Understanding Behavioral Intentions in a Spa Experience: Insights from Contemporary Literature

Cristina Rodrigues, Fernanda A. Ferreira (), Vânia Costa, Maria José Alves, Márcia Vaz, Paula Odete Fernandes and Alcina Nunes
Additional contact information
Cristina Rodrigues: ESHT, Polytechnic of Porto
Fernanda A. Ferreira: ESHT, Polytechnic of Porto
Vânia Costa: CiTUR, Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave
Maria José Alves: CIMO, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Márcia Vaz: UNIAG, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Paula Odete Fernandes: UNIAG, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Alcina Nunes: UNIAG, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança

A chapter in Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality in a Smart and Sustainable World, 2023, pp 619-646 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The current emphasis on quality of life and its importance in contemporary society has brought light to the entire health and wellness industry, particularly spa facilities. These places have become very desirable and popular for health, well-being, and leisure. This popularity is largely influenced by the offer of positive experiences full of benefits for the body and mind. Therefore, it is essential to understand what makes these experiences positive and satisfying or, on the opposite, what can make them negative and what aspects can compromise a positive and memorable spa experience, important for the success of these establishments. Following this line of thought, the main objective of this study is to understand, from the existing literature, the consumption behavior toward a spa experience, from the consumers’ point of view. This paper was developed based on content analysis and literature review, a systematic and narrative approach. These three techniques were applied as a research methodology to identify keyword trends, report findings and conclusions from previous empirical studies, and discuss substantive aspects related to this topic. The findings of the three techniques are consistent and provide an overall and specific understanding of the consumer perspective regarding spa experiences. The main results highlight the most critical aspects affecting satisfaction, service quality, and perceived consumer value and identify three key moments that can systematize the spa experience: expectations, consumption, and consequences. The theoretical discussion presented in this study is valuable for spa managers. It provides several important management implications and recommendations for their success.

Keywords: Spa experiences; Consumer behavior; Health and wellness services; Tourism; Behavioral intentions; Service quality; I31; M31; Z32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-29426-6_39

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783031294266

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-29426-6_39

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().