ABSTRACT
Tourists interact with people and natural or man-made elements. Consequently, interactions are core mediators of (and thus create an imperative for acknowledging) experience value in tourism. Interaction has traditionally been considered a core characteristic of tourism as a result of simultaneous production and consumption, described as ‘prosumption’ by Toffl er (1967). Despite the importance of acknowledging how and why consumers visit places and exploring interactions between people including tourists, hosts and locals, the issue of interaction has scarcely been researched in tourism contexts. In tourism, interactions are more often performed for social and pleasure-seeking reasons affecting autotelic actions, i.e. actions performed here and now for instant enjoyment (Holt 1995), such as appreciating learning at a museum or having fun with fellow travellers. Interactions may, however, also refl ect other goals or motives, e.g. instrumental, such as ordering a meal or questioning a guide to get information, with the aim of fulfi lling other needs.
