Evolution of the Memorable Tourism Experience and Future Research Prospects

Abstract

Because of their significance, research on memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) has rapidly increased in the last decade. However, few comprehensive studies have traced knowledge creation and dissemination in this important research area. To address this gap, 104 articles focused on MTEs from eight tourism journals were analyzed. This study applied multiple approaches, including a trend analysis of prevailing research themes and keywords, bibliometric analysis, and content analysis, generating suggestions for future research. Among the meaningful results, this study identified three research streams: the experience economy, the nomological network analysis of MTEs, and remembered experience analysis. Additional findings from a content analysis, and nine future research agendas were produced. Thus, by improving the understanding of customers’ MTEs, our findings not only open paths for future research but also have implications for industry.