tourist experiences

travel tourism

tourism destinations

tourism industry

tourism experiences

dark tourism

tourism studies

tourism hospitality

tourism destination

tourism development

Journal of Destination Marketing and Management

Understanding the nature of tourism experiences holds the key to effectively managing tourism destinations. Research in psychology, economics, geography, marketing and, more recently, services management, offers new insight into consumer experiences which are defined by moment-to-moment and as discreet (and summarized) events. This paper synthesizes this literature and then identifies emerging tools such as blueprinting and journey mapping which enable design solutions to better manage tourism experiences. Finally, the implications and directions of this new moments-based paradigm for designing tourism experiences are discussed. • Examines the sequential structure of tourism experiences within the trip journey. • The sequential nature of the trip influences its basic nature, including overall satisfaction. • Journey mapping and blueprinting can be used to capture and represent moments-based experiences. • Discusses relationships between experience design, tourism design and destination management.

Managing the structure of tourism experiences: Foundations for tourism design