CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSFs): A COMPARISON BETWEEN COASTAL AND ISLAND CHALETS

Tourism is an important industry for Malaysia, and small and medium chalets (SMCs) play a significant role in aiding the success of the tourism industry. Similar to other small businesses that find difficulty in competing against large companies, many small chalet operators are struggling given the stiff competition posed by large hotels and resorts. The present study aims to identify the perceived critical success factors (CSFs) of SMCs operating along the coastal area and on four islands on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, namely Tioman, Redang, Perhentian and Kapas. Measures from Brotherton and Shaw (1996) and Brotherton (2004) were adopted, and structured interviews were conducted to enhance the richness of data. A total of 56 small and medium coastal chalet (SMCC) and 33 small and medium island chalet (SMIC) operators participated in the survey, and only six respondents agreed to be interviewed. Conferences and banquets were found to be insignificant for coastal and island SMCs. However, SMCCs consider guest accommodation, back of house, and food and beverage as their top CSFs, whereas SMICs rank front office, guest accommodation, and food and beverage as their main CSFs. Qualitative findings provide significant and interesting views to enhance the discussion of the results.