The Tourist Psychology and the Creation of Tourist Experiences

Psychology in tourism has its own key implications. Tourism studies must incorporate tourists as they are the dynamic participants. This chapter defines the significance of psychological know-how associated with tourism practice. Experiences generated are inclined toward expectation fulfillment and past events and are construed in the memory of the tourists resulting in the formation of new expectancies. Since the tourist experience is subjective in nature, and every experience created is unique, intrinsic, and personal to a tourist, it is important to understand the implementation of the concept of general psychology associated with tourists. The concept of tourist psychology in association with the notion of tourist experience is a topic of significance as it provides a foundation for the future tourist behavior. Destination selection, travel motivations, and utilization of services along with the satisfaction and memories created are important aspects of general psychology related to tourism practices. Understanding the antecedents and consequences in context to the tourist experience is equally substantial in tourism research. The tourist experience is complex and is an interface with the destination of visit wherein the destinations compose the actual experience site and the tourists are the actors of that experience. The notion of “tourist experience” is an intricate and a multifaceted psychological process which should be understood and studied by the destination marketers in association with the tourist motivations and their desire to travel.