Revitalising tourism through memorable wellness experiences: Paving the path to destination loyalty via engagement and well-being

This study investigates the role of Memorable Wellness Tourism Experiences (MWTE) in revitalising Sri Lanka’s tourism industry by examining their influence on destination loyalty. It specifically explores the mediating roles of tourist engagement and well-being within this relationship, addressing existing gaps in wellness tourism literature. Employing a positivist, quantitative research approach, the study collected primary data from 622 international wellness tourists visiting Sri Lanka. Participants were selected through a combination of convenience and stratified multistage cluster sampling across Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)-registered spa and wellness centres. A structured questionnaire was administered, and the data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS software. The results confirm that MWTE significantly influences destination loyalty and positively impacts tourist engagement and well-being. Notably, engagement was found to partially mediate the relationship between MWTE and destination loyalty, highlighting its critical role in cultivating repeat visitation and positive word-of-mouth. Conversely, well-being, while influenced by MWTE, did not directly affect destination loyalty nor mediate the MWTE–loyalty relationship. These findings suggest that wellness tourism providers should prioritise strategies that enhance tourist engagement to reinforce loyalty. Policymakers and destination marketers should focus on creating rich, engaging wellness experiences to stimulate sustainable growth in the sector. This study contributes to the evolving field of wellness tourism by offering empirical validation of the MWTE framework in a wellness-specific context. It addresses theoretical ambiguities and extends understanding of how experiential attributes drive destination loyalty through engagement mechanisms.