ArticleF1000Research2026
Service quality and cross-cultural guest satisfaction in wellness tourism: evidence from yoga retreats in India's global wellness destination.
Article in F1000Research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Wellness tourism is a rapidly growing global tourism segment, and India is recognised for its yoga, meditation, and holistic health traditions. Rishikesh, the "Yoga Capital of the World," attracts wellness tourists seeking physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Despite its importance, limited research has examined how perceptions of service quality and satisfaction differ between Indian and international guests at the same destination. This study investigates expectation perception gaps in service quality and their influence on satisfaction across culturally diverse groups. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was adopted using an integrated SERVQUAL and Expectation-Confirmation Theory framework. Data were collected from 289 guests (178 Indians and 111 international travellers) at yoga retreats and spa resorts in Rishikesh using a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. Paired sample t-tests examined expectation perception gaps in service quality attributes, whereas independent t-tests assessed cross-cultural differences. Multiple regression and multi-group regression analyses identified satisfaction drivers and cultural effects. The results indicate that most service quality attributes met or exceeded expectations, showing a positive disconfirmation pattern across both Indian and international guests . However, significant cross-cultural differences were observed in the magnitude and importance of service quality dimensions. Indian guests reported greater satisfaction with empathy-based services, including staff courtesy and attention. In contrast, international guests emphasised tangible and professional attributes, such as spa quality, meditation effectiveness, environmental ambience, service efficiency, and cultural and spiritual experiences. Service quality dimensions explained a substantial variance in overall satisfaction, with greater explanatory power among international guests. The findings extend SERVQUAL and Expectation Confirmation Theory by demonstrating culturally moderated satisfaction formation in wellness tourism. This study provides insights for wellness destination managers, highlighting the importance of culturally differentiated service strategies to enhance satisfaction and sustain competitiveness in global wellness markets.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.