Memorable Tourism Experience: A Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

A decade of research has produced substantial results but the theorization of memorable tourism experience, often drawing on positive and environmental psychology, remains fuzzy and fragmented. Adopting state-of-the art practices, this study systematically reviews, synthesizes, and integrates the extant body of knowledge across multiple literature streams on memorable tourism experience. Our review indicates that research in this field has a geographical bias, largely neglects negative experiences, and mainly employs quantitative methods. We identify several gaps in the literature and propose the following seven recommendations for future research: (1) caution when using the memorable tourism experience scale; (2) the need for cross-cultural studies; (3) positive and negative dimensions in conceptualizing memorable tourism experience; (4) overcoming the limitations of self-report measures; (5) engaging in mixed methods research; (6) integrating suppliers' perspectives; and (7) combining theories, concepts, and disciplines. This study serves as a foundation for researchers and provides a holistic understanding of memorable tourism experience.