Synthesizing the effects of experiential quality, excitement, equity, experiential satisfaction on experiential loyalty for the golf industry: The case of Hainan Island

There is a conceptual gap in the services marketing literature, as to date there has been no published empirical research on experiential quality, excitement, equity, experiential satisfaction and experiential loyalty for the golf industry. This study attempts to fill the conceptual gap by identifying the dimensions of experiential quality and empirically examining the interrelationships among the experiential quality dimensions, experiential quality, excitement, equity, experiential satisfaction and experiential loyalty. A multidimensional and hierarchical model is used as a framework to synthesize the effects of experiential quality, excitement, equity and experiential satisfaction on the experiential loyalty of golf tourists. Statistical support is found for four primary dimensions and 13 subdimensions of experiential quality for the golf industry. The hypothesized paths between the higher order constructs-experiential quality, excitement, equity, experiential satisfaction and experiential loyalty-are confirmed. The analysis results contribute to the services marketing theory by providing additional insights into experiential loyalty, experiential satisfaction, equity, excitement, experiential quality, and the dimensions of experiential quality. The results of this study will also assist golf management in developing and implementing market-oriented service strategies to increase experiential quality and excitement, enhance equity and experiential satisfaction, and create experiential loyalty. (C) 2016 The Authors.