UNDERSTANDING TOURISM MOMENTS AND THE IMPACT OF SMARTPHONE DOCUMENTATION

The focus of this dissertation was the study of the fleeting and incredible experiences that occur during a tourism experience that this paper refers to as Tourism Moments. In study 1, a qualitative inquiry was conducted to gain an understanding of Tourism Moments. The findings produced a conceptualization and description of the Tourism Moment experience. Four different types of Tourism Moments were identified. Further, insight was gained regarding the memorability of Tourism Moments specifically, and tourism experiences at large. In study 2, the impact of smartphone documentation on the experience and memorability of Tourism Moments was conducted. Utilizing an experimental design, several hypotheses regarding the latter were tested. First, the results showcase evidence that travelers who document their Tourism Moments with a smartphone camera negatively impact their consumption experience. Interestingly, the findings also indicate that the use of smartphone documentation significantly improves the memorability of Tourism Moments later. Additional results identified that enjoyment is a significant predictor of memory, and that sharing a Tourism Moment online does not improve its memorability. Together, study 1 and study 2 contribute greatly to both theory and industry stakeholders.