Female Medical Tourists' Enplanement Intentions and Airline Cabin Design in Developing Economies

Abstract

The future of medical tourism in Africa is tied to travel, and aviation has a crucial role in promoting cross-border tourism. The impact of cabin design on the enplanement intentions of female medical tourists in Africa was investigated in this study. Data were obtained using an online semi-structured bi-lingual questionnaire. R software was used to analyze the survey data. Three factors of seat design (backrest, seat pitch, and legroom) had both direct and indirect influences on enplanement intention, according to OLS regression analysis and Sobel, Goodman and Aroian tests for mediation. This calls for diligent attention and efforts by airlines to remodel aircraft and redefine their services regarding cabin comfort for female medical tourists. This would give the airline an edge over competitors. As a multidisciplinary study, it sets the path toward the revival of the future of travel and tourism in Africa, post-pandemic.