Memorable tourism experiences and their consequences: An interaction ritual (IR) theory approach
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Date
2020
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Elservier
Abstract
Tourism experiences, memories thereof, and their consequences tend to be analysed separately,
often focusing on the individual's perspective. This paper introduces Collins' (2004) interaction
ritual (IR) theory to develop a micro-sociological interpretation of these phenomena as interconnected
elements of IR chains. A longitudinal qualitative study of a multi-cultural festival held
in Italy, the Mondiali Antirazzisti (Anti-racist World Cup), is used to show how emotional experiences
and patterns of collective action are reproduced by the returning attendees in their
home communities through the trans-local appropriation of the event's format. Findings lead to a
revised model of IR chains to explain the trans-local dimension of transformational event
tourism. The implications for wider application of IR theory within tourism are discussed.
Description
Annals of Tourism Research 81 (2020) 102847
Keywords
Interaction rituals,Emotional energy,Shared memories,Transformational tourism,Event format,Spin-off events