Reconceptualizing Tourists' Extraordinary Experiences. (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goolaup, Sandhiya; Nunkoo, Robin
• Is Part Of: Journal of travel research. Volume 62:Number 2(2023)
• Page Start: 399
• Page End: 411
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: extraordinary experience -- structure -- anti-structure -- tourist experience -- phenomenology; Travel -- Research -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Research -- Periodicals; 910.72
• DOI: 10.1177/00472875211064632
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0047-2875

Abstract

Research that conceptualizes tourist extraordinary experiences both from the structural and anti-structural perspective is limited in the tourism literature. The purpose of this research is to develop a new theoretical perspective that re-conceptualizes our understanding of tourists' extraordinary experience by taking into consideration both the structural and anti-structural elements of an experience. It draws on phenomenological interviews with 26 food tourists. The study finds that extraordinary experience consists of elements such as profaneness, collaborative interactions and conflict-easing, which represent both the structural and anti-structural elements. The findings of this study allow us to question whether extraordinary experience is purely structural or anti-structural as suggested by previous research. Rather, based on the findings, we argue that extraordinary experience is the positive co-existence of both the ordinary and the non-ordinary. As a result, we use the term "synstructure" to conceptualize the tourist extraordinary experience.