THE IMPACT OF TOURIST-TO-TOURIST INTERACTION AND EMOTIONAL IMPLICATIONS ON EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM

This research presents the main considerations regarding the impact of tourist-to-tourist interaction and the emotional implications on experiential tourism, as well as the beneficial effects resulting from tourists’ participation in certain tours and programs. The purpose of the study is to show what are the impact of tourist-to-tourist interaction and the emotional implications experienced by tourists during and after visiting certain tourist destinations. Data were collected through a field experiment for three months and analyzed on a sample of 102 tourists who participated in cultural and religious tours and programs. The research methodology of this study was the analysis, the descriptive method and the experimental method using a quantitative research instrument, the questionnaire. The main results show the multitude of beneficial and multiplying effects that each tourist can obtain from participation in certain tours and programs, psychological implications with a major therapeutic role in improving their well-being as well as the emotional and general health of tourists. The importance of the study is far-reaching. The findings can contribute to the development of experiential tourism research from the perspective of tourist-to-tourist interaction and the emotional implications by examining the interaction impact among tourists.