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Cited by 27Educational Games and GamificationCustomer Service Quality and LoyaltyDigital Marketing and Social Media

The impact of gamified loyalty programmes on customer engagement behaviours. A hotel industry application

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Bravo, Rafael, Catalán, Sara, Pina, José Miguel·2023·Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology
DOI 10.1108/jhtt-02-2022-0033
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Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the differential effects of gamified loyalty programmes and conventional loyalty programmes on customer engagement behaviours. Design/methodology/approach: A 2 × 2 × 2 experiment was conducted that manipulated gamification (gamified vs non-gamified), reward levels (high vs low) and reward type (economic vs social). Data collected from a sample of 315 individuals were analysed through partial least squares and tests of means. Findings: Gamification can improve the attractiveness of loyalty programmes by influencing perceptions of playfulness and reward satisfaction. In fact, gamification lowers the importance that customers attach to reward levels. As a result, customers perceive higher hedonic and utilitarian value, which positively influences their engagement behaviours. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first studies to attempt to empirically analyse whether incorporating gamification into loyalty programmes influences customer engagement behaviours in the hospitality context.

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  • Experimental evidence from Bravo et al. (2023) shows that gamification enhances perceived playfulness and reward satisfaction, which in turn increases user engagement behaviours and interaction frequency.

    “Experimental evidence by Bravo et al. (2023), based on a controlled study with 315 participants comparing gamified and non-gamified loyalty programs, shows that gamification enhances perceived playfulness and reward satisfaction, which in turn increases user engagement behaviours and interaction frequency.”

    From An Experimental Analysis of Gamification’s Impact on Customer Engagement and Retention in Subscription-Based Business Models (2026) · cites this paper as Bravo et al. (2023)

    The Experimental design and participant sections describe a gamified-versus-non-gamified comparison with 315 participants. The results report higher perceived playfulness and reward satisfaction with gamification, and link those perceptions through perceived hotel value to engagement measures such as booking intentions, word of mouth and referrals. The paper does not report increased interaction frequency, and its engagement measures should not be presented as observed behaviour. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Bravo, R., Catalán, S., & Pina, J. M.
Affiliations
Universidad de Zaragoza (ES)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology
Publisher
Emerald
Published
2023-08-15
Volume
14
Issue
5
Pages
925-940
ISSN
1757-9880 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1108/jhtt-02-2022-0033
OpenAlex
W4385785757
Cited by
27
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6
FWCI
13.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (publishedVersion)
  • Zaguan (University of Zaragoza Repository) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Customer Service Quality and Loyalty
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Marketing and Social Media
Keywords
gamification, loyalty programs, customer engagement, hotel industry, playfulness, reward satisfaction, hedonic and utilitarian value, customer loyalty

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