Title: Importance of wellness quality criteria and positioning of wellness cooperation brands

Authors: Gerhard Bertsch, Wolfgang Schobersberger, Cornelia Blank, Herwig Ostermann

Addresses: Department of Public Health and Health Technology Assessment, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, 6060 Hall, Tirol, Austria. ' Institute for Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine and Health Tourism, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, 6060 Hall, Tyrol, Austria. ' Institute for Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine and Health Tourism, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, 6060 Hall, Tyrol, Austria. ' Division for Health Policy, Administration and Law University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, 6060 Hall/Tyrol, Austria

Abstract: The aim of this work is to investigate a correlation among wellness guest groups and the importance of the quality criteria of wellness cooperation brands. Further aim is to analyse whether relationships between the wellness cooperation brands and the wellness guest groups exist. Two-step cluster analysis was used to classify wellness guest groups. The numerous and similar quality criteria of the wellness cooperation brands were gathered in 50 items and converged in eight quality factors by means of principal component analysis. Uni-factorial variance analysis was used to determine the differences in individual quality factors between the wellness guest groups. This study shows that wellness guests can be classified into four wellness guest categories. The wellness guest groups place different demands on the quality criteria. This study provides evidence for possible positioning strategies by wellness cooperation brands.

Keywords: wellness cooperation brands; wellness quality criteria; wellness positioning; wellness tourism; wellness guest groups; cluster analysis; principal component analysis; PCA; Austria; health oriented wellness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLTM.2011.042286

International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, 2011 Vol.2 No.3, pp.194 - 208

Published online: 02 Sep 2011 *

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