Objective Measurement of Experiences in Tourism and Hospitality: A Systematic Review of Methodological Approaches and Best Practices

Abstract

Understanding the complex and dynamic nature of experiences requires the use of proper measurement tools. As interest grows in the objective measurement of experiences within tourism and hospitality, there is an urgent need to consolidate and synthesize these studies. Thus, this study investigated prevalent objective measurement techniques via a systematic review. We analyzed physiological measures such as electroencephalography (EEG), heart rate variability (HRV), skin conductance (SC), and facial electromyography (fEMG) along with behavioral measures, including eye tracking and location tracking. This review identified 100 empirical studies that employed objective measurement to examine tourism and hospitality experiences over the last decade, highlighting trends, research contexts and designs, and the synergies between different methods. Our discussion on methodological issues and best practices will help researchers and practitioners identify the best tools to capture people’s experiences and promote more standardized practices and comparable findings on studying experiences in tourism and hospitality settings.