.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.Wildlife Photography Tourism is an untapped market for study, it caters tourists who are interested in Wildlife photography to travel from one destination to another. The ability to influence travel affects different industries including the tourism market. Therefore, within destinations promoting the wildlife photography market as a niche tourism market may be a better opportunity for the tourism industry. However, Sri Lanka is highly ranked in terms of species and endemic species per unit area, for the key groups of species that wildlife travellers are interested in. Wildlife photography tourism stands as a special interest tourism apart from the traditional wildlife tourism, which has still not clearly identified the potential of the Wildlife photography tourism market in Sri Lanka. This study aims to identify potentials to promote wildlife photography tourism in Yala national park. Primary data was collected from 15 respondents by using structured interviews and the sample was selected by using the purposive sampling method. The content analysis method was used to analyze qualitative data. Abundant potentials, issues and challenges, and market opportunities have been identified to promote wildlife photography tourism within Sri Lanka. The study's findings indicated attractions, accommodations, and accessibility as the key attributes of a destination in promoting wildlife photography tourism in Yala National Park. Besides, the lack of government's contribution was identified as a major issue to promote wildlife photography as a niche tourism market segment. Prominent findings highlighted the market opportunity to attract wildlife photographers and this study was able to identify various types of market opportunities to promote wildlife photography tourism. Furthermore, based on the salient findings, study advocates to promote wildlife photography tourism by implementing a proper destination marketing program, innovating wildlife photography tours by the tour operators, integrating with other niche tourism markets, and gaining a competitive advantage. Keywords: Wildlife Photography Tourism; Niche tourismItem Identifying the Potentials to Promote Ayurvedic Tourism during the Covid 19 Pandemic (Special Reference to Western Province)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Chathumini, H.D.M.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.; Idroos, A.A.Ayurvedic tourism is one of the niche markets identified as a potential segment to promote in Sri Lanka and in recent times, there was a shift in attention towards Ayurveda due to the COVID 19 pandemic. However, the outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic has severely affected the progress of the tourism industry. Even though the number of tourists arriving Sri Lanka in 2019 has decreased, there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists arriving Sri Lanka for the purpose of Ayurveda treatment. In such a context, the aim of this study is to identify the potentials to promote Ayurvedic tourism during the COVID 19 pandemic. This study enabled us to make proper use of the resources of the country and to identify Ayurvedic business opportunities. The study mainly depends on the primary data that has been collected from the stakeholders. Primary data collected from 14 respondents in selected Ayurveda hotels who have registered in Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Ayurveda centers, Ayurveda practitioners in the western province and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. The samples were selected using purposive sampling technique and structured interview techniques were used to analyze the collected data using content analysis. The results of the study showed that Sri Lanka has all the key elements: attraction, available packages, accessibility, amenities, activities and ancillary services to develop the Ayurvedic tourism industry. Further, Ayurvedic medicine, issues related to Ayurvedic doctors, government support, fraud committed by those involved in the Ayurvedic industry and promotions identified as barriers and challenges to promote Ayurvedic tourism. This study concludes with some recommendations for Ayurvedic tourism such as promotion in different countries, improving the knowledge of the staff, introducing new Ayurvedic related products with the COVID 19 pandemic, increasing government support etc. Keywords: Ayurvedic Tourism; COVID 19 Pandemic; Tourism Industry; StakeholdersItem Impact of Brand Personality on Word of Mouth Communication (Empirical Evidence from Sri Lankan Beer Industry)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Geekiyange, K.R.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.; Yapa, U.A.S.With the development of the society, people have tended to the consumption of the Tobacco and Alcohol products more than past. This could be as their entertainment activity or as a habit. However, due to reasons like these the beer consumption in the Sri Lanka has been increased in previous years. As a country with full of ethical values it is not allowed by the government to promote these alcohol and tobacco products in public in Sri Lanka. Hence in such cases, alcohol and tobacco produce organization may have no any other remedy to advertise their products, but WOM Communication. Hence, in this study researcher has investigated to accomplish objectives such as find out the relationship between the brand personality and WOM communication As well as to find out the impact of brand personality on WOM communication and to find out the most influential dimension which affect WOM communication in the context of Sri Lankan beer industry where dark marketing conditions are prevailing. The researcher gathered data from 150 respondents from 15 Divisional Secretariats in Badulla district using the convenience sampling technique. Through survey method has analyzed using statistical tools (SPSS). The results of the study indicated that there is positive relationship between brand personality dimensions and WOM communication. The study concluded that Excitement, Sincerity, Ruggedness, Competence, Sophisticate dimensions are significantly impact on WOM communication in the context of Sri Lankan beer industry rather than Competence dimension. Finally, the present study indicated that the positive relationship obtained between the brand personality and WOM communication in the context of Sri Lankan beer industry.Item Impact of Consumer Perception on Online Purchase Intention of Essential Goods during Covid-19 Outbreak With Special Reference to Working Age People in Matara District(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Bandaranayake, C.L.W.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.Online shopping has increasingly received attention since the consumers are unable to cater their essential goods during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) outbreak period. Successful positioning of this concept has been achieved globally, most notably in developed markets. However, in the Sri Lankan context, this does not appear to be the case. To this end, research has been undertaken in order to better understand the current position of the online grocery shopping occupies in the minds of Sri Lankan consumers. Moreover, the Sri Lankan Fast Moving Consumer Goods sector has identified as an industry which more focus on online shopping in the COVID-19 context. Since these tools are new to the market, there is a significant lack of empirical research in relation to the area. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to explore and investigate consumer perception towards online purchase intention. In this study, consumer perception was conceptualized as a multidimensional variable comprised of risk, benefits, ease and, past experience of online shopping. The research was quantitative in nature and both primary and secondary data used for analyses. Primary data was collected through self-administrated questionnaires while secondary data collected from supermarkets of Matara District. 150 of Sri Lankan working-age consumers were selected as the sample of the study using convenience sampling. Simple linear regression was conducted to achieve the research objectives. Based on the research findings, the study concluded that there is a significant impact of consumer perception on online purchase intention of essential goods during COVID-19 outbreak and past experience has mostly influenced with online purchase intention in pre-COVID situation while ease of online shopping has mostly influence in during COVID situation. Further, the findings of the research recommend that organizations should promote this online essential goods selling and delivering within the market as it provides a number of benefits to both consumers and sellers. Keywords: Online shopping; Consumer perception; online purchase intention; Essential goodsItem Impact of Destination Attributes and Travel Motives on Destination Choice (With Special Reference to Free Independent Travelers in Southern province)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Abeysekara, K.S.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.; Idroos, A.A.Free Independent Travelers (FITs) classify as an important travel segment. They are referred to as leisure travelers. In Sri Lankan context although tourism arrivals and leisure tourists are increasing, tourism growth change has been decreasing. So, it is important to identify how destination attributes and travel motives are influenced the travel segment to select the destinations. The study aimed to investigate the impact of destination attributes and travel motives when they select the destinations in Southern province as a holiday choice. The objectives of the study were to identify the profile of independent travelers who are traveling to Southern province, to examine the relationship between destination attributes and destination choice, to examine the relationship between travel motives and destination choice, to identify the most and least destination attributes and travel motive factors influence on destination choice when they select the destinations in Southern province. Primary data were collected through self-administered questionnaires in Southern province. The purposive sampling method was used to collect data from 160 Independent travelers and quantitative data analysis method was used in analysing the data using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple leaner regression analysis. Salient findings of the study indicated that the demographic and profile of the travelers were significantly associated with independent travel styles. Destination attributes and travel motives showed a positive significant association on destination choice. Further, it revealed, other than activities, other attributes and travel motives significantly influenced on destination choice and attraction. Pull motives were mostly influence on destination choice of independent travelers in Southern province. Therefore, destination attributes and travel motives could be used in formulating promotional strategies and other policies to best satisfy their needs. Keywords: Free independent travelers (FITs), Destination attributes, Travel motives, Destination choiceItem Impact of Individual Perception on Online Purchasing Intention (With Special Reference to Executive Level Employees in Badulla District)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Karunanayake, K.M.S.R.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.; Yapa, U.A.S.Technology evolves at a very fast pace, sometimes faster than the users can accept and adopt it. With the huge development of the technology people have more incline with online, physical retail shops, retailing has found its way onto the online platform as organizations seek to reach as many clients as possible. Online platform poses as a viable substitute for the traditional brick and mortar set up. The purpose of this study was to determine the Impact of individual perception on online purchase intention of executive level employees in Badulla district. A quantitative study was carried out with 200 respondents that included executive level employees from the Badulla district. The individual perception on online purchase were determined by the Perceived Transaction Security (PTS), Perceived Ease of Use (PEoU), Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Knowledge and Ability (PKaA). Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used for the analysis. The study found that there is a strong positive relationship between individual perception and online purchasing intention of executive level employees in Badulla district and Perceived Knowledge and ability was the most significant variable which effect to online purchase intention, value is 0.358. The study was made following recommendations: more online shops should be set up to increase competition. Existing online shopping platforms in the Sri Lankan market should always be on the creative edge to continue being useful to the consumer; online shops should be user friendly and very easy to use, most of the users are dominated by the younger generation, so with the changing age will generate and opportunity for the adjustment in consumer good which target the elder generation.Item The Impact of Internal Marketing on Employee Performance: Mediating Role of Employee Commitment in Travel Agencies in Colombo District(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Fernando, G.P.P.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.Employees are the blood stream of any business. The accomplishment or disaster of the firm depends on its employee performance and how much they are committed towards the work. There are fewer researches done in the context of Sri Lanka and travel industry regarding internal marketing, employee performance and employee commitment. Therefore this study aimed at studying the impact of internal marketing on employee performance and mediation of employee commitment. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between variables and the role of mediation of employee commitment. Data were collected through a random sample of workers in selected SLTDA registered travel agencies. 200 copies of the designed questionnaire were distributed and 178 copies of the questionnaires were recovered. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the employee profile, correlation to identify the relationship between variables, simple regression to identify the impact of one variable on the other and process Model 4 to identify the mediating effects. According to the descriptive statistics most of the employees who work in travel agencies are young and middle aged, educated and high income earners. The relationships between variables show positive relationships and internal marketing shows a significant impact on employee performance. The effect of mediation of employee commitment shows a negative value that denotes a non-mediation relationship between internal marketing and employee commitment. The researcher concludes that there is a relationship and direct impact of internal marketing on employee performance and there is no mediating effect of employee commitment. Therefore the researcher recommends that to improve the internal marketing practices such as training, motivation, empowerment and communication in organizations, in order to achieve high employee performance.Item Impact of Social Networking Sites Service Quality on Travel Decision of International Tourists (Special Reference to Sri Lanka)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Karunarathna, M.D.S.M.; Damunupola, A.K.A.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.It is a well-known fact that travel and tourism industries are highly inter-related, despite the concepts focus on two different aspects. According to literature, social media has been recognized as one of the main factors which greatly influenced travel decision of international tourists. The main objective of the paper is to analyse the impact of social networking sites on travel decision making behaviour of international tourists visiting Sri Lanka. Data were collected from 200 tourists who visited Colombo and Galle districts of Sri Lanka by using a structured questionnaire. Furthermore, convenient sampling technique was applied to select the sample. A regression analysis was carried out to accomplish the objectives of the study and results reveal that there is a strong positive relationship between the influence of social networking sites service quality and travel decision making behaviour of international tourists. Moreover, ‘Motivation’ has been identified as the most influential dimension under the independent variable which needs to be improved further to influence the travel decision making behaviour of tourists. Social media marketing campaigns, online competitions and blogging in social networking sites about destinations and attractions of Sri Lanka could be recommended to influence the decision to visit and also to act as a motivation factor in travel decision making by the international tourists.Item Need Analysis of a Context Aware Mobile Tour Guide Application to Uphold Sri Lankan Tourism Industry(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Ganewatta, N.P.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.; Dilshan, N.W.T.Tour guides are front line employees who are very accountable for the complete impression and satisfaction with the tour services provided by a destination. But with the development with new technology, travel and tourism industry have attempted to adopt various new concepts. Context aware mobile tour guide application is one of the latest concepts that the software developers have come up with. This study was conducted to identify the need of the context aware mobile tour guide application to uphold Sri Lankan tourism industry. The study used thematic analysis method to analyze qualitative data using Microsoft Excel. According to the findings of this study, there were 6 main reasons for rejection of tour guide services and states that there are infirmities of human tour guides in tourists’ and tour operators’ perspective. Finally this investigates the need of the context aware mobile tour guide application to the industry and present some suggestion and directions to the future research.Item A Study on SME’s Adoption of Internet Banking in Sri Lanka(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Weerakkody, W.M.M.G.N.U.; Kulathilake, C.J.P.; Fernando, A.G.N.K.Internet banking activities came into existence as a result of the evolution of new technology and it allows the customers to undertake their banking activities even staying at home. In general it is a feature introduced by the banks to its customers to log into their individual registered domain account on bank website and do almost every transaction they do by visiting the bank. It is a good opportunity especially for the business owners of the country. Owners of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in today’s business world. When making business decisions, owners’/managers’ characteristics are considerable and their adoption to e-commerce is significant. Hence, the current study investigate the SMEs adoption of internet banking in Sri Lanka. The researcher’s attempt is to identify the level of internet banking adoption by SMEs, the impact of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude on internet banking adaptation and the most significant factor impact on internet banking adoption by SMEs. For the current investigation, all the consumers who use internet service in SMEs in Colombo District is used as the target population and 200 consumers (SME owners) are selected as the sample by using stratified sampling technique. Primary data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using correlation analysis, regression and descriptive analysis methods. The findings of this study supports the previous findings on the similar area. The results of this study showed that there is a positive impact of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude on internet banking adaptation. Further, it revealed that all factors are positively impact on internet banking adoption by SME’s while perceived usefulness showed the highest impact.