Design and Validation of an Experiential Marketing Model in Iran’s Health Tourism Industry

The present study was conducted with the aim of designing and validating an experiential marketing model in Iran’s health tourism industry. In terms of its nature, the research is applied; in terms of method, it is qualitative; the research approach is inductive; the prevailing paradigms include theoretical foundations and interviews, and the overall research paradigm is interpretivist. The research strategy is grounded theory, and data collection was carried out through both literature review and interviews. Interviews were conducted with experts and stakeholders in the field of health tourism to identify the factors and components shaping the experiential marketing model in the Iranian health tourism sector, specifically in the context of hospitals and treatment centers. In this phase, most interviews were conducted in person (with 5 individuals), while a smaller portion was done by phone (with 3 individuals). Ultimately, interviews were completed with a total of 8 participants. In total, over 173 minutes of interviews were conducted across a three-month period, coordinated with relevant experts. In the quantitative phase, a message was sent via the automation system to all members of the target population—consisting of over 500 individuals—requesting their cooperation in completing the questionnaire. Following extensive follow-ups, approximately 385 of these professionals completed and returned the questionnaire. The data collected from the interviews were analyzed using MAXQDA software, while model fit evaluation was conducted using SPSS and SmartPLS software. Following a comprehensive review of all interviews and the analysis of participants’ statements and viewpoints, as well as a systematic literature review, 78 open codes were identified in the open coding phase. After further examination and categorization, approximately 6 main categories and 15 subcategories were extracted. Moreover, the obtained model demonstrated an acceptable fit, with a model fit index value of 0.866, indicating a satisfactory overall model fit for the study.