Influence of Service Quality and Satisfaction in Future Behavioral Intentions among Health and Wellness Users

Joana Quintela¹ and Anabela Correia (Ph.D.)²

¹Department of Economics, Management and Industrial Engineering, University of Aveiro, Portugal

²Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal – Business School, and Research at the GOVCOPP – University of Aveiro, Portugal

Corresponding author’s e-mail: joana.alegria.quintela@ua.pt

Accepted 01 October 2014

Abstract

This paper analyses the influence of service quality and satisfaction in future behavioral intentions in health and wellness tourists. Service quality was defined by Parasuraman, Zeithaml e Berry (1985) through the SERVQUAL scale with five dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. To analyse the future behavioral intentions, we considered the return and recommend intentions. A survey was conducted at five health and wellness tourism units situated in the central region of Portugal and the sample was constituted by a total of 268 users. The result analysis permitted to verify that service quality and satisfaction influences future behavioral intentions. It appears to be evident that the dimensions of assurance and empathy are the ones that most influence future behavioral intentions. In what concerns to satisfaction, we verify that it’s related with these both intentions, but mainly with the intention to return and to and reuse those health and wellness services. These results and the implications for health and wellness tourism organizations are discussed.

Keywords: Service quality, satisfaction, behavioral intentions, health and wellness tourism, intention of return, intention of recommend.