THE INFLUENCE OF DESTINATION EXPERIENCES ON TOURIST SATISFACTION AND REVISIT INTENTIONS IN WELLNESS TOURISM: A GENDER-BASED ANALYSIS

Wellness tourism, a burgeoning trend, entails travellers seeking destinations that offer services aimed at enhancing physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This study delved into the relationship between tourists' wellness experiences, their satisfaction levels, and their intentions to revisit such destinations. It also explored the mediating role of tourist satisfaction and the moderating influence of gender in this context. Data were collected from individuals who had experienced wellness tourism using a purposive sampling approach. Out of 500 questionnaires distributed to tourists visiting Uttarakhand for wellness services, 438 valid responses were gathered. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 23.0 and SmartPLS 4.0. The findings underscored the significant impact of educational, entertainment, and escapist experiences on tourists' revisit intentions, with the exception of the esthetic experience. Importantly, all four experiences positively and significantly affected tourist satisfaction. Furthermore, the study revealed that the favourable effects of wellness tourism on tourists' intentions to revisit could be reinforced through the mediating role of satisfaction. Additionally, gender emerged as a significant moderating factor. This research provides valuable insights for researchers and marketers interested in understanding visitor satisfaction and revisit intentions in the context of wellness tourism.