Holisticscape – the extended servicescape to influence tourists’ holistic health. From a systematic literature review to a research agenda

Abstract

Although the influence of environmental stimuli on tourist behaviour has been studied extensively in relation to the experiences in tourism, it remains a reality and needs to be fully addressed. This paper presents a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles on tourism’s environmental stimuli using three main search streams: atmospherics; servicescape; and experiencescape. Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched, and 66 papers referring to the stimuli elements in the tourism setting were identified and classified into three dimensions: physical; social; and experience. The results indicate that environmental psychology is complemented by marketing to explain the servicescape from the experience economy perspective. Based on the topic’s gaps and trends, the authors propose the novel construct of a “holisticscape” as an extension of the servicescape to influence tourists’ holistic health (body, mind, and spirit). Furthermore, a research agenda with three propositions is proposed to deepen the knowledge on holisticscape. The systematisation of the setting stimuli developed in this study can guide researchers and practitioners to design and operationalise the experiences for positive post-consumption behaviour.