Context:
The tourist experience is a complex phenomenon that differs for each and every individual.
According to Ryan (2002, pg. 35): ‘The context, meanings and experiences of tourism can vary from holiday to holiday, from tourist to tourist. To talk of the ‘tourist experience’ seems to imply homogeneity which, in reality, is not always present. Rather, it can be argued that tourists experience competing motives and thus tensions exist between needs that might be, to a greater or lesser extent, mutually incompatible’. This assessment will allow students to consider their own travel experiences in relation to the desire to travel and explore factors that influence the choice of destination. Students will also investigate the different stages of the tourist experience and the elements that contribute to satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Instructions:
Students are required to write a report in which they reflect on a personal ‘tourist experience’. This experience can have taken place either within Australia or overseas and should be recent enough to allow for clear recollection. As this assessment focuses on a personal experience, the report should be written in 1 person perspective (i.e. Y’, ‘me’,’my, ‘we’, etc.), however the discussion must be supported by academic literature.
Within the report, students should:
o Develop a brief definition of the concept of the tourist experience, supported by academic sources.
o Outline the chosen tourist experience and examine the factors that motivated the decision to travel & the choice of destination. This discussion should be related to tourist motivation concepts and theories.
o Discuss the chosen tourist experience (prior to, during and post-travel) in reference to Cutler & Carmichael’s (2010) conceptual model. Students should also identify reasons for their satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the tourist experience and/or specific tourism products.
