Abstract
ABSTRACT This study examines the underlying mechanism of cognitive dissonance in medical tourism and its impact on tourist behaviors, which is yet under-explored in the extant literature. Study 1 reveals how cognitive dissonance arises in medical tourism and presents key relationships among constructs. Study 2 empirically analyzes the data gathered online from 647 Chinese respondents. Findings show that the health conditions of tourists impact their medical tourism combination choice under the significant mediating impact of perceived medical treatment risk. Medical tourism combination choice impacts post-choice pre-outcome (PCPO) regret. Additionally, PCPO regret negatively impacts tourist visit intention. To fill the lacuna, this study employed the theory of cognitive dissonance to examine medical tourist behavior as a reflection of tourist health conditions, PCPO regret, and medical tourism combination choice, which remained mixed and fragmented in previous studies. Medical tourism strategies aimed at reducing tourist cognitive dissonance at the pre-purchase stage may fuel tourist cognitive comfort during the medical tourism decision-making process, potentially exerting a favorable impact on tourist visit intention.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
