Gary Howat

Wellness tourists: in search of transformation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore and compare the benefits sought by three different types of wellness tourists: beauty spa, lifestyle resort, and spiritual retreat visitors.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the findings from 27 semi‐structured interviews with wellness tourists a benefits of wellness tourism scale (BWTS) was developed. It was used to measure 46 benefit items and was mailed to people included on the client/member lists of three Australian wellness tourism organisations.Findings – In total, six benefit factors emerged from a principal axis factor analysis: transcendence; physical health and appearance; escape and relaxation; important others and novelty; re‐establish self‐esteem; and indulgence. A one‐way MANOVA, followed by a series of ANOVAS, revealed significant differences between the three types of tourists regarding the importance attributed to each of the six benefit factors. While all participants in the study sought transformation of the self, each identifiable...

A focused service quality, benefits, overall satisfaction and loyalty model for public aquatic centres

This study supports a parsimonious range of key service quality dimensions that have a strong influence on customer loyalty at public aquatic centres using data from two major centres in Australia (n = 367 and 307). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a model that included three process services quality dimensions and two benefits (outcomes) dimensions. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), it was found that one of the outcome dimensions (relaxation) and two process dimensions (staffing and facility presentation) significantly influenced overall satisfaction, which mediated significant relationships with three attitudinal loyalty variables. The data from the second centre provided a validation sample to confirm the potential to replicate the model for a different respondent profile. The parsimonious set of dimensions identified in this research could provide a common core suitable for inclusion in service quality research for a range of contexts.

Hedonic and Eudaimonic Experiences among Wellness Tourists: An exploratory enquiry

Abstract This paper contends that recent developments in the field of positive psychology, particularly in the area of psychological well‐being, in combination with Stebbinss framework of casual versus serious leisure, may provide a new perspective for the understanding of tourism experiences. Based on the experience accounts of three different groups of wellness tourists (i.e., visitors to beauty spas, lifestyle resorts, and spiritual retreats), the aim of this paper is to explore whether tourism experiences can be classified into hedonic or eudaimonic experiences. Aggregated experience accounts were collected through individual, semi‐structured interviews with 27 wellness tourists. Thematic analysis deductively applied Stebbinss characteristics of casual/hedonic and serious/eudaimonic experiences to the data. The results found that the three wellness tourism experiences can be placed along a continuum between hedonic and eudaimonic end‐points. Accordingly, beauty spa visitation was perceived as a purely hedonic tourism activity and spiritual retreat experiences were considered as almost purely eudaimonic. Lifestyle resort experiences were also seen predominantly as eudaimonic, however they sit more towards the middle of the continuum because hedonic outcomes can sometimes be recognised as important ‘by‐products’ of eudaimonic experiences.

A comparison of service evaluation models in the context of sport and fitness centres in Greece

The present study examines three competing models to clarify the relative role of antecedents to behavioural intentions in sport and fitness centres. In other sport and fitness research, there is some variability in respect to the relative influence on loyalty measures of such antecedents as service quality, value and satisfaction. Results of the present study support a satisfaction model with satisfaction as a mediator between both service quality and value and behavioural intentions. The satisfaction model was deemed superior to a value model and a comprehensive model. Recommendations are for future research to examine more comprehensive models in sport and fitness contexts to include a wider range of antecedents to explain the variance in global satisfaction and its influence on a range of loyalty measures additional to behavioural intentions.

Reducing measurement overload: Rationalizing performance measures for public aquatic centres in Australia

The increasing pressure for organizations to monitor outputs and operations using performance measures raises two important issues. First, are there specific performance measures that are significant contributors to the key measures? Second, and as a corollary of the first, is it possible to reduce the number of performance measures and minimize the potential for organizations becoming overwhelmed by data of limited cost-effectiveness? With these issues in mind, this paper examines a number of performance measures currently used widely in Australian public aquatic centres. Employing hierarchical multiple regression analysis, results indicate that a small number of measures appear to be closely related to two key performance measures for visitation and financial success.

Customer service quality, satisfaction, and operational performance: a proposed model for Australian public aquatic centres.

Abstract While profitability and shareholder return often represent the overall success of commercial organisations, the performance of public aquatic centres tends to include, amongst other criteria, the number of customers that visit the centre, and the fit between customers and the local community profile. Retention of current customers and attracting new customers therefore should be a major issue for centre operators and owners. This paper provides data on Australian public aquatic centres that highlight the relationships between retention of customers and their willingness to recommend the centre, and measures of service quality, problem resolution and overall satisfaction. These relationships are often represented in generic service quality models. This paper proposes amending an existing model to include contextual variables that further clarify the relationships between such variables and operational performance in public aquatic centres. This enhanced model of service quality also provides a framework to highlight the diagnostic value of longitudinal data from 1999 to 2001 and 2003 to 2005. In turn, examples of industry benchmarks are offered for groupings of public aquatic centres against which centre operators can compare the performance of their centre. The contribution of the paper is therefore twofold. First, a proposed model that represents key operational relationships at Australian public aquatic centres. Second, an initial overview is conducted of the type of data currently available for use in future testing of the model.

Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Behavioural Intentions of Australian Aquatic Centre Customers, 1999–2001

Abstract Improved service quality can help retain customers of leisure services and facilities and satisfied customers are more likely to recommend the service to other potential customers. Operators can use customer service quality and customer satisfaction data to assist in the continuous improvement of their operations. In particular, the collated data generated through research reported in this paper can be used for external benchmarking by operators of Australian aquatic centres. Data gathered from samples of Australian local government aquatic centre customers in 1999, 2000 and 2001 include customer use profiles and customer assessments of service quality, problem identification and resolution, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions. Service quality indicators highlight the priorities that different user groups place on such aspects of service as pool water cleanliness, staff responsiveness, value for money and instructors’ experience and knowledge. Other comparative data include overall satisfaction levels, problem reporting, problem resolution and customer advocacy. The paper contributes to the growing literature on service quality in a diversity of leisure service contexts.

The 'enrichment hypothesis' as an explanation of women's participation in rugby.

Abstract The widely acknowledged reduction in participation in sport by women presents a major challenge to sports administrators. Especially challenged are sports that are non‐traditional for women, typified by ‘masculine’ characteristics of physical power and body contact, such as rugby. The purpose of this paper is to seek an explanation for why some women do decide to participate in such non‐traditional sports. Specifically, it examines women who participate in rugby, focusing on the applicability of the ‘enrichment hypothesis’ (Auster, 2001) as a method of explaining their participation. The enrichment hypothesis proposes that non‐traditional leisure choices require exposure to a social environment that provides both an awareness of and support for such choices (Auster, 2001). Interviews with 40 female rugby union players from South Australia were conducted, employing a semi‐structured interview technique, to examine the motivations for why they initially participated in rugby and what kept them participating. The findings from these interviews lend support to the enrichment hypothesis, suggesting participants were involved because they knew other players, had a family that were supportive and involved in the sport, and that the social element of the participation was a key ongoing motivator. The implications for sports administrators keen to maximise womens participation in non‐traditional leisure and sports fields are discussed.

The role of critical incidents to complement service quality information for a sports and leisure centre

This study of sports and leisure centre customers (N = 218) provides an exploratory examination of the role that information on critical incidents affecting customers may have in enhancing the diagnostic richness of service quality research. The critical incident data complemented quantitative service quality data by highlighting attributes of service quality that are, from the customers’ viewpoint, major strengths or weaknesses. By directly linking critical incidents to service quality attributes the study indicates that certain aspects of the service, such as friendly staff, are likely to have an important effect in delighting customers. However, improving other aspects such as the quality of officials (umpires) has the potential to lessen dissatisfaction rather than delighting customers.

Health-related benefits: their influence on loyalty and physical activity participation in Australian public aquatic centres

The present study aimed to examine health-related benefits and their potential role in encouraging more people to undertake regular physical activity at public aquatic centres. The study used the service quality – overall satisfaction – loyalty model to examine outcome service quality, especially health-related benefits, and their influence on loyalty (WOM recommendation), mediated by overall customer satisfaction. Based on a sample of 7,133 customers of 27 multi-purpose public aquatic centres in Australia, regression analyses indicated that health-related benefits dimensions, improved health and fitness and relaxation and stress release, had the greatest influence on overall customer satisfaction, which in turn significantly influenced word-of-mouth recommendation. Improved health and fitness was also rated highest for benefit importance as well as benefit attainment, with success in competition the lowest rated benefit dimension. Further research is recommended to clarify the role of health-related benefits in facilitating physical activity, thus reducing the prevalence of chronic health disease.