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Tourism refers to the temporary travel of individuals outside their usual environment, an activity which is more common today than ever before. In 2022, there were more than one billion international tourist arrivals worldwide and international tourism receipts hit a new record of 837 billion euros, equalling to a 4% increase from the previous year. In addition, another five to six billion tourists are estimated to travel domestically every year. It is clear that the tourism industry is a significant contributor to the global economy, as it generates export earnings not only through international tourism receipts but also through international passenger transport. Consequently, international tourism accounts for 30% of the world’s exports of services, 6% of overall exports, and is ranked fifth as a worldwide export category, right after fuels, chemicals, food, and automotive products.
The tourism and leisure industries, in which sectors such as recreation, hospitality, entertainment, events, and sport are included, exist in order to provide consumers with various experiences (Morgan et al. 2010). Tourism is often mentioned as a model example of the dynamics of the current economy – whether it is called the experience society (Schulze 1997), the entertainment economy (Wolf 1999), the dream society (Jensen 1999), or the experience economy (Pine & Gilmore 1999) – in which pursuing experiences has become self-evident. With the term experience economy, Pine and Gilmore (1999) referred to the natural progression of economic value from commodities to goods to services and finally to experiences that are characterized by a differentiated competitive position, premium pricing, and a high relevance to consumers. In the experience economy, consumers are looking for more than mere products and services; they want to acquire an interesting life, to experience new places, be entertained, and learn in an enjoyable way.
The emergence of the experience economy has been fuelled by the convergence of three major forces: the new technology, a more sophisticated, affluent, and demanding consumer base, and an escalating competitive intensity.