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TRAVEL ANDTOURISMFUTURES 471Trend #4. Emergence of a New
Tourism Consumer
The Internet changes how people communicate and
exchange information. The resulting abundance of infor-
mation and ease of communication have led to profound
changes in consumer attitudes and behavior. What makes
new consumers “new” is that they are empowered by the
Internet, which provides them with easy and cheap access
to various information sources and extended communi-
ties (Windham & Orton, 2000). New tourism consumers
are well informed, are used to having many choices,
expect speed, and use technologies to overcome the phys-
ical constraints of bodies and borders (Poon, 1993). Lewis
and Bridger (2000) describe the new consumer as being
(1) individualistic; (2) involved; (3) independent; and (4)
informed. The Internet is a highly personalized medium
and new consumers expect marketers to address and cater
to their complex personal preferences. Consequently, new
tourism consumers are “in control” and have become im-
portant players in the process of creating and shaping
brands.
New tourism consumers are also very independent in
making consumption decisions but, at the same time,
like to share stories about their travel experiences with
members of different communities. Stories can convey
emotional aspects of experiences and product/service
qualities that are generally hard to express in writing and,
consequently, are rarely included in traditional product
descriptions. Storytelling is an important means of cre-
ating and maintaining communities (Muniz & O’Guinn,
2000) and Internet technologies greatly facilitate this
form of communication and community building among
travelers. Importantly, the new scarcities of time and trust
require new tourism consumers to rely heavily on word
of mouth and the expert opinions of like-minded oth-
ers. New travel-oriented communities are brand com-
munities or communities of interest and are imagined,
involve limited liability, and focus on a specific con-
sumption practice (Muniz & O’Guinn, 2000; Wang, et al.,
2002).
A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention
(Lewis & Bridger, 2000). New tourism consumers try
to cope with this problem by scanning information de-
pending on personal relevance and have become very
capable of ignoring nonrelevant advertising. They are,
therefore, much more active in their travel information
search than old consumers, who were largely passive in-
formation recipients. Attention is increasingly reserved
for marketers who have asked for permission and have
established a long-term relationship with the consumer
(Godin, 1999). In return for his/her valuable attention,
the new tourism consumer expects special benefits such
as extremely personalized services. Attention peaks when
these travelers reach a psychologically balanced state of
mind, a so-called “flow” experience (Feather, 2000). In
order to reach flow, new tourism consumers are increas-
ingly searching for personalized, emotional, and intrigu-
ing experiences through which they can learn about new
travel and tourism products. Therefore, in the world of
the new tourism consumer, the focus shifts from product
attributes to consumption experiences.AttractionsActivitiesSocial
SettingActual
Experience MemoriesFantasy -
StoriesSense of
attachmentFigure 3: Sequence of travel experience.Trend #5. Emergence of Experience as the
Foundation for Defining Tourism Products
It has long been recognized that travel is an experi-
ence and tourism is a key part of the “experience indus-
try” (Pine, Gilmore, & Pine, 1999). However, the role of
experience in consumption (including pre-, during, and
postpurchase) is only now being considered as one of the
foundations for effective marketing. Recent efforts have
shown that the experiential aspects of products and ser-
vices provide the starting point for effective marketing
(O’Sullivan & Spangler, 1998; Pine et al., 1999; Schmitt,
1999). This research indicates that experiences are per-
sonal “events” that engage the individual in a meaningful
way. As shown in Figure 3, the core element of travel expe-
riences is the travel activity, whereas the tourism industry
plays the part of an experience “facilitator”; importantly,
the setting (social or personal) in which activities occur
contributes substantially to the nature of the experience.
It is suggested that although the experiential aspects of
travel are the foundation, the memories that are stored as
a result of these experiences are the key to attracting new
visitors as well as retaining current ones. Furthermore,
it is suggested that stories—the mechanisms for commu-
nicating experiences through word of mouth or as “doc-
umentaries” of experiences (through articles, film, etc.)
provide the path through which the tourism industry can
build and extend markets.
Schmitt (1999) and others have argued that the new
consumer evaluates products more on their experiential
aspects than on “objective” features such as price and
availability and that experiential marketing should focus
on the experiential aspects that make the consumption of
the product most compelling—that is, the five senses. Ef-
fective experiential marketing is sensory and affective. It
approaches consumption as a holistic experience and ac-
knowledges that consumers can be either rational or emo-
tional or both at the same time. Whereas traditional mar-
keting is based on consumer behavior, product features,
benefits, and quantifiable market segments, experiential
marketing is driven by an understanding of consumer
experiences and the need for personalization. New con-
sumers require advertising that is entertaining, stimu-
lating, and at the same time informative. Brands are
no longer seen as mere identifiers but become them-
selves sources of experiences by evoking sensory, affec-
tive, creative, and lifestyle-related associations (Schmitt,
1999). Thus, experiential marketing blurs the border
between advertising, purchase, and use as it attempts to
create a unique shopping experience and lets the new con-
sumer anticipate what the consumption experience will be
like.