ABSTRACT
Consumers are increasingly striving for experiences. As products and services have become interchangeable and replicated, the search for unique, compelling and memorable experiences in the context of tourism has become a key notion. In tourism marketing, the concept of the experience economy has long provided a valuable vehicle to design, stage and deliver experiences to consumers and gain competitive advantage. In the past years, the advent of two major shifts to the fi eld of marketing has challenged the current understanding of tourism experiences. The concept of the experience economy has evolved, as consumers have become more active and empowered in playing a part in co-creating their own experiences in quest for personal growth (Prahalad and Ramaswamy 2004).
