Service Quality, Destination Image and Revisit Intention Relationships at Thermal Tourism Businesses

Abstract

Interest for health tourism and its subcategories is rapidly groving througout the world. Thermal tourism take its share from this interest too. Individuals who seek to gain their health back or to preserve their current health condition attend to thermal tourism activities with an increasing demand. This growing demand encourages the businesses to improve themselves in terms of competitiveness. However, when it is the matter of health, thermal tourists' needs and demands from the destinations and businesses they have been are much more different then mass tourists' demands and needs. Thus, it is crucial to have knowledge about thermal tourists' expectations and service quality perceptions for the owners or the managers of the businesses who consider to enter to the market or who desire to increase their market share. In this context, this study aims to determine the thermal tourist's service quality, destination image perceptions and their relationship with revisit intention. In addition, this study aims to determine destination image's mediating role in service quality and revisit intention. In order to achieve the these aims, related literature is reviewed and data is gathered from the thermal hotels in Balcova and Gonen regions. A total of 343 tourists participated to study. Data is analysed through ANOVA, T test, correlation and regression analysis. Findings show that there are significant relationships between service quality, destination image perceptions and revisit intentions of thermal tourists. Also results revealed that destination image has a mediating effect on service quality and revisit intention relationship.