FACTORS AFFECTING GUEST SATISFACTION IN WELLNESS TOURISM EXPERIENCE IN KOTA KINABALU, SABAH

Wellness tourism has emerged as a rapidly growing sector within the global hospitality industry, driven by travellers increasingly seeking holistic physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Understanding the specific experiential determinants of guest satisfaction is essential for sustainable destination management, particularly in emerging wellness hubs. This study investigated the impact of the four dimensions of the Experience Economy theory (entertainment, aesthetic, escapism, and education experiences) on guest satisfaction among tourists engaging in wellness tourism activities in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional research design, primary data were gathered via a structured online questionnaire distributed through convenience sampling to 150 adult tourists who had participated in at least one wellness activity in the region. Analytical procedures utilising SPSS Version 30 included descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. The empirical results revealed that the regression model was statistically significant, accounting for 63.5% of the variance in overall guest satisfaction. Specifically, the entertainment experience and aesthetic experience exerted a statistically significant positive influence on guest satisfaction, with entertainment emerging as the single most powerful predictor. Conversely, the education experience and escapism experience demonstrated no statistically significant effect on guest satisfaction within this specific destination context. These empirical findings demonstrate that memorable, enjoyable entertainment activities and visually appealing natural environments are the primary catalysts of guest happiness in Kota Kinabalu’s wellness sector. This study contributes to the literature by contextualising the Experience Economy framework in regional Malaysian wellness destinations, providing strategic insights to improve service offerings and elevate guest satisfaction.