REVISITING REVISIT INTENTION BASED ON A RAFTING SPORTING EVENT (EVENTQUAL)

Abstract

Purpose – The study aims to examine the impact of service quality dimensions (based on the EVENTQUAL scale) on the revisit intention of sporting event and contrast the perception between first-time and previous participants. Design – The survey was designed to measure EVENTQUAL dimensions as independent variables (accessibility, staff, tangibles and complementary services) and revisit intention as the dependent variable. The moderating variable (type of participation) was also introduced to enable comparison between the perception of first-time (109) and previous participants (97). Methodology – The study implemented quantitative analysis, such as descriptive statistics, structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group SEM. Findings – The SEM findings revealed a significant positive effect of tangibles on revisit intention, while multi-group SEM results indicated the significant positive effect of tangibles on revisit intention solely for previous visitors. Originality – The study contributes to the existing knowledge by evaluating the EVENTQUAL model at a multi-site sporting event, acknowledged from the perspective of its participants. Moreover, the rafting event was observed in the context of a sporting event activity in contrast to previous literature in the context of adventure tourism.