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M. Kachniewska
and tourists, as well as experience co-creation and data-driven consumer-centric
experience management.
2 Experience as an Object of Tourist Demand
The economy of experience assumes that the next field dominating the economy—
after agriculture, industry and services—will be the provision of experiences (Pine
and Gilmore 1998). The specific nature of modern-day consumption has further
strengthened this approach: young people are more interested in using goods than in
possessing them. ‘Collecting experiences’ has become a new source of value. Luxury
brand products traditionally associated with high status have not lost their distinctive
value, but the social manifestation of status has been extended by an additional
dimension: experience and its intensity. As tourism is based on relationships and
experience, it is widely recognised as one of the most important indicators of human
social position and expression of overall life satisfaction. The deliberate creation of
travel experiences has, therefore, become the centre of interest of tourism market
researchers (Uriely 2005; Shaw 2005; Carù and Cova 2007; de Rojas and Camarero
2008; Scott et al. 2010; Kim et al. 2012).
The market value of experiences, however, depends on how individual and unique
they are. Geographical distance and exoticism are no longer a factor of status. The
marketisation of tourist authenticity has led to its devaluation. The modern tourism
sector is a ‘factory’ of sensations, emotions and memories. The contemporary 5E
paradigm of experience tourism includes education, esthetics, escapism, entertainment and excitement, while the skillful combination of these features is referred to as
‘edutainment’. One cannot ignore the problem of unpleasant events, the occurrence
of which is perceived as an unnecessary stress factor by tourists: the loss of a passport or luggage, theft of money or electronic equipment, bus failure, aircraft delay,
physical exhaustion associated with poor route planning and the inability to find a
place to rest, sleep or eat. Properly managed experiences require a huge amount of
effort, creativity and technological support.
Life experiences sought after by travellers go hand-in-hand with the dynamic
development of technology. The most elementary examples of the symbiosis of these
phenomena are the so-called experience marketplace applications (EMA) that give
the user direct access to a selection of experiences delivered by local residents. In
London, for example, they can meet with Alice, who will show hidden green spaces
in which bees live among concrete blocks. In Los Angeles, the host is Carlos, who
started dancing salsa at the age of 5 and will be happy to share his passion. In
Tokyo, Bradley, a city cyclist, can show them the city from a bicycle perspective. In
Barcelona, Mario begins the trip by inviting a tourist for a glass of cold sparkling
wine and admiring the beautiful view from the roof of the marina, then leads him/her
to the three most beloved Catalan restaurants, showing beautiful hidden side streets
of the city. The variety of experiences and people is impressive.
M. Kachniewska
and tourists, as well as experience co-creation and data-driven consumer-centric
experience management.
2 Experience as an Object of Tourist Demand
The economy of experience assumes that the next field dominating the economy—
after agriculture, industry and services—will be the provision of experiences (Pine
and Gilmore 1998). The specific nature of modern-day consumption has further
strengthened this approach: young people are more interested in using goods than in
possessing them. ‘Collecting experiences’ has become a new source of value. Luxury
brand products traditionally associated with high status have not lost their distinctive
value, but the social manifestation of status has been extended by an additional
dimension: experience and its intensity. As tourism is based on relationships and
experience, it is widely recognised as one of the most important indicators of human
social position and expression of overall life satisfaction. The deliberate creation of
travel experiences has, therefore, become the centre of interest of tourism market
researchers (Uriely 2005; Shaw 2005; Carù and Cova 2007; de Rojas and Camarero
2008; Scott et al. 2010; Kim et al. 2012).
The market value of experiences, however, depends on how individual and unique
they are. Geographical distance and exoticism are no longer a factor of status. The
marketisation of tourist authenticity has led to its devaluation. The modern tourism
sector is a ‘factory’ of sensations, emotions and memories. The contemporary 5E
paradigm of experience tourism includes education, esthetics, escapism, entertainment and excitement, while the skillful combination of these features is referred to as
‘edutainment’. One cannot ignore the problem of unpleasant events, the occurrence
of which is perceived as an unnecessary stress factor by tourists: the loss of a passport or luggage, theft of money or electronic equipment, bus failure, aircraft delay,
physical exhaustion associated with poor route planning and the inability to find a
place to rest, sleep or eat. Properly managed experiences require a huge amount of
effort, creativity and technological support.
Life experiences sought after by travellers go hand-in-hand with the dynamic
development of technology. The most elementary examples of the symbiosis of these
phenomena are the so-called experience marketplace applications (EMA) that give
the user direct access to a selection of experiences delivered by local residents. In
London, for example, they can meet with Alice, who will show hidden green spaces
in which bees live among concrete blocks. In Los Angeles, the host is Carlos, who
started dancing salsa at the age of 5 and will be happy to share his passion. In
Tokyo, Bradley, a city cyclist, can show them the city from a bicycle perspective. In
Barcelona, Mario begins the trip by inviting a tourist for a glass of cold sparkling
wine and admiring the beautiful view from the roof of the marina, then leads him/her
to the three most beloved Catalan restaurants, showing beautiful hidden side streets
of the city. The variety of experiences and people is impressive.