The consumption of experiences has been 
acknowledged as a key research topic in tourism 
studies, since everything in a destination can be experienced by tourists, whether it be places, people, 
or activities

Agapito, Dora

PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural

Sapientia

© PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. ISSN 1695-7121Vol. 12 N.o 3. Special Issue. Págs. 649-650. 2014www .pasosonline.orgReseña de PublicacionesTourist experience: Contemporary perspectivesSharpley, R. & Stone, P. (Eds.). Oxon, UK: Routledge (2011)ISBN: 978 -0 -415 -57278 -1Dora Agapito*University of Algarve (Portugal)* PhD in tourism and MSc in marketing. Currently, she is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve. E -mail: dlagapito@ualg.pt Dora AgapitoThe consumption of experiences has been acknowledged as a key research topic in tourism studies, since everything in a destination can be ex-perienced by tourists, whether it be places, people, or activities. Along with changes in contemporary societies, continuous transformations in tourism both in scale and scope have led tourist experiences to become more complex and varied in their forms. In this vein, Tourist Experience: Contemporary Perspectives reflects on the diversified meanings attributed to the tourism experience by tourists through case studies representative of diverse geo-graphical areas, in a multidisciplinary perspective. The compilation of research contributions from both academic and practitioner -based perspectives organized in eleven chapters offers an overview of current research themes, which are presented in five sections: dark tourism, poor places, sport tourism, writing and researching on the tourist experience. The search for new experiences led tourists to places that some years ago have been thought as unusual destinations, such as the case of poor or dark places, somewhat associated with authentic areas to experience. In this context, dark tourism, also termed thanatourism, is approached as an institution mediating the dead and suffering and the living. A discussion on the label of “darkness” in tourism and the authenticity of the experience is provided along the two chapters dedicated to this theme. The potential of future research is PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. 12 N° 3. Special Issue. Mayo 2014 ISSN 1695-7121650 Tourist experience: Contemporary perspectiveshighlighted since mortality has been historically related to art, literature and travel, involving not only meaning for the living but in some extend the gratification of the human senses.From the perspective of social and cultural cons-truction, in addition to the relationship between the individual and the place, the importance of the embodied experience is a sound and interesting topic connecting all chapters. Since sensory stimuli underlie the provision of satisfying environments for the consumption of tourism products and servi-ces, and boost human interactions, they are seen as appropriate for the planning of meaningful sensory tourist experiences. While encouraging responsible tourist experiences with respect to local resources and communities, sensory stimuli are also important markers for recollection. This idea is especially evinced in the case studies of Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Twickenham Stadium in London analyzed by Sean Gammon, who draws attention to the fact that sport sites are places to visit and sensorially experience rather than places where the event will take place. Whilst acknowledging that experiencing an empty stadium is different from experiencing an awake stadium, diverse sensory -informed markers can be managed. The desired outcomes are enhanced experiences for both the active and passive sport tourists and the development of the sense of identity, belonging, and attachment.Since various forms of tourism, such as sports attraction tourism or rural tourism, became relevant and competitive markets, sensory stimuli can be explored not only with the aim to enhance tourist experiences in physical environments but also in virtual environments by using the potential of information and communication technologies in the different moments of travel. The role of new media in narrating travel experiences is especially emphasized in chapter 11 presented by Gretzel, Fesenmaier, Lee, and Tussyadiah. The anticipation and recollection stages of tourist experiences in addition to the in loco activity are seen as involving specific particularities that influence the type of use of consumer -generated media and mobile technolo-gies by tourists who use them with the purpose of narrating their travel experiences. These forms of contemporary travel writing help tourists to enhance and add meaning to their experiences, document and share their stories with others, thus contributing to the process of cognitive and emotional attachment to products, brands and destinations. Hence, apart from being cultural and social constructions, these stories of encounters with locals, other tourists, and places go beyond the gaze, putting together all the bodily experience by including the non -visual senses along with sight.While the diversity of ways of conceptualizing the tourist experience is explored in the first chapter by Chris Ryan, the last section of the book is dedicated to innovative and appropriate methodological appro-aches to researching tourist experiences. Mary Beth Gouthro stresses the importance of the advances in qualitative approaches in tourism research focused on revealing the phenomenological nature, richness and depth of tourist experiences. Martine Middleton highlights the senses as a means to differentiate cul-turally tourist experiences. The author suggests the use of Q methodology, which provides a numerical perspective on subjectivity allowing quantitative and qualitative understandings regarding tourist expe-riences. Responsible tourist behavior is explored in the last chapter by Davina Stanford, who considers the use of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development concept as an appropriate framework to research tourists’ reactions to persuasive messages aiming at influencing their behavior. Overall, the ultimate goals of the research compiled in this book by Richard Sharpley and Philip Stone are offering new insights on how to facilitate positive and memorable tourist experien-ces, regardless their form, and understanding the nature and complexity of the contemporary tourism experience. Emergent motivations, behaviors, and responses towards new destination experiences are analyzed, which adequately represents some of the latest research trends proving the reader with important recommendations for future studies. Recibido: 07/11/2013Reenviado: 16/12/2014Aceptado: 08/01/2014Sometido a evaluación por pares anónimos

Tourist experience: Contemporary perspectives.  Sharpley, R. & Stone, P. (Eds.). Oxon, UK:  Routledge (2011)

Universidade do Algarve

© PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. ISSN 1695-7121
Vol. 12 N.o 3. Special Issue. Págs. 649-650. 2014
www .pasosonline.org
Reseña de Publicaciones
Tourist experience: Contemporary perspectives
Sharpley, R. & Stone, P. (Eds.). Oxon, UK: Routledge (2011)
ISBN: 978 -0 -415 -57278 -1
Dora Agapito*
University of Algarve (Portugal)
* PhD in tourism and MSc in marketing. Currently, she is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of 
Algarve. E -mail: dlagapito@ualg.pt 
Dora Agapito
The consumption of experiences has been 
acknowledged as a key research topic in tourism 
studies, since everything in a destination can be ex-
perienced by tourists, whether it be places, people, 
or activities. Along with changes in contemporary 
societies, continuous transformations in tourism 
both in scale and scope have led tourist experiences 
to become more complex and varied in their forms. 
In this vein, Tourist Experience: Contemporary 
Perspectives reflects on the diversified meanings 
attributed to the tourism experience by tourists 
through case studies representative of diverse geo-
graphical areas, in a multidisciplinary perspective. 
The compilation of research contributions from 
both academic and practitioner -based perspectives 
organized in eleven chapters offers an overview 
of current research themes, which are presented 
in five sections: dark tourism, poor places, sport 
tourism, writing and researching on the tourist 
experience. 
The search for new experiences led tourists to 
places that some years ago have been thought as 
unusual destinations, such as the case of poor or 
dark places, somewhat associated with authentic 
areas to experience. In this context, dark tourism, 
also termed thanatourism, is approached as an 
institution mediating the dead and suffering and 
the living. A discussion on the label of “darkness” 
in tourism and the authenticity of the experience 
is provided along the two chapters dedicated to 
this theme. The potential of future research is 
PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. 12 N° 3. Special Issue. Mayo 2014 ISSN 1695-7121
650 Tourist experience: Contemporary perspectives
highlighted since mortality has been historically 
related to art, literature and travel, involving not 
only meaning for the living but in some extend the 
gratification of the human senses.
From the perspective of social and cultural cons-
truction, in addition to the relationship between 
the individual and the place, the importance of the 
embodied experience is a sound and interesting 
topic connecting all chapters. Since sensory stimuli 
underlie the provision of satisfying environments 
for the consumption of tourism products and servi-
ces, and boost human interactions, they are seen 
as appropriate for the planning of meaningful 
sensory tourist experiences. While encouraging 
responsible tourist experiences with respect to 
local resources and communities, sensory stimuli 
are also important markers for recollection. 
This idea is especially evinced in the case studies 
of Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Twickenham 
Stadium in London analyzed by Sean Gammon, 
who draws attention to the fact that sport sites are 
places to visit and sensorially experience rather 
than places where the event will take place. Whilst 
acknowledging that experiencing an empty stadium 
is different from experiencing an awake stadium, 
diverse sensory -informed markers can be managed. 
The desired outcomes are enhanced experiences 
for both the active and passive sport tourists and 
the development of the sense of identity, belonging, 
and attachment.
Since various forms of tourism, such as sports 
attraction tourism or rural tourism, became relevant 
and competitive markets, sensory stimuli can be 
explored not only with the aim to enhance tourist 
experiences in physical environments but also in 
virtual environments by using the potential of 
information and communication technologies in 
the different moments of travel. The role of new 
media in narrating travel experiences is especially 
emphasized in chapter 11 presented by Gretzel, 
Fesenmaier, Lee, and Tussyadiah. The anticipation 
and recollection stages of tourist experiences in 
addition to the in loco activity are seen as involving 
specific particularities that influence the type of use 
of consumer -generated media and mobile technolo-
gies by tourists who use them with the purpose of 
narrating their travel experiences. These forms of 
contemporary travel writing help tourists to enhance 
and add meaning to their experiences, document and 
share their stories with others, thus contributing to 
the process of cognitive and emotional attachment 
to products, brands and destinations. Hence, apart 
from being cultural and social constructions, these 
stories of encounters with locals, other tourists, and 
places go beyond the gaze, putting together all the 
bodily experience by including the non -visual senses 
along with sight.
While the diversity of ways of conceptualizing the 
tourist experience is explored in the first chapter by 
Chris Ryan, the last section of the book is dedicated 
to innovative and appropriate methodological appro-
aches to researching tourist experiences. Mary Beth 
Gouthro stresses the importance of the advances in 
qualitative approaches in tourism research focused 
on revealing the phenomenological nature, richness 
and depth of tourist experiences. Martine Middleton 
highlights the senses as a means to differentiate cul-
turally tourist experiences. The author suggests the 
use of Q methodology, which provides a numerical 
perspective on subjectivity allowing quantitative and 
qualitative understandings regarding tourist expe-
riences. Responsible tourist behavior is explored in 
the last chapter by Davina Stanford, who considers 
the use of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development 
concept as an appropriate framework to research 
tourists’ reactions to persuasive messages aiming 
at influencing their behavior. 
Overall, the ultimate goals of the research 
compiled in this book by Richard Sharpley and 
Philip Stone are offering new insights on how to 
facilitate positive and memorable tourist experien-
ces, regardless their form, and understanding the 
nature and complexity of the contemporary tourism 
experience. Emergent motivations, behaviors, and 
responses towards new destination experiences are 
analyzed, which adequately represents some of 
the latest research trends proving the reader with 
important recommendations for future studies. 
Recibido: 07/11/2013
Reenviado: 16/12/2014
Aceptado: 08/01/2014
Sometido a evaluación por pares anónimos


https://sapientia.ualg.pt/bitstream/10400.1/4600/1/Agapito_PASOS_Book%20Review.pdf

Tourist experience: Contemporary perspectives. Sharpley, R. & Stone, P. (Eds.). Oxon, UK: Routledge (2011)

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