László KÖKÉNY, Corvinus University of Budapest, Marketing Institute, Hungary
Melinda JÁSZBERÉNYI, Corvinus University of Budapest, Marketing Institute, Hungary
Jhanghiz SYAHRIVAR, President University, School of Business, Indonesia
Levente KÖKÉNY, Ernst & Young Consulting Ltd, Hungary
Strict restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced some tourist services to new, alternative programs. In our research, we examined what effects on consumers can be observed for a new type of service. This service was called Flight to nowhere, which meant air travel within the borders of Hungary. It was the first flight in Europe in October of 2020. This service gave people the illusion that they had actually travelled somewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic closures. In our research, we conducted an analysis of the experiences of the participants during consumption by asking the questionnaires of the 130 people who participated in the program, and how they evaluated the performance of the service and whether they would repurchase another similar program. We also examined the junctions of mental problems related to the confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We tested our results with a CB-SEM model. The results show that respondents typically experienced esthetic and escapist experiences. The degree of experience increased the higher intention to repurchase. In the case of negative emotions, which measured the sense of continuity of life, living escapist-type experiences could alleviate the disadvantages caused by confinement to a small extent. The effect of esthetic experience on repurchase intention was significantly moderated in a negative direction by negative affect. This means that the more traumatic the experience of confinement, the more the positive effect of the esthetic experience on repurchase was reduced. The research helps to understand what the experience of a new, illusionary tourism service is and how the experience of all this is related to the personal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced confinement.
Mots clés : Experience|Repurchase intention|Temporary illusions|Flight to nowhere|Mobility
A103019LK