The Memorable Experience in Tourism: the case of the Beto Carrero World Theme Park (SC, Brazil)

Abstract

A memorable tourism experience corresponds to the memories retained in the tourist’s memory based on the individual experiences perceived during all the phases of a trip to a particular destination. Theme parks are tourist attractions designed with a thematic identity that allows visitors to escape from routine and are based on offering a different world with alternative experiences that can become unforgettable. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the influence of memorable tourism experiences from the Beto Carrero World theme park perspective in Penha-SC, Brazil. This research was conducted using data collected from 680 tourist visitors to the park, using a questionnaire comprising 27 variables that are part of the memorable tourism experience constructs: hedonism, novelty, renewal, meaning, involvement, knowledge, and social interaction. The data was analyzed based on sociodemographic characteristics and multivariate analysis using SPSS and SmartPLS software. The results made it possible to identify a new proposal for a conceptual model to evaluate the meaning of memorable experiences in theme parks and positively confirmed the influence between the memorable tourism experience and each firstorder construct, revealing that immersive hedonism and perceived meaning had the most significant impact on the memorable tourism experience in the theme park.