ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly reshaped the tourism landscape, propelling wellness tourism to the forefront as tourists increasingly seek health-focused experiences. This research sought to identify the determinants of tourist satisfaction and loyalty within the wellness tourism sector in Paris, France, post-COVID-19. The study aimed to provide insights for wellness service providers to enhance their offerings and strengthen customer retention in a changed tourism context. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study utilized surveys for quantitative data and semi-structured interviews for qualitative insights. Participants comprised international tourists who engaged in wellness tourism in Paris post-pandemic. Key constructs included service quality, perceived value, health improvement, and authentic wellness experience. The findings revealed that service quality and perceived value significantly influenced tourist satisfaction, which in turn had a strong impact on loyalty. Interestingly, the perceived health improvement and authentic wellness experience also emerged as critical factors in driving both satisfaction and loyalty. In conclusion, this study shed light on the importance of offering high-quality services, perceived value for money, health improvement, and authentic wellness experiences in fostering tourist satisfaction and loyalty in the context of post-COVID-19 wellness tourism in Paris. This research may offer valuable insights to wellness tourism providers, potentially assisting in the development of effective strategies to enhance customer experiences and foster loyalty in the nuanced context of a post-pandemic world.

Keywords: Wellness Tourism, Tourist Satisfaction, Loyalty, Post-COVID-19, Paris.