Subjective Well-Being in Nautical Sports Tourism: Key Factors Influencing Practitioner Tourists’ Experiences

Purpose – This study aims to identify and measure factors contributing to subjective well-being in individuals engaged in nautical sports during a trip, examining the roles of recreational involvement, nature relatedness, and flow state. Design/methodology/approach – Six hypotheses were proposed, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS and descriptive statistics. Recreational involvement and nature relatedness were exogenous variables, flow state acted as a mediator, and subjective well-being was the dependent variable. Findings – Results indicate that neither recreational involvement nor nature relatedness directly enhances subjective well-being; instead, flow state serves as a mediator. Both recreational involvement and nature relatedness predict flow state, emphasizing its importance in improving nautical sports tourism experiences. Practical implications – The findings highlight the need to design nautical tourism experiences that facilitate flow states, both in service delivery and physical infrastructure. Stakeholders should focus on creating environments that enhance immersion and engagement. Originality/value – This study reaffirms the centrality of flow state in achieving well-being in nautical sports tourism and innovates by empirically testing the relationship between nature relatedness and flow state—a connection not previously explored in the literature. Research limitations – This study has some limitations, including difficulties in reaching a specific sample size for robust analyses, and potential recall bias in responses. Additionally, the heterogeneity of the sample (athletes and non-athletes) may have influenced key variables like recreational involvement, nature relatedness, and flow experience.