Perception and evaluation

After an interaction has been terminated, interaction participants may then evaluate it. Participants might evaluate the interaction in terms of how they have perceived it as opposed to what they originally expected from it. Yet again, this process might

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occur consciously or subconsciously. Moreover, there might be no evaluation at all, for example when interactions were very short such as simply apologizing or asking to pass. If evaluation occurs, a mechanism often used when the actual experience does not match the expectations is the application of coping techniques in order to decrease negative effects of the experience, for example re-adjusting expectations (Schneider & Hammitt, 1995). After these techniques have been applied subconsciously, the interaction is then re-evaluated – at the same time the expectations towards further social aspects of the experience are re-adjusted.

Participants may also evaluate the interaction in terms of antecedents being fulfilled or not. Coping techniques can be applied, for example when an individual re-adjusts prior expectations towards the activity to be more in accordance with reality so as to remain satisfied. As previously mentioned, if the original reward to be gained through an interaction is not achieved, the interaction is not necessarily to be considered negative, due to a change in the expectations that are held toward the interaction. After a subconscious application of coping techniques and alterations, the interaction is then re-evaluated, while at the same time the expectations towards further social aspects or social interactions during the experience are re-evaluated as well. For example, if a visitor did not expect or desire any social interaction before participating in a certain activity, but is continuously approached by other participants, the initial expectations might be adjusted to fit a more social experience.

2.5.4 Satisfaction

The final section of the framework related to satisfaction includes the components of the visitor experience as physical aspects, social aspects and products/services (Cutler & Carmichael, 2010), while the satisfaction with these three elements stems from a comparison between the expected and perceived outcome (Oliver, 1980).

Physical and social aspects and products/services will thus be evaluated against expectations, with the social interactions between visitors being part of the social aspect. The satisfaction with each of these aspects and parts thereof will depend on the level of discrepancy between prior expectations and perceived performance, this in turn being affected by the importance assigned to these aspects, the perceived product image, and the personal motivations and goals (Fluker & Turner, 2000). The

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satisfaction with the different parts of the on-site experience will then together form an overall satisfaction with the on-site experience, the satisfaction with interactions with other visitors being part of it.

Physical aspects can, in the case of a walking tour for example, include the features along the route taken for the tour, and also weather, noise, or other environmental stimuli. Social aspects include social interactions with other participants, the tour guide and other individuals that have been interacted with during the activity, and the product performance could consist of the tour guide performance, the selected walking route and the form and quality of information provided, to name only a few examples. However, although all three visitor experience aspects factor into the overall satisfaction level, only the social aspect will be examined in more detail within the scope of this study. To complete the cycle of the conceptual framework, the experience and outcomes of a particular social interaction might then in turn impact both future occurrences and their influential factors.

2.6 Conclusion

This chapter has drawn together literature from a variety of disciplines to first define the visitor experience as the context of this study, which is concerned with focused social interactions between previously unacquainted visitors. Consumer-to-consumer interactions served as a foundation for further research on social interactions in tourism related settings, however none of the discussed studies provided detailed and generally applicable information that could serve as a solid foundation for this study.

A conceptual framework was therefore developed that incorporates a wide variety of academic literature from the domains of tourism, sociology, social psychology, and economics as reviewed prior in this chapter. It provides a structured and sequential overview of how social interactions between visitors can occur, proceed, and finally impact the visitor experience. In developing this framework, information from unrelated studies has been brought together to enable a more comprehensive understanding of visitor-visitor interactions. Instead of only focusing on selected aspects of social interactions, a conceptualization of the full process has been provided.

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However, although these prior studies give several indications as to why and how these interactions can occur and proceed, and have established their impact on the satisfaction with the visitor experience, this information is not based upon similar research foci, assumptions, theories, or concepts. Instead it stems from sources of different disciplines that used varied approaches to examine a number of different aspects from often unrelated perspectives. Their methodological approaches, samples, and research settings are frequently very distinct, which clearly illustrates the research gap on social interactions between visitors. It can thus be assumed that previously unknown or unconsidered aspects will also play a role within the complex issue of social interactions between visitors. These can include the choice of other interaction participants, the potential differences between initiated and responded interactions, the variety of possible settings and circumstances and their impacts, as well as the importance of interaction participants’ individual personalities and their attitude towards the social aspect of their travels However, no information was available that enabled an incorporation of these factors into the conceptual framework, leading to a generalized display of social interactions whose refined elements will need to emerge throughout this study.

The conceptual framework has guided the methodological approach used for this research in several ways. Firstly, it defined a wide range of information that plays a role within visitor-visitor interactions and thus needed to be explored during data collection. This in turn influenced the choice of research instruments, as these were required to not only comprise the full range of information but also adapt to newly emerging information and relationships that could not yet be determined. Finally, the conceptual framework provided the foundation for the analytical framework (presented in Section 3.6), which guided both data analysis and the presentation of the findings of this study.

63 3 Methodology

3.1 Introduction

The previous chapter provided an overview of relevant literature, introduced the conceptual framework that emerged from this review and outlines the possible sequential process of social interactions between previously unacquainted international visitors in tourism settings. The original research questions are now discussed in greater detail (Section 3.2), clearly outlining which information is required to successfully address visitor-visitor social interactions. Section 3.3 begins by identifying a post positivist approach as the chosen research paradigm, followed by outlining the research design and its process. Subsequently, this chapter then details the research methods, and how and in which order the information required to address the research questions was collected. The first exploratory research phase consisting of semi-structured personal interviews is explained in Section 3.4. Based upon the results gathered throughout the exploratory phase, the main interviews as illustrated in Section 3.5 were then conducted. Section 3.6 introduces the analytical framework that guides both data analysis and presentation, while Section 3.7 then discusses both strengths and limitations of this study.

64 3.2 Research questions

The main challenge of this topic is the fact that little literature has focused on social interactions between visitors. Not only does this have strong implications for the methodology, but also for the basis of the study. Previous research has only focused on social interactions in very specific settings, without looking at the details of social interactions and its influential factors and patterns (see Table 2.1). Since this study seeks to go beyond these restrictions with the aim to provide broader information which will enable a better understanding of the issue of social interactions between visitors, it is crucial to use a more comprehensive approach. The conceptual framework presented in Section 2.5 provides a structured overview of social interactions between visitors developed from the literature, and thus serves as the foundation to determine what types of information need to be collected in order to successfully address the research question of

What is the nature of social interactions between visitors and what is their potential impact on the visitor experience?

The following sections will now establish the connection between the research sub-questions as introduced in Section 1.3 and applicable literature to draw out what aspects and factors need to be considered when creating the research design.