The Impact of Experience Activities on Tourist Impulse Buying: An Empirical Study in China

Abstract

Research and anecdotal evidence suggests that shopping is an important experience for tourists. In this context, the experience activities themselves may become part of the tourist's experience influencing impulse buying behaviors. Based on a sample of 323 Chinese domestic tourists, this research investigates how experience activities influence tourist impulse buying. The results indicate that customer participation can lead to a greater pleasure experience that produces the strongest impact on impulse buying. Meanwhile, to a lesser extent, customer learning and customer entertainment can also lead to a greater domination response, which can exert a greater influence on impulse buying. The findings are useful in designing tourism experience activities.

Key words:

• experience activities
• impulse buying
• emotional responses
• Chinese tourists

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support for this study by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under the grant number 41301156.