Layang Layang: An Empirical Study on Scuba Divers' Satisfaction

Scuba diving is a burgeoning special interest tourism product in Malaysia. Layang Layang Island in the middle of the South China Sea is one of the world's most exciting diving destinations known for its hammerhead sharks among the diving community. This study is a pilot survey aimed at measuring divers' satisfaction with Layang Layang. One hundred self-administered questionnaires were given out to divers on the last day of their stay in September 2004. Ninety-eight questionnaires were returned and analyzed. The results show that divers are generally Europeans, older, first timers, experienced, of high education and near equality between the sexes. The overall satisfaction is very high. The main contributors to diving satisfaction are underwater nature and the comfort and ease of access to dive sites. Divers are less satisfied with the provision of marine life education facilities, rental equipment, lodging, and the lack of other activities. It is suggested that in order to ensure divers' satisfaction, the management should appropriately manage divers' expectations by providing accurate information about Layang Layang using the most satisfactory diving variables in the marketing message. The resort at the same time should ensure that the natural features of the island are sustainable, because they are the reasons for divers' visits. Future research should improve on the questionnaire design and the size of diver sample population.