The Conceptual approach to experiential tourism: presence, use and scope of a new tourism model

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to present an analysis of the presence, use, and scope of the concept of so-called experiential tourism in local, regional, and national press and online media in Spain. Factiva® was the search tool used to do this through a quantitative and qualitative content analysis complemented by a case study of a sample of companies that illustrate this growing tourism model.
 Of the total number of news items published (1.262 in 89 reference newspapers) concerning the subject under analysis, the results show a gradual increase since 2007, with 2021 being the year with the highest number of news items, a total of 247, coinciding with an increase in demand for this type of activity, following the health situation caused by COVID-19. The year 2022 also shows a high presence of news. All this supports the growth of tourism practices more closely related to a sustainable viewpoint and the demand for more genuine and meaningful tourism practices.