This study aimed to test the applicability of a simplified version of the service quality model, proposed by Brady & Cronin (2001) in the context of a health club, and test the degree to which service quality perceptions and customer satisfaction predict psychological commitment and word‐of‐mouth communications. One hundred and seventy five members of a private health club in Greece participated in the study, and completed: a) a service quality scale (measuring interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality); b) the Sport Commitment Scale (Scanlan et al., 1993); c) an adjusted version of Oliver's (1997) customer satisfaction scale; and d) a three‐item scale measuring word‐of‐mouth communications. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided support for the factorial validity of the three primary dimensions. The psychometric properties of all the scales were satisfactory. The results also revealed an adequate fit of the structural model, which accounted for 29% of the variance. The physical environment and outcome dimensions significantly influenced satisfaction, which, in turn, had a stronger influence on word‐of‐mouth communications than on psychological commitment.

The present study examines the impact of constraints on motivation, activity attachment, and future behavior of recreational skiers. Two hundred and ninety four (N=294) recreational skiers participated in the study and completed questionnaires measuring leisure constraints, strength of motivation, activity attachment and behavioural intentions. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the nine-factor measurement model. The SEM analysis indicated negative relationships between constraints and motivation, and between constraints and activity attachment. Positive relationships were observed between motivation and activity attachment, as well as between motivation and future behavioural intentions. These results provide empirical support for the interaction of activity attachment with constraints and motivation. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed with reference to the negotiation of leisure constraints proposition.

This study aimed to investigate the negotiation strategies used by recreational skiers to overcome constraints' influences, and to test the degree to which negotiation acts as a mediator of the relationship between motivation and intention to continue participation. Two hundred and twenty (N = 220) recreational skiers completed the intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions of the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995) and a fifteen-item negotiation scale. Five negotiation dimensions were revealed by an exploratory factor analysis: “improve skiing knowledge,” “adjust lifestyle,” “acquire information regarding resorts,” “time management,” and “find partners.” The results indicated that: (a) both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation had statistical significant associations with intention to continue skiing, (b) the “time management” and “improve skiing knowledge” dimensions offered significant contributions to the prediction of intention, (c) the negotiation dimensions partially (not fully) mediated the relationship between intrinsic motivation and intention. These results provide support for the negotiation proposition, developed by Jackson et al. (1993), and further explain the relationships among motivation, negotiation, and an individual's leisure behavior.

Studying the factors that contribute to the development of skiing loyalty holds particular interest for ski resort managers and marketers, since it has been reported that recreational skiers’ dropout rates are considerably high. This study examines how intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural constraints, influence the development of skiers’ stage-based attitudinal loyalty (Attraction, Attachment and Allegiance stages), as conceptualised by the psychological continuum model, and further tests if constraints can be used for classifying skiers into the three stages of the model (Attraction, Attachment and Allegiance). Two hundred and thirty (N = 230) recreational skiers from one ski resort in North Greece participated in the study. The results indicated that the intensity of perceived constraints decreased from the lowest (attraction) to the highest (Allegiance) stage of the model. However, the hierarchical influence of constraints was not entirely confirmed, since all three types of constraints contributed to the stage classification of recreational skiers. The theoretical and applied implications of these results are discussed.

This study examined motivation, involvement, and loyalty among recreational skiers to develop a typology of user segments. Recreational skiers (N = 268) from a major ski resort in north Greece participated in the study. Motivation was measured with an adjusted version of the Recreational Experience Preference (REP) scale ( Manfredo, Driver, & Tarrant, 1996 Manfredo, M. , Driver, B. and Tarrant, M. 1996. Measuring leisure motivation: A meta-analysis of the recreation experience preference scales. Journal of Leisure Research, 28: 188–213. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ), involvement was measured with the three dimensional model (attraction, centrality, and self-expression, Kyle et al., 2004 Kyle, G. , Graefe, A. , Manning, R. and Bacon, J. 2004. Predictors of behavioral loyalty among hikers along the Appalachian Trail. Leisure Sciences, 26: 99–118. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ), and loyalty was measured with an intention scale. A principal component analysis of the motivation scale revealed seven dimensions: escape, social recognition, enjoying nature, excitement/risk, socialization, skill development and achievement. A cluster analysis was used to categorize these dimensions into four segments labelled: Novice, Multiple-interest, Naturalist, and Enthusiast. Analysis of variance revealed differences among the four groups in both the loyalty and the three involvement sub-scales. As a general trend the fourth segment (enthusiast) had statistically higher scores than all other groups. The marketing implications of the results are discussed.

Sport tourism is a fast-growing segment of tourism offering new perspectives and supporting travelers’ behavior shift towards active living that is a boost for sustainable destinations. These interrelations between active living, active travelling, and sport tourism have a powerful environmental, economic, and social impact. Based on the recognized contribution of sport tourism in sustaining destinations, the current paper aims to (a) explore the state of sport tourism in the Adriatic–Ionian Region by identifying existing sport tourism initiatives, (b) analyze the current and future potentials of sport tourism in the area’s sustainable growth, and (c) draw policy recommendations for sport tourism development in the region with a view to support the wider vision of sustainability. The review of existing sport tourism cases, revealing an existing investment towards this tourism form, was followed by a qualitative survey of the area’s tourism stakeholders (Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia). Results reveal that sport tourism is estimated to help in building a unique identity closely linked to sustainability goals—the area represents a great natural and cultural beauty that can be emphasized by sport initiatives, while, once such efforts are incorporated in wider sustainability plans, the destinations’ profiles can be significantly upgraded.