Service Quality and Behavioral Outcomes in Ski Tourism: A SERVQUAL-Based Study of Jilin Province Ski Resorts

Background and Aim: In China’s rapidly growing winter tourism sector, understanding how service quality influences skier behavior is critical to enhancing competitiveness and visitor satisfaction. This study aims to explore the relationship between service quality, behavioral motivation, and customer satisfaction among mass-market skiers in Jilin Province. It focuses on how emotional and interpersonal service factors shape skiers’ post-visit evaluations and loyalty intentions. Materials and Methods: A structured SERVQUAL-based questionnaire was administered to 480 skiers across three major ski resorts. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrapped mediation analysis with 5,000 resamples and 95% confidence intervals to test both direct and indirect effects. Results: The findings showed that responsiveness (β = 0.197, p < 0.001) and reliability (β = 0.158, p < 0.001) were the strongest predictors of both behavioral motivation and satisfaction. Behavioral motivation partially mediated the relationship between service quality and satisfaction, with a significant indirect effect (B = 0.307, 95% CI [0.221, 0.398]). The integrated model demonstrated good fit and explained substantial variance in skier satisfaction. Conclusion: This study confirms the importance of service experience in shaping skier perceptions and behaviors. Resorts should prioritize staff responsiveness and consistent service delivery while designing emotionally engaging, user-centered service strategies. The results provide theoretical support for applying SERVQUAL in experience-rich, non-Western tourism contexts and offer actionable insights for improving customer retention in China’s ski industry.