Revisiting for You, or for Them? Examining How Social Validation Shapes Destination Image, Satisfaction and Loyalty Intentions in Wellness and Spa Tourism

This paper examines loyalty intentions in wellness and spa tourism and tries to understand whether they are influenced more by tourists’ own evaluations or by the opinions of people close to them. In tourism research, loyalty is often explained through destination image, satisfaction and the intention to return. At the same time, studies from behavioral research show that social pressure and the opinions of important people can also influence intentions. However, it is still not very clear whether this type of social pressure can also change the way tourists perceive the image of a destination, especially in services based on personal experience.

The study used a survey applied to former customers of a Romanian health tourism facility. The answers were measured on a seven-point agreement scale. The research examined whether normative beliefs increase perceived social pressure, whether perceived social pressure influences destination image, and whether destination image and satisfaction influence loyalty intentions. A total of 235 valid responses were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The quality of the measurement model was checked through reliability, validity and formative indicator tests.

Destination image strongly predicts satisfaction and directly predicts loyalty intentions. Perceived social pressure is strongly explained by normative beliefs, but it does not significantly affect destination image. Satisfaction does not show a significant direct effect on loyalty intentions once destination image is included. These results show that destination image plays an important role in building loyalty. Therefore, how the destination is presented, experienced and managed can influence tourists’ intention to return.

The paper adds to the literature by including social validation in a model of destination loyalty. At the same time, it shows that social influence may have a limited role in wellness tourism decisions.