Chinese Tourist Vacation Satisfaction and Subjective Well-being

Abstract

While the effects of vacation on tourists have been frequently discussed in the Western context, research endeavors to understand such effects in a non-Western context are rather limited. The current study aimed at investigating Chinese tourists' subjective well-being and its potential changes associated with vacation experiences. The survey of 302 Chinese tourists confirmed the positive effect of satisfaction with service aspects of travel/tourism phases on satisfaction with travel/tourism services, the positive effect of trip reflections and satisfaction with travel/tourism services on satisfaction with travel experiences, and the direct positive effect of satisfaction with travel experiences on travelers' SWB. This study further explored the corresponding roles of travel duration and frequency. The results suggested a moderating effect of vacation duration on the link between tourist satisfaction and SWB; vacation frequency did not have such an effect. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings were discussed, followed by recommendations for future research.

Resident perceptions of tourism: The role of social distance

“…Eleven years on and arguably there remain many gaps in this research field, even though the Chinese market is now recognized as the leading international outbound tourism market (CIW, 2017). Undoubtedly, research into this important market has increased over the past decade, investigating such aspects as the motivations of the Chinese tourist (Fu, Cai, & Lehto, 2017;Pearce, Wu, & Osmond, 2013;Xiang, 2013); their vacation satisfaction (Chan, Hsu, & Baum, 2015;Chen, Fu, & Lehto, 2016), and information-seeking behavior (Kambele, Li, & Zhou, 2015). However, many gaps remain; one of which being their impact upon the hosts of a destination and how this rapidly growing market is accommodated by host communities.…”

A destination’s gastronomy as a means for holiday well-being

“…Researchers contend that when experiences are perceived as desirable and valuable, these emotional interpretations are most likely encoded into one's life as well (Diener et al, 2006). At its best, a holiday to a specific destinationdomestic or internationalcontributes positive and pleasurable experiences and perceptions of quality resulting in satisfaction with the particular trip (Björk and Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2016a) or holiday (Chen et al, 2016;Gilbert and Abdullah, 2004) and with a sense of quality and satisfaction with one's life in general (e.g., Nawijn et al, 2010;Ferrara and Nisticò, 2013;Simpson et al, 2016). Even though adaption theory may explain that the effect is short-lived (e.g., Diener et al, 2006), the role of experiential activities and services are recognised for the sake of one's well-being (e.g., Tokarchuk et al, 2015).…”

Does Physical Activity during Alpine Vacations Increase Tourists’ Well-Being?

“…As an example, the length of a vacation or longer periods of leisure time are widely believed to give rise to greater impacts on well-being than a shorter vacation [1,32,33]. To date, most studies have found no reliable evidence to suggest a clear relation between vacation length and positive vacation effects on well-being [34,35,36].…”

“…Vacation time is claimed to provide people with a valuable complement to everyday life [1,2]. Tourists consciously look forward to enhancing their well-being by engaging in tourism [3], and academic research has attempted to prove any impacts and relationships between vacations and well-being.…”

“…There is an increasing number of campaigns, suggesting that the positive effects of any tourism-related experiential values may impact well-being positively [1]. However, well-being seems to be affected by vacation settings only in a minimal way [9,10,11].…”