The Fun Factor: Unlocking Place Love Through Exceptional Tourist Experiences

Abstract

Fun plays a pivotal role in unlocking positive outcomes. Tourists can fall head over heels for a destination or lose interest as they immerse themselves in their journey. This study examined the mediating role of fun in the relationship between service excellence and place love and further investigated how expectation congruence moderates this effect. Our findings reveal that service excellence exerts significant influences on all dimensions of fun. Moreover, the four dimensions of fun—social vigor, emotional spark, psychological zest, and flow–significantly affect place love. Additionally, expectation congruence significantly moderates the effect of service excellence on flow and emotional spark.