ABSTRACT
Extant research has demonstrated that learning is a core element underlying extraordinary experiences, since it enriches the experiences and makes them more meaningful. Despite being a critical element in such experiences, the literature provides few answers to how and in what situations tourists learn, in particular how extraordinary experiences are related to learning. Hence, the purpose of this study is to understand how tourists learn through extraordinary experiences. Learning theories emphasize a process where the learner’s beliefs are challenged and experiences are made sense of, which makes them useful in relation to intellectually engaging and transformative extraordinary experiences. Two illustrative different cases, an oyster experience on the West Coast of Sweden and a guided tour in Kisumu, Kenya, are used to demonstrate how learning takes place for tourists engaged in extraordinary experiences. The findings show that tourists involved in extraordinary experiences are more likely to learn by being in a stimulating environment where learning is enhanced through three mutually inclusive elements: (1) engagement, (2) critical moments and (3) reflection.
