Tourist Experience Research Articles

Behavioral Intentions in Metaverse Tourism: An Extended Technology Acceptance Model with Flow Theory

This study aims to develop a new theoretical framework from the perspective of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), incorporating flow theory, to explore the factors influencing behavioral intentions to participate in metaverse tourism. Using data from 518 respondents with metaverse experience and participation in metaverse tourism, the study employed R Studio and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the relationships between variables in the model. The results indicate that metaverse flow has a significant positive impact on users’ perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, with flow demonstrating strong explanatory power as a precursor factor. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are predictors of users’ attitudes to using metaverse technology. A positive attitude towards the metaverse can enhance users’ support for metaverse tourism and their behavioral intention to participate in it, while support also positively influences behavioral intention. Support for metaverse tourism acts as a clear mediator between attitudes and behavioral intention. The newly developed theoretical framework in this study provides a fresh perspective for metaverse tourism research and helps enrich empirical analysis in this field. By deeply analyzing tourists’ behavioral intentions, the study provides valuable insights for stakeholders to develop targeted marketing strategies and services, thus promoting the future development of metaverse tourism.

Experience-Sharing to Support Inclusive Travel for Blind and Partially Sighted People

This research aimed to understand the challenges blind and partially sighted people experience in tourism and the travel information they need to plan their travel experiences effectively. To this end, we designed a mixed-methods study consisting of semi-structured interviews and co-design workshops, which were conducted to identify the needs of BPS people and the barriers experienced due to a lack of access to such information. The findings provide insights into the information-seeking process and highlight the role of experience sharing in cultivating a sense of agency, contribution, and interdependence. This study also contributes an accessible tourism ecosystem map based on our findings to highlight the different sources of travel information and their potential role in supporting inclusive travel for BPS people. The findings have implications for research and tourism service design and serve as a tool to motivate research on technologies to support inclusive leisure travel for BPS people and to inform the design of inclusive tourism services.

Roots tourism experiences, identity construction, social equity and social justice: a mixed methods approach

ABSTRACT The incidence of African diaspora’s pilgrimage to their ancestral motherland in Africa has recently increased. Indeed, initiatives such as the Black Travel Movement and Year of Return have increased the desire for black diasporans to ‘go back home’. Evidence in the literature illustrates that this homecoming is a deliberate effort towards identity construction. Using a mixed-method research approach (and W.E.B Du Bois’s sociological; terror management, and substantive identity negotiation theories), this study examined root tourism’s effects on identity construction, social justice, and equity using data from the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles in Ghana. The study’s key outcome shows root tourism’s power to influence social justice and human rights equality. Furthermore, the study discovered that terror management and substantive identity negotiation theories are limited in their relevance to non-Western contexts. This study demonstrates how managers of tourism firms can rightly position root tourism as a distinct tool for identity construction, social justice and social equity. The study also discusses its implications, limitations and future studies.

‘Into the darkness’ – The caving community and their tourist experiences. The Polish case

Descent into the underground requires from explorers not only a high level of physical endurance, technical skills, and ability to use specialized equipment, but also psychological adaptation to severe cave conditions: the darkness, the coldness, and the unknown. The paper focuses on mental states and emotions that accompany cave descents at every stage of the tourist experience. The study examines cavers' tourist motivations as well as perceived benefits of this kind of physical activity. The research aims at the Polish caving community. The study indicates that participation in cave exploration for respondents undertaking cave challenges outside of regular tourism is generally the result of a combination of equally strong factors, rather than a single dominant motivation. The benefits of cave exploration are inwardly directed, those related to creating one’s external image were of marginal importance among survey respondents. A state of ‘focus and concentration’ accompanies cavers during almost the entire stay in cave what not lessen a sense of overall satisfaction, joy, and excitation. To some extent, anxiety, anger, and rarely fear, shape the cave tourist experience. Management implicationsThe tourism product of any kinds of tourism should meet the expectations and needs of their participants. Dedicated speleotourists visiting sites outside mass tourism in popular show caves are leading by the complex of motivations typical for tourism as such. However, in the study analysed, the search for beauty and aesthetic impressions next to experiencing the unknown and novelty are explicitly significant motivators for cave exploration, even more important than looking for sport challenges and physical effort. This observation underlines cognitive and emotional meaning, not only sport character of cave exploration.The research might suggest the general direction in preparation of the offer for dedicated cave tourists: they do not require the creation of new infrastructure (e.g. in terms of cave accessibility) or provision of new amenities, but possibilities of the improvement of technical skills, while enjoying the beauty of the caves, with maintaining a balance between commercialization and the sense of uniqueness and exclusivity of the product.As pristine and unexplored caves constitute a ‘non-renewable resource,’ thus there is a need for redefinition of ‘the unknown’ and ‘the new’ concepts in cave tourism practiced by dedicated cave tourists (far beyond the geographical sense). The result of this procedure might help meet the expectations of dedicated cave tourists toward their tourist experiences and the attractiveness of sites.The explorations of dedicated cave tourists occur outside or on the fringes of tourism. To include them in the mainstream of broader tourism, it is necessary to find a balance between commercialization and the uniqueness and exclusivity of the product. The latter should provide satisfaction both in the area of physical well-being and the emotional sphere (sense of community, strengthening bonds).The study revealed the literature gap in terms of existential authenticity and the recognition of aesthetic and bodily experiences in cave tourism outside of popular show caves.

A netnographic analysıs of tourists’ memorable tourısm experıences: the case of historical Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar ın Istanbul

Purpose To provide visitors with a variety of experiences, tourism is a collection of activities that might leave a lasting impact on them. Anticipating and understanding what makes visitors memorable can give destinations and tourism marketers a competitive advantage. Regarding this, the purpose of this study is to investigate the memorable tourism experiences of international tourists who have visited the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar in Istanbul. Design/methodology/approach The comments made by travelers from abroad on TripAdvisor following their experiences were examined using a netnographic analysis methodology. The data were collected from the most recent to the oldest comments posted on tourist experiences about historical Egyptian (spice) bazaar (n: 825). Findings In line with the findings obtained from the reviews examined, six components were determined that make the tourists’ experiences memorable: ambience (1), novelty (2), hedonism (3), local culture (4), knowledge (5) and price (6). Originality/value The memorable Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar experiences of international tourists analyzed within the scope of the research were in line with the dimensions of novelty, hedonism, knowledge and local culture of the study conducted by (Kim & Ritchie, 2014); ambience and product price were found to be the two different dimensions. It can be stated that results of the study can help to develop effective strategies to improve the competitiveness of the destination.

Flavors of Fusion: The Role of Thai Street Food in Shaping Culinary Experiences for Chinese Tourists

This study investigated the significance of Thai street food in shaping the cultural and gastronomic experiences of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand. As culinary tourism gains global traction, street food has emerged as a key aspect of authentic cultural immersion, particularly in Thailand, where it is deeply embedded in daily life and national identity. This study employs a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with 25 Chinese tourists in central Bangkok, to explore their perceptions and experiences with Thai street food. The findings indicate that the unique flavors, affordability, and convenience of street food are major attractions for Chinese tourists. Moreover, street food offers tourists direct interaction with local culture, allowing them to experience Thai customs and social dynamics in an informal, everyday setting. The study also uncovers that while tourists appreciate the variety and accessibility of Thai street food, some concerns persist, particularly regarding hygiene and the impact of weather conditions on the dining experience. Despite these challenges, Thai street food remains an essential and enjoyable component of the overall travel experience for Chinese visitors. The research contributes to the growing body of literature on gastronomy tourism by emphasizing the role of street food as both a cultural symbol and a tourism attraction. This study highlights the importance of supporting street vendors and maintaining high standards of food safety to enhance the street food experience for international tourists, making it a sustainable and competitive element of Thailand’s tourism industry.

Edu-Tourism Through Digital Literacy Based on Science and Technology in Community Empowerment Efforts to Improve the Economy in Banyuwangi Regency

This research aims to explore the role of science and technology-based edutourism in community empowerment efforts for economic improvement in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java. The subject matter studied includes the impact of the application of science and technology in edu-tourism programs on community economic improvement, strengthening the quality of education, and preserving local culture, improving the quality of human resources, utilizing technology in edu-tourism, and its impact on local economic development. The research method used was a literature study, as well as field research to collect relevant qualitative data. The data used includes data on the economy, education, tourism, and science and technology innovation in the education and tourism sectors. Based on the data analysis, this study highlights the importance of utilizing science and technology in the development of edu-tourism programs as an effort to improve the quality of the tourist experience, empower local communities, and strengthen the regional economy. The conclusion of this study shows that the implementation of science and technology-based edu-tourism has great potential to be one of the effective strategies in the effort to empower the community and improve the economy in Banyuwangi Regency. It is hoped that the results of this research can provide input for the government, educational institutions and tourism actors to develop edu-tourism programs in the form of sustainable digital modules and based on website technology to support economic and social development in Banyuwangi Regency.

Impact of Tourism Experience and Tourism Memory on the Revisit Intention: A Case Study of Tongling Grand Canyon Scenic Area, Jingxi City, China

This study revolves around the Tongling Grand Canyon Scenic Area of Jingxi City, China, regarding the effect of tourism experience and travel memory on revisit intention. Due to its lesser popularity, China’s domestic tourism is not flourishing. Tongling Grand Canyon’s study tries to find the answer to the problem. With the help of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, this research examines how various dimensions of tourism experiences, particularly enjoyment, socialisation, participation, learning, relaxation, escape and challenge, will influence tourists' desire to revisit. The moderating effect of travel memory on revisit intention is also explored. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 411 subjects in Guangxi province. Results of multiple linear regression analysis indicate that as travel memory positively affects revisit intention, its most significant contributor is enjoyment and sociability. The results provide insights into how tourism managers should promote domestic tourist destinations by prioritising their enjoyment and sociability dynamics.

Age-inclusive hospitality and tourism: navigating the metaverse travel with avatar

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of virtual tours on the engagement and travel intentions of older adults, emphasizing the role of emotional and informative content. It aims to enhance travel confidence and reduce stress among older travelers, fostering inclusive tourism through advanced avatar technology. Design/methodology/approach Using two between-subjects experiments, this research compares the effects of emotion-driven and knowledge-centric virtual tours on older adults. It explores the mediating role of travel confidence and stress reduction, along with the moderating influence of positive psychological cues on engagement and travel intentions. Findings The results highlight the potential of technology in promoting inclusive tourism. Emotionally engaging virtual tours significantly increase travel intentions among older adults by boosting confidence and alleviating stress, with positive psychological cues enhancing these effects. Practical implications This study offers valuable insights for tourism industry stakeholders by suggesting the development of avatar-based virtual tours tailored to the emotional and cognitive needs of older travelers. This approach could create more accessible and satisfying tourism experiences for older travelers. Originality/value This study extends the socioemotional selectivity theory to the realm of metaverse travel, providing a novel perspective on the emotional and cognitive engagement of older adults in the metaverse. This underscores the importance of inclusive technology in addressing the needs of older travelers.

The Role of Homestays in Enhancing Religious Tourism - A Case Study on Guwahati's Cultural and Religious Sites

This research explores the role of homestays in enhancing religious tourism in Guwahati, focusing on key cultural and religious sites. The study examines how homestays enhance the overall experience of religious tourists by offering deeper cultural immersion and engagement with local customs. Using a mix of secondary data, questionnaires with guests and hosts, telephonic interviews, government reports, and academic sources, the research highlights the economic benefits of homestays for local communities while identifying challenges like inadequate infrastructure and limited marketing. The findings suggest that with policy support and improved infrastructure, homestays could play a pivotal role in boosting religious tourism and fostering sustainable tourism development in Guwahati.

A research need: exploring the experiences and behaviours of veiled Muslim female tourists in Western destinations

ABSTRACT Previous research has explored the dress code, behaviour, motivations, and experiences of Western and Asian female tourists during their visits to Western, Asian, and Islamic destinations. However, there is a paucity of research that explores the behaviour and perspectives of hijab-wearing female Muslim tourists when visiting Western destinations for tourism purposes. Furthermore, despite the fact that some studies have explored the experiences of Muslim women in Islamic destinations (i.e. Malysia and Turkey) there remains a significant research gap in examining the travel experiences and behaviours of veiled female Muslim tourists who visit Western destinations. This is surprising considering the significant market potential presented by Muslim women who travel to Western destinations and their patterns of consumption. This research note serves to encourage scholarly inquiry into the experiences, coping mechanisms, spatial and socio-contextual factors, and constraints faced by veiled Muslim female tourists in Western countries, while advocating for a comparative analysis with Asian and Western counterparts to facilitate a holistic comprehension of their travel experiences.

What Makes Domestic Tourists Satisfied with Shopping in Bali? The Influence of Place Attachment, Shopping Motivation, and Shopping Experience

Shopping for souvenirs is often considered an essential part of the travel experience for many tourists. This study examines the relationship between place attachment and shopping motivation as independent variables, shopping satisfaction as a dependent variable, and shopping experience as a mediator. The findings indicate that place attachment may influence shopping pleasure indirectly, through the mediating role of shopping experience. In contrast, shopping satisfaction is affected by shopping motivation both directly and indirectly. A sample size of 308 respondents who had participated in tourism shopping at Sukawati Art Market, Gianyar, Bali, was used to validate the proposed model. The validation was conducted using PLS-SEM through outer and inner models with SmartPLS 4, using a 1-tailed test. The study employed a quantitative approach and collected data through a survey questionnaire. The results of this research hold theoretical and practical implications for increasing the understanding of shopping satisfaction of domestic tourists.

Capturing mobile, situational, and multi-dimensional tourist experience: an integrated approach

ABSTRACT Inspired by the critical and mobility turns in tourism studies, this article provides a conceptualisation of understanding tourist experiences on the move, along with an integrated methodology for tracking mobile tourist experiences. It argues that tourist experience is mobile and situational. Multi-dimensional aspects of tourist experience evolve and interact during their journey. Based on recent theoretical and methodological advancements, this article proposes an integrated approach to capturing the geographic, sensory, social, and emotional aspects of tourist experiences at specific places and times throughout their journey. To offer a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate and evolving nature of tourist experiences in different geographical contexts, this approach integrates Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, portable sound levels sensing, and wearable physiological sensing technologies, together with Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) survey, in-situ photos and videos, and photo – and video-elicited interviews. A study case of the mobile tourist experience on Mount Huangshan in China is used to illustrate the integrated approach. Finally, this article concludes by discussing theoretical contributions, methodological advancements, and practical implications, which lay foundations for understanding the dynamics and complexities of tourist experiences in future studies.

Pemanfaatan Website sebagai Platform Promosi Digital Untuk Meningkatkan Minat Pariwisata Desa Bumiwangi

Bumiwangi Village is one of the tourist villages located in Ciparay District, Bandung Regency, West Java. This tourist village offers a different tourist experience from other villages, namely enjoying the beauty of nature through hang gliding or paragliding sports from the top of Bukit Cula. However, Bumiwangi Village is still not widely recognized by the general public as a tourist destination. This happens because its tourism development still faces obstacles, namely the promotional strategy carried out is still traditional so that Bumiwangi village as a tourist village does not yet have an active promotion that shows the difference between Bumiwangi tourist village and other tourist villages. Even information about Bumiwangi village is still little found on digital platforms. In this study using qualitative research methods. The research approach taken is a qualitative approach with a descriptive type of research supported by observation and interviews with sources. This research aims to produce an in-depth understanding of the process of creating a website to promote and develop tourist villages. It is hoped that this research can provide important directions and insights for the development of Bumiwangi Tourism Village in terms of effective digital promotion and utilization of tourist interest information to improve the experience and attractiveness of tourist destinations.

EXPRESS: The role of heritage interpretation and mindfulness in dark tourism experiences

EXPRESS: The role of heritage interpretation and mindfulness in dark tourism experiences

Analysis of destination competitiveness, tourist experience, and behavioral intention of tourists in MIMAROPA: Basis for destination competitiveness framework

Analysis of destination competitiveness, tourist experience, and behavioral intention of tourists in MIMAROPA: Basis for destination competitiveness framework

Sojourning and Being Well Among Contemporary Chinese Gay Men in a Tourism Destination: An Extension of Dynamic Equilibrium Theory

This study proposes an extension of the dynamic equilibrium model to investigate the intrinsic mechanisms underlying the well-being experiences of Chinese gay tourists visiting Thailand. The enhanced model incorporates elements such as stock-challenge, flow-resource, and self-concept clarity, which illuminate the intrinsic dynamics of the inner well-being framework. Findings were derived from a video ethnography conducted collaboratively by researchers and participants. The results demonstrate that the impact of sojourning on well-being among gay Chinese travelers is influenced by their typical life and travel experiences, as well as the personalized meanings they associate with tourism and well-being. These responses are intricately shaped by their personal, social, and cultural contexts. This research provides rich insights into the holiday experiences and behaviors of contemporary Chinese gay adults, emphasizing the need for the development of tailored tourism policies and marketing strategies to cultivate gay-friendly destinations within the Asia region.

Tourist experience and destination evangelism: the mediating role of inspiration

ABSTRACT Even though tourist experience (TX) and destination evangelism are crucial research priorities, a substantial paucity of empirically derived insights into these concepts and their relationships exists. Therefore, this study investigates the TX’s impact on tourist inspiration and destination evangelism by proposing and empirically validating a structural model by collecting data from 384 tourists and then validating it by conducting semi-structured interviews. The study also envisages tourist inspiration to mediate the proposed relationships, thereby contributing further to the tourism and travel literature. This study applies mixed-method explanatory sequential design that consists of two phases. In the first phase, proposed hypotheses were tested by applying the structural equation modelling technique and mediation analysis. The findings revealed that various dimensions of TX exert differential impacts on destination evangelism. The study also confirmed the partial mediation role of tourist inspiration between three dimensions of TX (sensory, cognitive and affective) and destination evangelism; however, the full mediation effect was observed between behavioural TX and destination evangelism. In the second phase, a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews was conducted. These findings were found in alignment with the findings of the quantitative study. The study concludes by offering key implications and avenues for further research.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOURIST EXPERIENCE, PLACE ATTACHMENT, AND POST-VISIT INTENTIONS: AN APPLICATION OF S-O-R PARADIGM IN THE CONTEXT OF HANGZHOU, CHINA

A key challenge facing destination practitioners and policymakers is to sustain a competitive advantage and to ensure its destination’s success and prosperity under the impact of globalisation. Evidence suggests that the tourist experience can enhance tourists’ attachment and post-visit intention, which is an essential concept in travel and tourism study, as well as destination positioning. Still, there are limitations in the research concerning the relationship between these three factors. This study investigates the mediating effect of place attachment on the relationship between tourist experience and post-visit intention using Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) paradigm. The data were gathered from 213 respondents among the West Lake Heritage Site users in Hangzhou, China, using the self-administered questionnaires. According to statistical findings, tourist experience influences post-visit intention both directly and indirectly through the mediating role of place attachment. Drawing from these findings, practical information on design, marketing, and experiences for tourism destinations is offered.

Increased bird sound diversity in vineyards enhances visitors' tour experience

Abstract Biodiversity is rapidly declining, reducing the quantity and quality of human interactions with nature and constraining its contribution to human health and well‐being. Natural sounds are a key component of our experience of nature, but biodiversity losses are reflected in soundscapes, which are becoming less diverse and quieter. We characterised the soundscapes across 21 English vineyards using acoustic indices and related them to bird species richness and abundance. We found that higher bird species richness, but not abundance, led to more diverse and louder soundscapes, as reflected in higher values of Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI), Bioacoustic Index (BIO) and Normalised Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI), and lower values of Acoustic Entropy Index (H). Secondly, at three of the study vineyards that run vineyard tours, we measured visitors' experience of the tour in terms of sound enjoyment, soundscape connectedness and tour satisfaction and related these to ambient and experimentally enhanced soundscapes, where we used playback recordings of five additional birdsongs to increase the soundscapes' complexity and volume. Under ambient conditions, respondents' (n = 107) experience was significantly higher at sites with soundscapes that had higher ACI and BIO values, and lower H, Acoustic Diversity Index (ADI) and NDSI values, indicating a positive effect of more diverse and louder soundscapes. Natural sounds formed an important part of the tour experience at these sites, making visitors feel more present and connected to nature. Under experimental soundscape enhancement, respondents (n = 79) reported hearing significantly more bird species during the tour, and they reported significantly higher scores for sound enjoyment, soundscape connectedness and tour satisfaction than under ambient conditions. This effect was stronger in visitors who engaged more in pro‐environmental behaviours, such as purchasing organic foods. Our study demonstrates (i) the direct contribution of aural modes to our experience of nature and (ii) that the delivery of biodiversity conservation measures aimed at supporting bird diversity could simultaneously enhance the experience and well‐being benefits of spending time in nature. Natural soundscapes should therefore be recognised and valued as natural capital, and their protection should be incorporated into conservation planning and policy. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.