Title: An empirical investigation of the impact of service experience on emotions, satisfaction and loyalty for theme park visitors

Authors: Rajesh Ittamalla; Daruri Venkata Srinivas Kumar

Addresses: Woxsen School of Business, Kamkole, Sadasivpet, Hyderabad, Telangana – 502345, India ' School of Management Studies, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500 046, India

Abstract: This study investigates the effect of service experience on visitors' emotions, satisfaction, and loyalty in the context of theme parks. Based on theatre theory, the study conceptualised service experience with three dimensions - physical environment, interaction with staff, and interaction with other customers. A sample of 303 completed responses was collected through online survey method. Structural equation modelling results revealed that service experience significantly influenced visitors' emotions and satisfaction. Moreover, visitors' emotions significantly influenced visitors' satisfaction and loyalty. The study recommends that theme park managers should pay attention to designing attractive physical environment, training their staff to improve their professional skills and monitor the behaviours of the customers to create memorable experiences.

Keywords: service experience; visitor emotions; satisfaction; visitor loyalty; theme parks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2022.122749

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2022 Vol.26 No.4, pp.477 - 497

Accepted: 01 Nov 2019
Published online: 10 May 2022 *

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