Co-Creation of Tourism Experiences in Cittàslow: Perspectives of Tourists and Stakeholders in Sonoma, California

Abstract

This study investigates the elements contributing to the co-creation of tourism experiences in Cittàslow (Slow Cities) from tourists' and stakeholders' perspectives. This study also identifies the attributes of tourism experience in slow food and cities. Purposive sampling was used to determine tourist participants, while snowball sampling was utilized to recruit stakeholder participants. This study employed semi-structured interviews with 18 tourists and 10 stakeholders in Sonoma, California. Thematic analysis in the NVIVO software was then adopted to analyze the interview context. The findings reveal three core themes forming tourism experiences in Cittàslow: (1) tourism experiences in slow food and wine, (2) tourism experiences in slow cities, and (3) slow travel and lifestyle. This study fills a gap in the current literature by delving into tourism experiences within slow food and cities and provides practical suggestions for tourism providers who aim to improve tourists' experiences in slow food, cities, and travel.