Home away from home: A longitudinal study of the holiday appropriation process

Abstract

Tourism is an area of consumption that uniquely mixes both mundane and extraordinary components. However, mundane routines have been less investigated despite their role in the tourist experience. Routines can be analysed by using the concept of appropriation that investigates precisely how consumers anchor themselves in a new experience setting. To date, this concept has not been applied to tourism but it is particularly pertinent for this context since it provides a conceptual framework to understand how tourists establish a new temporary home and settle in a new location. A longitudinal study, conducted by in-depth interviews everyday of a one-week tourist stay at a ski resort, details the appropriation process day after day. The results point to the importance and interplay of the appropriation steps (nesting, investigating and togetherness) and how they collectively contribute to the experience. The study provides a revised appropriation model specific to the holiday context.