Examining the mediating roles of involvement and subjective well-being on the relationship between motives and loyalty among winter sport tourists

Purpose The winter sport market is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the tourism industry; however, winter sport participation has declined in recent years, making the retention of tourist loyalty a critical challenge. This study aims to test a model to predict winter sport tourists' loyalty through their motives, with involvement and subjective well-being (SWB) as mediators. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 277 adult winter sport tourists in Spain. A descriptive statistics analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted. Finally, mediation analyses were performed. Findings The relationships between three motives (escape, enjoying nature, and excitement) and loyalty were fully mediated by serial mediation through involvement and SWB. Moreover, although most direct relationships between motives and loyalty were nonsignificant, certain motives were either positively or negatively associated with involvement and SWB, which subsequently contributed to loyalty. Originality/value This study introduces a novel framework for understanding the formation of loyalty among winter sport tourists, considering the role of SWB. It provides practical insights for destination marketers to better align their offerings with the tourists' motives and psychological needs of this niche market.