How does ski tourism experience affect consumption behavior? Insights from an empirical study in China

Purpose The ski tourism industry in China is undergoing rapid development, prompting an increasing need to understand how experience effects consumption behavior (CB). Based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theoretical framework, this study constructs an integrative model to examine how participation motivation (PM) generates ski tourism experience by influencing tourism satisfaction (TS)/leisure satisfaction (LS), thereby affecting CB. Design/methodology/approach A structured survey was administered to 548 ski tourists across selected resorts in China, and the proposed relationships were empirically tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings The findings reveal that PM exerts a direct positive effect on CB, with self-development (SD) identified as the most influential motivational dimension. Moreover, PM indirectly impacts CB through TS, where entertainment-orientation (EO) and resultant satisfaction emerge as critical mediators. In parallel, the analysis confirms an additional indirect pathway via LS, highlighting the mediating roles of social-orientation (SO), entertainment-orientation (EO) and social satisfaction (SS). Collectively, these results validate the S-O-R paradigm in the context of ski tourism: PM (stimulus) significantly influences TS and LS (organism), which in turn drive CB (response). Research limitations/implications First, Although data collection during the peak ski season at a major resort allowed us to capture visitors' immediate experiential states, the identified relationships should be regarded as theoretically informed associations rather than definitive causal effects. Future research employing longitudinal, cross-lagged, or experimental designs is needed to rigorously verify temporal ordering and underlying mechanisms. Second, the measurement of participation motivation (PM) was limited to four core dimensions: entertainment, health, skill enhancement and social interaction. This excludes other relevant motivators such as family obligations, adventure-seeking or self-expression. Subsequent studies should conceptualize PM as a multidimensional construct to better elucidate its complex interplay with tourist satisfaction and consumption patterns. Third, although this study captures the psychological mechanisms underlying ski tourism experience, it does not directly measure the behavioral or situational components of experiential encounters. Future studies could integrate both behavioral metrics (e.g. duration, activity logs and GPS trajectories) and contextual information (e.g. social interaction patterns and environmental features) to complement the psychological constructs used here. Finally, discrete emotion scales (e.g. the destination emotion scale) can provide finer-grained measurement of specific affective states. Future research should incorporate such scales to disentangle the distinct effects of discrete emotions (e.g. love, joy and surprise) from general satisfaction. Practical implications Clarify how understanding participation motivation and its impact on satisfaction can guide ski resorts to design more targeted services, reduce product uniformity and foster consumer loyalty in a rapidly evolving market. Social implications Clarify how ski tourism experience affects consumption behavior, provide reference for ski resorts to implement precision marketing and service innovation, and thus promote the broader development of the global ice and snow economy. Originality/value The study not only provides theoretical insights into ski tourism experience and consumption behavior, but also offers practical implications for destination marketing strategies. These contributions are anticipated to inform more targeted promotional efforts and support the sustainable growth of the global ski tourism industry.