From memorable wellness tourism experiences to word of mouth: The role of hedonic well-being and rewards

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between memorable wellness tourism experiences (MWTE), rewards, hedonic well-being, and word of mouth (WOM) intentions in the context of wellness tourism. Methodology -Data were collected from 422 respondents through an online structured survey questionnaire and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings - The results indicate that MWTE positively affects hedonic well-being. A positive relationship between hedonic well-being and both one-to-one and one-to-many WOM intentions was also identified. The findings confirm that rewards significantly moderate the relationship between MWTE and hedonic well-being, showing that the positive effect of memorable experiences on visitor hedonic well-being is stronger when rewards are perceived as more valuable. Implications -The theoretical contribution of this study expands the body of knowledge in consumer behaviour and enriches the understanding of the dimensions influencing wellness visitors' WOM intentions. The practical contribution is demonstrated by providing guidance to marketers and wellness service providers in designing reward-oriented marketing strategies that enhance the memorability of wellness visitors' experiences and encourage WOM intentions.