ABSTRACT
The chapter presents the concept of experience within the tourism context and it relates tourist experiences to the five senses and realms of experiences. It also highlights the three-stage model of service experience consumption as well as the importance of hedonic and utilitarian factors in service experience consumption. The outcome of tourism services largely depends on the service staff and tourists themselves at the pre-consumption, during and post-consumption stages. Tourism is an industry that provides a series of services and unique experiences that are created and staged by the main subsectors of tourism suppliers in their specific contexts. Tourism experiences are events or activities that engage individuals in a personal way – an intangible form of memories. Understanding customer experience is the basis for formulating business strategy such as positioning, which is essential for a business's competitiveness, survival and success.
