Tourist experience and Wetland parks: A case of Zhejiang, China

Following an experiential framework, this research aims to disentangle the factors influencing tourist experiences in wetland parks in the context of an emerging economy. Specifically, this study tests the causal relationships among service quality, tourist experience, and revisit intention in relation to three popular wetland parks in Zhejiang, China. Consequently a series of on-site visitor surveys using a structured questionnaire are conducted in three wetland parks, resulting in 267 useful responses. The resultant data reveal five dimensions of service quality and three dimensions of tourist experience. The structural model shows that tourist experience is a mediator between service quality and revisit intention. Apart from related personnel, the service quality factors are only able to influence post-trip behavioral intention through aesthetic experience and action experience. Further, the implications of the findings for experiential marketing and sustainable development are discussed.

► This research examines tourists’ experiences to wetland parks in China. ► A socio-psychological model is proposed and empirically tested. ► New pragmatic insights on strategy development for wetland tourism are provided.