Beyond the co-creating tourist: The role of the artist in experiential value in creative tourism

Creative tourism asserts itself as a sustainable and culturally vibrant alternative to mass tourism, by prioritizing the active engagement of visitors, through workshops, learning, and authentic encounters, and by promoting exchange, the co-creation and strengthening of social ties with local communities. Yet, the foundations of experiential value creation within creative workshops remain insufficiently understood, particularly with regard to the contribution of local artist-artisans. Indeed, existing research mainly focuses on co-creation from the tourists' point of view, analyzing their experiences, perceptions and interactions, while often leaving aside the active and strategic role of artists-local artisans in the structuring and enrichment of this experiential value. To explore this, a methodological triangulation was adopted, combining twenty-four interviews with Tunisian artist-craftsmen, twenty-four interviews with domestic and international tourists, six interviews with organizers and sixteen participant observations. The results show that the artist acts as a catalyst for the experience, promoting learning, self-confidence and positive emotions. It reinforces authenticity and cultural anchoring, values intangible heritage and supports local development. This research enriches the literature on creative tourism by showing that co-creation relies on the interaction orchestrated by the artist, integrating aesthetic, relational and narrative dimensions. It also reveals that the artist structures technical, emotional and identity learning, highlighting the importance of considering him as a co-designer and valuing his skills to create authentic and culturally engaging experiences. Keywords: Local artist, Co-creation, Creative workshops, Cultural interaction, Experiential learning DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/95-06 Publication date: December 31 st 2025