Competitive Experiences: Lessons from the Tourism Industry

Designing and producing a memorable experience is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage in many industries. This paper suggests some lessons that may be derived from the experiential approach realized in the tourism industry. Three aspects are discussed. Firstly, we discuss the path dependency of experiences and its implications. Secondly, we analyze the ambiguities of the concept of authenticity. Thirdly, we stress the need to maintain a multi-actor approach in designing and performing experiences by pursuing experience bundling and experience co-creation.