Application of theory to literary tourism: a comparison of parasocial interaction theory and co-creation theory

ABSTRACT

During the COVID-19 quarantine, reading increased worldwide and with it the demand for literary tourism. While previous research has examined the motivations for literary tourists, no generalizable theory has emerged. After analyzing the previous work on literary tourism, this study compared the applicability of parasocial interaction theory and co-creation theory for literary tourists. This study conducted four surveys of both literary society members and the general public. Most of the antecedents of co-creation theory were significant for literary tourists while two of the antecedents of parasocial interaction theory were applicable for the public, although the overall model was supported. For researchers, this is one of the first papers to apply social science theories to literary tourism. For literary destinations, partnering with literary societies can attract guests who want to help create the experience for themselves and other society members.

KEYWORDS:

• Literary tourism
• parasocial interaction theory
• co-creation theory
• post-COVID-19
• Fan-driven tourism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Notes on contributors

Amanda Belarmino

Amanda Belarmino is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her M.S. and PhD. are in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Houston, and she holds a B.S. in Hotel Management from Cornell University. Dr. Belarmino’s research areas include the impact of social and cultural phenomena on consumer behavior with an emphasis on revenue management, the sharing economy, and technology. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including International Journal of Hospitality Management, Current Issues in Tourism, and Tourism Management Perspectives. Dr. Belarmino was one of the Aspiring Career Editors for Tourism Management Perspectives from 2021 to 2022. She has been cited in over 100 media interviews for her expertise related to hospitality and tourism.