Experiential Leisure Under The Microscope
Testing a Customer Journey Model In Escape Games And Experiential Leisure
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23882/emss26274Keywords:
experiential leisure, customer journey, escape room, model testAbstract
This paper presents a quantitative study aimed at validating a model of customer attraction, satisfaction, and loyalty in experiential leisure. The model was initially designed based on the theoretical frameworks of Pine & Gilmore (1999) and Holbrook & Hirschman (1982) and was further enriched through a qualitative study focusing on escape games (escape rooms). The initial conceptual model, inspired by experience dynamics and the characteristics of a "Disneyized" society (Brightman, 1999), was refined using qualitative study results to better capture the factors influencing the customer experience in this type of leisure activity.
The primary objective of our research is to test the applicability of the enriched model across all forms of experiential leisure, using a positivist approach and a hypothetico-deductive reasoning process. To achieve this, an exogenously structured questionnaire was administered to adventure and leisure enthusiasts, allowing us to explore the impact of factors such as emotion, immersion, and novelty on the processes of attraction, satisfaction, and customer loyalty in experiential leisure.
The study reveals that while there are several points of convergence among different types of experiential leisure, each has its own specific characteristics. The results contribute to the literature by providing a holistic and comprehensive model of the factors influencing consumer behavior before, during, and after the experiential leisure experience. Additionally, the study offers practitioners a relevant framework that can be adapted and implemented to enhance every stage of the customer journey.
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