Establishing the missing link between motivational factors and international tourist intentions for yoga tourism: a perspective from flow experience theory

Yoga tourism is becoming increasingly popular and relevant among tourists worldwide as people become more concerned about their health and well-being. The study intends to establish the relationship between push and pull motivational factors, flow experience, revisit intention, and intention to recommend in the context of yoga tourism. The respondents were international yoga tourists visiting India (Rishikesh) for yoga and meditation. The study follows a mixed-methods approach. Study 1 explores the push and pull motivation factors derived from the open-ended questionnaires. Study 2 collected responses from 822 international tourists and used structure equation modelling for analysis. As per the findings, the push factor (improved physical endurance) and the pull factor (affordability) have the most significant impact on the flow experience of tourists. Further, the results suggest a considerable effect of flow experience on revisit intention and intention to recommend. The current study provides novel insights into yoga's pull and push motivation drivers, which might benefit Indian yoga tourism by repositioning its marketing approach.