Unlocking the Transformative Power of Hospitality and Tourism Experiences: Towards Theoretical Syntheses and Research Agenda

Abstract

Hospitality and tourism experiences have impeccable capacities of transformation. Drawing on the experience advantage literature, the current research highlights the needs-based mechanisms through self-esteem, autonomy, meaningfulness, and relatedness in understanding the transformative power of hospitality and tourism experiences. Through a synthesis of past literature, we first synthesize how these four needs-based mechanisms have been addressed in the hospitality and tourism experience literature. Against the backdrop of socially conditioned trends evolving around the four needs-based mechanisms, we developed a “HEAL” model to outline the transformative functions of hospitality and tourism experiences, which are to Harbor, Evolve, Awaken and Link individuals. Finally, our research calls for additional studies that contribute to advancing hospitality and tourism experiences’ transformative power.