Does the Listener Matter? The Effects of Capitalization on Storytellers’ Evaluations of Travel Memories

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Despite existing studies on memorable tourism experiences that often involve interpersonal sharing, the broader question of how a listener could influence tourists’ memories, including their evaluations of posttravel experiences and destination image, remains relatively unexplored. Interpersonal sharing with a listener could elicit a process called capitalization in which an individual (re)constructs details of an experience to make it more memorable. To address this gap, this research examines the effects of capitalization on travel memories (study 1), and the influence of listener responsiveness on tourists’ destination image (study 2). This research reinforces the notion that separating the act of remembering from the act of sharing is difficult and contributes to research on the malleability of travel memories by highlighting the influence of the listener’s feedback in shaping tourists’ memorable experiences. This research also provides relevant implications for tourism practitioners involved in service experiences and tourist relationship building.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1133-1145
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Travel Research
Volume57
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2018

Keywords

  • destination image
  • impression management
  • memorable experience
  • memory
  • storytelling
  • tourism experience

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Transportation
  • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management

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