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The spa and wellness industry is a growing multi-trillion dollar a year global business. Research is lacking regarding motivations to patronize a spa along with the benefits and outcomes from the service. To address this gap in the literature, a conceptual model was developed and tested based on self-determination theory and broaden and build theory consisting of intrinsic motivation, experience, emotional well-being and loyalty. Data was collected from 398 spa customers using a Qualtrics panel sample. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five intrinsic motivations to use spa services and two experience dimensions. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships in the model. The results revealed that intrinsic motivation significantly influenced memorable experience. Memorable experience and emotional well-being significantly affected loyalty for spa customers. Implications for research and practice are provided, including using technology such as smart phone apps to share experiences and facilitate loyalty.
Baloğlu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.