A conceptualization of the senses, emotions, and memories in memorable tourism experiences

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10.06.2020
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ABSTRACT | This chapter explores a conceptualization of the elements that create a memorable tourism experience – senses, emotions, and memories. A comprehensive and coherent theoretical model is established to explain the complexities involved in the tourism experience creation (tourism experience relational model) and in the memorable tourism experience (conceptual model). The data suggest that, first, the senses developed an important role in the experiential stimuli perception; second, the emotions are fundamental to these experiential stimuli understanding and meaning creation, and third, memory is essential in the codification and storage process and anticipation of meaningful information to future experiences. The conceptual model is based on the five senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch), three positive emotions (joy, love, and positive surprise), and two memorable elements (recollection and vividness). Future research opportunities in the memorable tourism experience are explored, such as the relation between the sense, emotions, and memories.

Key terms: sensorial memory; endocrinal response; Memorable Tourism Experience (MTE); long-term memory; arousal; sensation; Tourism Experience Relational Model

Pedro, R., Mendes, J., Matos, N., & Ascenção, M. (2020). A conceptualization of the senses, emotions, and memories in memorable tourism experiences. In: P. Pinto & M. Guerreiro (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Resident and Tourist Perspectives on Travel Destinations (pp. 208-231). Hershey: IGI Global. URL: https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/a-conceptualization-of-the-senses-emotions-and-memories-in-memorable-tourism-experiences/258651

Contact
Mário Passos
Ascenção
yliopettaja
principal lecturer
+358 294471195
mariopassos.ascencao@haaga-helia.fi