The Mediating Role of Experiential Quality between Tourism Motivation and Revisit Intention: Evidence from Tourists in Hainan, China

Abstract

This study investigates tourists’ revisit intentions to Hainan Province by integrating the Tourism Experience Theory (TET) and the Push–Pull Theory into a unified analytical framework. Using a quantitative research design and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data from tourists who had visited or were visiting Hainan were analyzed to test the relationships among motivation, experiential quality, and revisit intention. The findings demonstrate that tourism motivation exerts a significant positive influence on both experiential quality and revisit intention, while experiential quality has a strong positive effect on revisit intention and mediates the relationship between motivation and behavioral loyalty. These results validate the dynamic process of “motivation→experience→behavior” proposed by TET and extend the Push–Pull Theory by explaining how internal psychological drives transform into revisit behavior through experiential mechanisms. Theoretically, this research enriches the understanding of tourist loyalty by linking motivational antecedents with experiential evaluations. Practically, it emphasizes the need for destination managers in Hainan to enhance motivational appeal and ensure high-quality, authentic tourism experiences that foster emotional attachment and repeat visitation. Overall, this study provides new insights into how motivational and experiential processes jointly determine tourists’ behavioral intentions in the context of wellness and experiential tourism.