Transformational Tourism Experiences: The communication of service providers

ABSTRACT 

Transformational tourism is an emergent research field, reflecting a broader paradigm shift that encompasses changes in tourist profiles that challenge tourism businesses to deliver experiences that meet the expectations of tourists seeking opportunities for self-development and inner transformation. This chapter presents the outcomes of a Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS) exploring how service providers are communicating transformational tourism experiences online. The findings reveal that the place where the experiences are delivered and the experience characteristics are frequently emphasized, which reinforces their relevance in the process of tourist transformation. Contents addressing the transformation process and the needs of the tourist can also be found. Based on these findings and on the literature review, research implications are discussed, and future research directions are presented.