Abstract:
Sri Lanka has gained recognition as a premier destination for authentic Ayurveda
healing. However, Sri Lanka faces significant competition in this industry, making
client satisfaction crucial for success. It is required to do time to time
investigations about satisfaction and service quality in a dynamic environment.
In the Sri Lankan context, the empirical evidence is a minority. This research
investigates the service quality and foreign patient satisfaction of Ayurveda
medical tourism institutions, specifically focusing on Hiru Ayurveda Resort. A
positivist research philosophy and a case study strategy are utilized. In order to
meet the research objectives, data for the. Data was collected from 80
respondents from two strata of wellness and medical tourists who visited the
Resort over three months period, using a stratified sampling approach and a
questionnaire survey. Service quality indicators were quantified using the
HEALTHQUAL model, encompassing tangibility, empathy, safety, efficacy, and
the degree of improvement of care services, which are specific to healthcare
services. The principal program for PLS-SEM analysis was Smart PLS version
4.0.9.8, and it will fill the methodological gap with available literature. The study
reveals that the service quality of Ayurveda medical tourism institutions
significantly impacts patient satisfaction. Tangibility and improvement of care
services dimensions positively affect patient satisfaction, while safety has a
negative effect. Empathy and efficacy dimensions do not significantly influence
patient satisfaction. The research suggests that management and policymakers
should improve the overall service quality of Ayurveda medical tourism
institutions to enhance patient satisfaction and provide investors with insights
into meeting medical tourists' needs in the industry. For the theoretical
understanding, tangibility items and improvement of care services items mostly
depend on the service quality of Ayurveda medical tourism.
