Service Experience & Expectations of Saudi Arabia Domestic Tourists in the Lodging Secto

The Saudi's 2030 vision has recognized the vital role of religious tourism in the diversification of the kingdom's economy in addition to the reliance on gas and oil revenue. Currently, religious tourism contributes at least 3% of the Saudi's GDP. The government plans to double the revenue from the religious tourism by doubling the accommodation capacity for both the Hajj and Umrah visitors. The increasing number of international and luxurious hotels in Makkah and other major cities reflect a rising of the hotel industry in Saudi Arabia.;Research has documented the importance role of service quality in influencing organizational outcomes such as increasing sales profits, promoting customer loyalty, improving customer relations, enhancing customer satisfaction, and performance superiority. It's important for hotels in Saudi Arabia to provide quality service to ensure sustainable success in the competitive global market. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the service quality of Saudian hotels from the aspects of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy to determine if there is a service quality gap between the hotels in Saudi Arabia and outside the Middle East. This study adopted a qualitative approach by conducting in-depth interviews among 24 experienced hotel guests. The findings of the study can serve as reference for hotel companies to improve their service quality and to elevate the image of hotels in Saudi Arabia.