The article is dedicated to a tourism segment, especially health, wellness and thermal tourism that are becoming an increasingly popular option for visitors looking to access procedures that are ...seemingly unavailable to them in their home countries due to lack of affordability, lack of availability or lengthy waiting lists. The better understanding regarding the essence of innovation process and relational marketing: theoretical and practical implications, in specific contexts of health, wellness and thermal tourism in cross-border destinations are provided. This article is suggested as a conceptual paper with a literature review that brings together the major components of innovation and its implications tourist perspective and relationship marketing (i.e. visitor perspective). On the base of in-deep analysis of the scientific literature the classification of health and medical tourism has undergone further development. The presented investigation intends to contribute theoretically to the management of innovation in specific tourism contexts (i.e. wellness, health, and thermal tourism) in cross-border tourist destinations (Portugal and Spain, specifically the Euroregion of Northern Portugal and Galicia). A conceptual model that summarizes the dynamic nature of the triggering process was adapted to the processes in health, wellness, and thermal tourism. A cross-border region as a territory on the border composed of local governments involved in cross-border cooperation agreements was defined. There were also proved that cross-border regions may vary, for example, depending on the degree of cooperation (high or low intensity) or geographic extent (low or high). The special attention to Euroregion which tend to define themselves as micro cross-border regions, with a reduced geographical extension between contiguous spaces was paid. The conceptual model that relates relational marketing and the result of innovation in tourism (favoring trust, commitment, quality of service, satisfaction and loyalty) was suggested. The proposed model describes the relationship between the following variables: cooperation, satisfaction of healthcare and thermal tourism; commitment and satisfaction of healthcare and thermal tourism; trust and satisfaction of healthcare and thermal tourism; general satisfaction of the healthcare and thermal tourism.
Thermal tourism is an increasingly important type of tourism around the world and the expectations of the customers are increasing accordingly to this. Customers try to improve their health as well ...as experiencing holiday experiences. They are involved in a variety of cultural and social activities in the destination where they take thermal tourism services. In this study, the expectations of the tourists traveling within the scope of thermal tourism were examined. Data were collected by survey method from 397 customers stayed in three thermal hotels in Kütahya between 1-31 January 2018. The results reveal the fact that the factors affecting the thermal hotel prefences of the tourists are the surrounding naturel elements, the health programmes implemented by the facility, the adequacy of the personnel, the services being entirely on rest and recovery and the presence of supportive activities According to another result, it was found that the perception of service evaluation of females is higher than males.
The present study explores thermal tourism destination competitiveness from the stakeholder viewpoint, with the purpose of offering guidelines to decision makers to make their decisions in line with ...a sustainable perspective. Using qualitative research, data were collected through semistructured interviews and from secondary sources. The empirical framework is set on the city of Ourense, an outstanding reference of thermal tourism in Spain.
The results show that thermal destination competitiveness is a complex three-dimensional concept due to the existence of interactions between its determining factors. They emphasize that the design of strategies to improve the competitiveness of thermal destinations must consider not only the greater or lesser importance of the determinants of competitiveness but also the interactions between them, as well as their heterogeneous influence on each dimension of thermal destination competitiveness. Moreover, the destinations' characteristics and position within the tourism area life cycle condition the relevance of the factors.
Amaç: Bu çalışmanın temel amacı; termal amaçlı seyahat eden bireylerin imaj ve hizmet kalitesi algıları ile tekrar tercih etme davranışları arasındaki ilişkilerin belirlenmesidir. Yöntem: Araştırma ...verileri yüz yüze anket tekniği ile 400 kişiden toplanmıştır. Araştırmada kolayda örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde SPSS ve AMOS paket programları kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde doğrulayıcı faktör analizi, yol analizi, korelasyon analizi, t testi ve Anova analizleri uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Aynı zamanda doğrulayıcı faktör analizi ve yol analizi ile elde edilen bulgular, modelin yapı geçerliliğinin sağlandığını göstermiştir. Yol analizine göre, hizmet kalitesi algısının, destinasyon imajı algısını ve tekrar tercih etme davranışını istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde ve pozitif yönde etkilediği tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç: Hizmet kalitesi algısı ile destinasyon imaj algısı arasında orta düzey; hizmet kalitesi algısı ile tekrar tercih etme davranışı arasında yüksek düzey ve destinasyon imaj algısı ile tekrar tercih etme davranışı arasında ise orta düzey bir ilişkinin var olduğu görülmüştür.
Algeria is the largest country in the Mediterranean Basin, but it have classified at the bottom of the ranking in terms of tourism's share of GDP. It is a pristine tourist destination that has ...unfortunately not been sufficiently exploited, This paper attempts to analyse and understand the dilemma between an incompatible natural potential and the persistence of the proven delay of touristic development by the case study of a mountain municipality of Hammam Guergour. Which is well known for its mineral springs, and which in turn has contributed to the activity of thermal tourism. We used the (SWOT) method which allows internal and external analyses of Thermal tourism. SWOT analysis is used to exploit the opportunities for development in the region, and then how development actors can outperform. The aim is to determine how force factors are used to take advantage of opportunities for development in the region, and then how development actors can overcome weaknesses and then push back threats. We noted striking disparities between the more or less structured spaces in the high plains of the Sétif region, such as the Sétif - El Eulma axis; and a deconstructed mountain space, because the implementation of activities and equipment's does not respond to the existing constraints of Hammam Guergour.
Over the last decades there has been a growing concern about health, mainly from the population of more developed countries. Health and wellness tourism are growing exponentially and show a great ...potential worldwide, having also become a strategic product in Portuguese tourism. This study carries out a general approach to health and wellness tourism, its evolution and segmentation worldwide, with special attention to the case of thermal tourism in Portugal. The study object is the potentiality of Portugal as a thermal tourism destination, through the characterisation of its history, supply and demand and aims to evaluate the thermal resources present in the intervention area. The methodology adopted was based on an exploratory and mixed methods approach that integrates qualitative elements and quantitative research, specifically based on a bibliographical review and a case study based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of secondary data concerning the subject. The findings allow an in-depth understanding of the evolution and current state of thermal tourism, providing a comprehensive basis for the development of strategies adapted to the present demand of thermal spas in Portugal.
Kúpele Vyžne Ružbachy spa and San Giovanni spa are very well known spas located in Slovakia and in Italy. Both spas are surrounded by environmental and historical richness, including geological ...features that hold considerable potential for geotourism. In order to gauge the promotional value of these geological features, this study investigates: (a) The motivation of tourists for visiting the area, (b) the level of visitors’ interest and knowledge regarding the area’s geological features, (c) their assessment of the attractiveness and accessibility of these features, (d) their overall opinion about the area for geotourism, and (e) indications for utilizing these features to improve the landscape knowledge of the general public. The data were collected using on-site survey methods and examined by statistical analysis. Results of the survey show that the attraction of tourists to these areas is due not only to health and wellness benefits, but also to social aspects and the desire for exploring new places. It was found that the geological elements in both locations hold significant geotourism potential—and efforts to increase visitors’ awareness of their environmental and cultural significance could be decisive in capitalizing on the attraction of these unique sites. Improvement of the accessibility to the sites would be highly recommended as a way to increase tourism diversity.
Purpose
Satisfaction in the tourism sector is a highly sensitive subject, and customer satisfaction (CS) has a significant impact on the choice of destinations made by tourists and on the decision to ...recommend them to friends or acquaintances. The purpose of this paper is to give empirical evidence of the dimensions of service quality (technical, functional and company image (CI)) and their connections in the sector of thermal tourism. It also aims at investigating the CI, seeking to understand whether some of the technical and functional service quality variables play a role in determining it.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical survey was conducted by administering a structured research questionnaire in order to collect all necessary data, which was then elaborated to test the hypotheses using factor and multiple regression analyses.
Findings
The results of the survey confirm the direct impact of service quality dimensions (technical, functional and CI) on CS also in the thermal sector when considered individually. Moreover, when the CI was analyzed further, relational quality was found to be dependent on thermal employees’ capabilities, abilities, trustworthiness, availability, etc. Finally, when considered together, functional service quality and CI have a stronger effect on CS than technical service quality.
Originality/value
The originality of the present research relies on the following: a further contribution to the so-called “European perspective” of service quality; the study of service quality dimensions (technical, functional and CI) in the thermal sector; and evidencing the link between thermal employee characteristics and the relational quality factor of the CI, demonstrating that many aspects of this construct need further empirical investigation, in the wellness sector.
Health and wellness tourism should be particularly valued in the post-pandemic phase. It has the potential to be a strategic product that enhances the population’s well-being and quality of life, on ...social, physical, and environmental levels. Different proposals for specialized experiences that complement what the destination offers allow to position regions as health and wellness destinations. Thermal tourism should thus be encouraged as a specific product designed on the innovation and diversification observed in the related services and the benefits recognized for all ages. Considering the relevance of thermal springs and thermal tourists for the image, positioning, and development of touristic destinations, this research aims to identify the specific motivations of tourists that attract them to the practice of thermal tourism, to understand how the benefits for which thermal tourists search and their sociodemographic profile influence the motivations of tourists, and how those motivations determine the characteristics of travel. This research was developed on the North and Centre of Portugal for their relevance in the context of thermal springs and related touristic activities. To achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire survey was conducted among thermal tourists, through a non-probability by convenience sampling, using bivariate tests, such as Pearson’s chi-squared test, one-way ANOVA, and t-Student test. The results highlight that most respondents practiced thermal tourism due to leisure and relaxation benefits, such as the escape from daily stress, spend time with family, and being “pampered”; relaxation is the most valued motivation, followed by the search for psychological and physical well-being. The research found relations between the benefits expected by thermal tourists and their travel characteristics, such as the composition of the group, the general travel motivation, the chosen thermal destination, and the number of nights spent at the location. In thermal tourism, new challenges emerge, demanding the development of strategies, products, and services that respond to the needs of specific market sections.
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