Values of souvenirs as commodities

Although souvenirs have received increased research interest in tourism studies, sociological research in this field still remains limited. This exploratory study aspires to overcome past research negligence on the values identified in social theory for commodities, such as Marx’s use and exchange values and Baudrillard’s sign-value, as well as introducing an additional one, the spiritual-value. By using a sample of twenty respondents in Veria, a small city in Northern Greece, this study attempts to interpret souvenirs as commodities with certain values and to identify the functions that tourists expect to perceive when purchasing them. Despite its limitations, this study provided a theoretical understanding of the sociological aspects of souvenirs’ consumption in relation to the four values

Religiousness as tourist performances: a case study of Greek Orthodox pilgrimage

The aim of this paper is to decipher ways of experiencing religiousness through tourist performances, intersecting textual approaches with the essential embodiment and materiality of the tourist world. Exploring the diversity of religious tourists’ practices within the Greek Orthodox context, two dimensions underpinning religious tourist experience are highlighted: institutional performances and unconventional performances. Focussing on the embodied experience and drawing upon theories of performance, the paper critiques the interplays of body and place to re-conceptualise current understanding of the pilgrimage/tourism relationship. In doing so, the paper proposes that tourism and religion are not separate entities but linked through embodied notions of godliness sensed through touristic performances

Understanding values of souvenir purchase in the contemporary Chinese culture: A case of Shanghai Disney

This research explores souvenir values under the influence of contemporary Chinese culture. Taking Shanghai Disney as the study context, a total of 32 onsite interviews with Chinese visitors to Shanghai Disney were conducted. Based on the analysis of 246 pages of interview transcripts, this research identifies three overarching souvenir values germane to modern Chinese culture, encompassed by sign value, meaningfulness, and hedonic value. In addition, a list of seven other values are found to uniquely exist depending on the specific recipient of souvenirs. These are classified as family orientation, and knowledge and positive education for children; individuality, instrumental value, and conformity for oneself; and kindness, and trust and harmony for others. These values provide insightful explanations for Chinese consumers’ souvenir purchase behavior in contemporary Chinese society. Theoretical and managerial implications as well as directions for future research are discussed