Passenger nationality as a moderator between experience and intentions: implications for maritime crew human resource management

This study examines whether passenger nationality moderates the relationship between maritime travel experience and post-travel behavioral intentions—specifically, intentions to reuse the service and engage in positive word-of-mouth. Drawing on the Experience Economy framework, passenger experience was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct encompassing entertainment, education, escapism and esthetics. Data were collected from 1200 passengers on a ferry route between Italy and Greece, equally representing French, German, Greek and Italian nationals. Structural Equation Modeling and multigroup analysis revealed that experiential quality significantly predicted both reuse and word-of-mouth intentions, but the strength of these relationships varied by nationality. German and Italian passengers showed the strongest alignment between positive experiences and loyalty, Greek passengers demonstrated particularly high word-of-mouth responsiveness, while French passengers exhibited weaker associations. Measurement invariance testing confirmed that both measurement and structural parameters differed across groups. The findings have strategic implications for human resource management in maritime transport, highlighting the need for nationality-based crew training, route-specific staff deployment and service personalization to match national expectations. By linking passenger experience with nationality-based behavioral patterns, the study extends theoretical understanding of experience-driven loyalty and offers actionable insights for enhancing satisfaction and competitive advantage in maritime services.