Understanding tourist perspectives in creative tourism

Abstract

This study explores the interactions of tourists with their surrounding socio-material factors at creative tourism sites in Taiwan. Creativity is generated through the interactions of tourists with the tutor, activity, or the environment; and there is a close relationship between individuals and these socio-material factors. However, how these factors interact has been understudied. Q-methodology was employed to uncover the various perspectives of tourists to determine the important factors that are concerned about when participating in creative activities. Three groups of tourists were identified: relaxers, sensation-seekers, and existential-type. Relaxers emphasize environmental issues and characteristics of the activity, sensation-seekers emphasize tutor-related issues, and existential-type tourists emphasize the characteristics of the activity itself.

Keywords:

• creativity
• creative tourism
• Q-methodology

Notes

1 The CLI is a government supported project under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan. It includes the small-and-medium businesses that use creativity or cultural accretion as the basis for providing useful products or services, and learning experience activities to the consumers (Hsueh, Lin, & Taylor, 2004).