The Dynamics of Memorable Creative Tourism Experiences

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20260106

Keywords:

Stimuli-Organism-Response (S-O-R) Theory, Co-Creation, Behavioural Intention, Cultural Creative Experiencescape, Creative Tourism, Memorable Tourism Experience

Abstract

Based on a creative stimulus–organism–response model, this qualitative study identifies memorable creative tourism experiences (MCTEs). It examines how creative experiencescapes induce experiential states of creative tourism that shape memorability and behavioural intentions. The study uses netnographic and ethnographic analyses to explore these components in Portugal. The netnographic analysis focused on English-language reviews of workshop-based creative tourism experiences in Portugal, while the ethnographic analysis focused on an Azulejos workshop, which the netnographic analysis identified as the most frequently reviewed. The findings revealed that MCTEs stemmed from participants' engagement with the social, physical-organisational, and co-creative experiencescapes, which evoke experiential states such as authentic involvement, learning, experiential fulfilment, peace of mind, escape, recognition, and belonging, thereby inducing memorable creative experiences and intentions to recommend and re-experience them. The study enhances theoretical understanding of MCTEs and provides practical insights for creative tourism providers.

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Author Biographies

  • Meltem Altinay Özdemir, Faculty of Tourism, Muğla Sitki Kocman University, Campus of Kotekli, Muğla, Türkiye

    Meltem Altınay Özdemir is an Associate Professor in the Tour Guiding department of the Tourism Faculty of the Mugla Sitki Kocman University in Türkiye. Besides, she is a postdoc researcher in The Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs) at University of Algarve. She has a bachelor's degree in Tourism Management Education from Gazi University, a Master's degree in Recreation Management from the same university and a PhD degree in Tourism Management from the Istanbul University in Türkiye. She is also a professional national tour guide licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Türkiye. Besides, she worked in various tourism companies between 2008 and 2015. She started her academic career in 2015. Her main fields of research are tourism marketing, creative tourism, tour guiding, and recreation management. She authored many research papers, books, conference papers and chapters on the aforementioned fields.

  • José António C. Santos, School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism - University of Algarve; and Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, Faro, Portugal

    José António C. Santos is a Coordinating Professor at the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT) and an Integrated Researcher of CINTURS (Research Center for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being) at the University of the Algarve (UAlg). Concerning research, he has been actively involved in serving the research community as a researcher, editor, supervisor, conference organiser, keynote speaker at international conferences, and as a reviewer. He has supervised numerous Master's and PhD students as well as 20 postdoctoral researchers . He has assumed several duties regarding academic management, and has participated in four international EU-financed research projects and several national research projects and market studies. Presently, he is conducting research in Sustainability in Tourism and Hospitality, and Sustainable Event Management.

  • Margarida Custódio Santos, School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism - University of Algarve; and Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, Faro, Portugal

    Margarida Custódio Santos holds a PhD in Tourism, a Master's Degree in Management and Development in Tourism, a Degree in Marketing, and a Bachelor's in Tourism Information. Currently, she serves as the director of the Postgraduate Course in Digital Marketing at the School of Management, Hospitality, and Tourism – University of the Algarve, and previously held the position of director for the degree in Tourism. She is currently responsible for the Research Line in Tourism, Territories, and Environment at the CinTurs Research Centre. From 1987 to 1995, she was the station manager in Faro for the German airline LTU. Between 1995 and 1999, Margarida worked with the German Tour Operator TUI. Since 1999, she has been a lecturer at the University of the Algarve, teaching various courses in Tourism and Marketing at the undergraduate, master's, and PhD levels. Margarida Santos has been invited as a keynote speaker at several conferences in Spain and Portugal. She has actively participated in research projects funded by the EU, and supervised Master's and PhD students as well as postdoctoral researchers. Margarida has authored numerous articles on topics such as destination image, collaborative strategies between tourism destinations and tour operators, destination competitiveness, and, more recently, her research has focused on sustainability in tourism.

  • Greg Richards, Department of Leisure Studies, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Greg Richards is Professor of Placemaking and Events at Breda University of Applied Sciences and Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Tilburg in The Netherlands. He is a leading expert in the fields of cultural and creative tourism, having worked for numerous national governments, national tourism organisations and municipalities, and he has extensive experience in tourism research and education. His major publications include Cultural Tourism in Europe, The Global Nomad: Theory and Practice in Backpacker Travel, Eventful Cities: Cultural Management and Urban Revitalisation, Exploring the Social Impacts of Events, Event Design: Social perspectives and practices, Reinventing the local in tourism, The SAGE Handbook of New Urban Studies, A Research Agenda for Creative Tourism and Rethinking Cultural Tourism.

     

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23.02.2026

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Vol. 22 No. 1 (2026)

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Applied Cultural Studies: Research Papers

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How to Cite

Altinay Özdemir, M., Santos, J. A. C., Santos, M. C., & Richards, G. (2026). The Dynamics of Memorable Creative Tourism Experiences. Tourism & Management Studies, 22(1), 71-89. https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20260106

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