Previous studies have consistently observed that international visitors are more satisfied with the tourism experience than their domestic counterparts. To date, however, no study has provided empirical evidence of the mechanism that could explain this phenomenon. Building on the experiential paradigm, we conducted two empirical studies (a field study and an online experiment) showing that the reason foreign (vs. domestic) visitors exhibit higher levels of satisfaction lies in the greater hedonic value that these tourists derive from their experience. Moreover, the greater hedonic value observed among international foreign visitors is due to the deeper feeling of escapism they experience by traveling abroad. We also demonstrate that this effect is explained by the concept of psychic distance, whereby going abroad leads to a greater perception of psychic distance, and subsequently escapism, hedonic value, and satisfaction with the tourism experience.
AhnM. J.McKercherB.2015. “The Effect of Cultural Distance on Tourism: A Study of International Visitors to Hong Kong.” Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research20 (1): 94–113.
3.
ArnouldE. J.PriceL. L.1993. “River Magic: Extraordinary Experience and the Extended Service Encounter.” Journal of Consumer Research20 (1): 24–45.
4.
AtwalG.WilliamsA.2009. “Luxury Brand Marketing—The Experience Is Everything!” Journal of Brand Management16 (5/6): 338–46.
5.
BabinB. J.DardenW. R.1995. “Consumer Self-Regulation in a Retail Environment.” Journal of Retailing71 (1): 47–70.
6.
BabinB. J.DardenW. R.GriffinM.1994. “Work and/or Fun: Measuring Hedonic and Utilitarian Shopping Value.” Journal of Consumer Research20 (4): 644–56.
7.
BallantyneR.HughesK.DingP.LiuD.2014. “Chinese and International Visitor Perceptions of Interpretation at Beijing Built Heritage Sites.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism22 (5): 705–25.
8.
BarrS.ShawG.ColesT.PrillwitzJ.2010. “‘A Holiday Is a Holiday’: Practicing Sustainability, Home and Away.” Journal of Transport Geography18 (3): 474–81.
9.
BartschA.SchneiderF. M.2014. “Entertainment and Politics Revisited: How Non-escapist Forms of Entertainment Can Stimulate Political Interest and Information Seeking.” Journal of Communication64 (3): 369–96.
10.
BasalaS. L.KlenoskyD. B.2001. “Travel-Style Preferences for Visiting a Novel Destination: A Conjoint Investigation across the Novelty-Familiarity Continuum.” Journal of Travel Research40 (2): 172–82.
11.
BergkvistL.RossiterJ. R.2007. “The Predictive Validity of Multiple-Item versus Single-Item Measures of the Same Constructs.” Journal of Marketing Research44 (2): 175–84.
12.
BonnM. A.JosephS. M.DaiM.2005. “International versus Domestic Visitors: An Examination of Destination Image Perceptions.” Journal of Travel Research43 (3): 294–301.
13.
ByrneD.NelsonD.1965. “Attraction as a Linear Function of Proportion of Positive Reinforcements.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology1 (6): 659–63.
14.
CanavanB.2012. “The Extent and Role of Domestic Tourism in a Small Island: The Case of the Isle of Man.” Journal of Travel Research52 (3): 340–52.
15.
CannifordR.ShankarA.2013. “Purifying Practices: How Consumers Assemble Romantic Experiences of Nature.” Journal of Consumer Research39 (5): 1051–69.
16.
CarrN.2002. “A Comparative Analysis of the Behaviour of Domestic and International Young Tourists.” Tourism Management23 (3): 321–25.
17.
CarùA.CovaB.2003. “Revisiting Consumption Experience: A More Humble but Complete View of the Concept.” Marketing Theory3 (2): 267–86.
18.
CarùA.CovaB.2006. “How to Facilitate Immersion in a Consumption Experience: Appropriation Operations and Service Elements.” Journal of Consumer Behaviour5 (1): 4–14.
19.
CovaB.CarùA.CaylaJ.2018. “Re-conceptualizing Escape in Consumer Research.” Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal21 (4): 445–64.
20.
CrottsJ. C.2004. “The Effect of Cultural Distance on Overseas Travel Behaviors.” Journal of Travel Research43 (1): 83–88.
21.
DanaherP. J.ArweilerN.1996. “Customer Satisfaction in the Tourist Industry: A Case Study of Visitors to New Zealand.” Journal of Travel Research35 (1): 89–93.
22.
DannG. M. S.1977. “Anomie, Ego-Enhancement and Tourism.” Annals of Tourism Research4 (4): 184–94.
23.
Del BosqueI. R.San MartínH.2008. “Tourist Satisfaction: A Cognitive-Affective Model.” Annals of Tourism Research35 (2): 551–73.
24.
DroletA. L.MorrisonD. G.2001. “Do We Really Need Multiple-Item Measures in Service Research?” Journal of Service Research3 (3): 196–204.
25.
FornellC.LarckerD. F.1981. “Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error.” Journal of Marketing Research18 (1): 39–50.
26.
FrochotI.ElliotS.KreziakD.2017. “Digging Deep into the Experience—Flow and Immersion Patterns in a Mountain Holiday.” International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research11 (1): 81–91.
HeggestadE. D.ScheafD. J.BanksG. C.Monroe HausfeldM.TonidandelS.WilliamsE. B.2019. “Scale Adaptation in Organizational Science Research: A Review and Best-Practice Recommendations.” Journal of Management45 (6): 2596–627.
29.
HirschmanE. C.HolbrookM. B.1982. “Hedonic Consumption: Emerging Concepts, Methods and Propositions.” Journal of Marketing46 (3): 92–101.
30.
HofstedeG.1991. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. London: McGraw-Hill.
31.
HolbrookM. B.HirschmanE. C.1982. “The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings and Fun.” Journal of Consumer Research9 (2): 132–40.
32.
HolmqvistJ.RuizC. D.PeñalozaL.2020. “Moments of Luxury: Hedonic Escapism as a Luxury Experience.” Journal of Business Research116:503–13.
HosanyS.WithamM.2010. “Dimensions of Cruisers’ Experiences, Satisfaction, and Intention to Recommend.” Journal of Travel Research49 (3): 351–64.
35.
HouseR. J.HangesP. J.JavidanM.DorfmanP. W.GuptaV., eds. 2004. Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The Globe Study of 62 Societies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
36.
IordanovaE.StylidisD.2019. “International and Domestic Tourists’ ‘A Priori’ and ‘In Situ’ Image Differences and the Impact of Direct Destination Experience on Destination Image: The Case of Linz, Austria.” Current Issues in Tourism22 (8): 982–1005.
37.
IvanovS.WebsterC.2007. “Measuring the Impact of Tourism on Economic Growth.” Tourism Economics13 (3): 379–88.
38.
JafariJ.1987. “Tourism Models: The Sociocultural Aspects.” Tourism Management8 (2): 151–59.
39.
JainS. C.1989. “Standardization of International Marketing Strategy: Some Research Hypotheses.” Journal of Marketing53 (January): 70–79.
40.
KlenoskyD. B.2002. “The ‘Pull’ of Tourism Destinations: A Means-End Investigation.” Journal of Travel Research40 (4): 396–403.
41.
KrishnaA.2012. “An Integrative Review of Sensory Marketing: Engaging the Senses to Affect Perception, Judgment and Behavior.” Journal of Consumer Psychology22 (3): 332–51.
42.
LeeC. K.LeeY. K.WicksB. E.2004. “Segmentation of Festival Motivation by Nationality and Satisfaction.” Tourism Management25 (1): 61–70.
43.
LeppA.GibsonH.2003. “Tourist Roles, Perceived Risk and International Tourism.” Annals of Tourism Research30 (3): 606–24.
44.
Leroi-WereldsS.2019. “An Update on Customer Value: State of the Art, Revised Typology, and Research Agenda.” Journal of Service Management30 (5): 650–80.
45.
LiQ. C.WuM. Y.2019. “Rationality or Morality? A Comparative Study of Pro-Environmental Intentions of Local and Nonlocal Visitors in Nature-Based Destinations.” Journal of Destination Marketing & Management11:130–39.
46.
LindbergF.ØstergaardP.2015. “Extraordinary Consumer Experiences: Why Immersion and Transformation Cause Trouble.” Journal of Consumer Behaviour14 (4): 248–60.
47.
LunardoR.PonsignonF.2019. “Achieving Immersion in the Tourism Experience: The Role of Autonomy, Temporal Dissociation, and Reactance.” Journal of Travel Research59 (7): 1151–67.
48.
MassaraF.SeverinoF.2013. “Psychological Distance in the Heritage Experience.” Annals of Tourism Research42:108–29.
49.
MatzlerK.StroblA.Stokburger-SauerN.BobovnickyA.BauerF.2016. “Brand Personality and Culture: The Role of Cultural Differences on the Impact of Brand Personality Perceptions on Tourists’ Visit Intentions.” Tourism Management52:507–20.
50.
McKercherB.CrosH. D.2003. “Testing a Cultural Tourism Typology.” International Journal of Tourism Research5 (1): 45–58.
51.
MillerG.RathouseK.ScarlesC.HolmesK.TribeJ.2010. “Public Understanding of Sustainable Tourism.” Annals of Tourism Research37 (3): 627–45.
52.
MkonoM.2016. “The Reflexive Tourist.” Annals of Tourism Research57:206–19.
53.
MoralesA. C.AmirO.LeeL.2017. “Keeping It Real in Experimental Research—Understanding When, Where, and How to Enhance Realism and Measure Consumer Behavior.” Journal of Consumer Research44 (2): 465–76.
54.
NgS. I.LeeJ. A.SoutarG. N.2007. “Tourists’ Intention to Visit a Country: The Impact of Cultural Distance.” Tourism Management28 (6): 1497–506.
OliverR. L.1980. “A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions.” Journal of Marketing Research17 (4): 460–69.
57.
OrtegaE.RodriguezB.2007. “Information at Tourism Destinations: Importance and Cross-Cultural Differences between International and Domestic Tourists.” Journal of Business Research60 (2): 146–52.
58.
OttoJ. E.RitchieJ. R. B.1996. “The Service Experience in Tourism.” Tourism Management17 (3): 165–74.
59.
PearceP. L.LeeU.-I.2005. “Developing the Travel Career Approach to Tourist Motivation.” Journal of Travel Research43:226–37.
60.
PineB. J.GilmoreJ. H.1999. The Experience Economy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
PodsakoffP. M.MacKenzieS. B.LeeJ. Y.PodsakoffN. P.2003. “Common Method Biases in Behavioral Research: A Critical Review of the Literature.” Journal of Applied Psychology88 (5): 879–903.
63.
PonsignonF.DurrieuF.Bouzdine-ChameevaT.2017. “Customer Experience Design: A Case Study in the Cultural Sector.” Journal of Service Management28 (4): 763–87.
64.
ReisingerY.CrottsJ. C.2010. “Applying Hofstede’s National Culture Measures in Tourism Research: Illuminating Issues of Divergence and Convergence.” Journal of Travel Research49 (2): 153–64.
65.
RojekC.1993. Ways of Escape: Modern Transformations in Leisure and Travel. London: Macmillan.
66.
RyanC.1994. “Leisure and Tourism—The Application of Leisure Concepts to Tourist Behavior—A Proposed Model.” In Tourism: The State of the Art, edited by A.V. Seaton, 294–307. Chichester, UK: Wiley.
67.
ScottR.CaylaJ.CovaB.2017. “Selling Pain to the Saturated Self.” Journal of Consumer Research44 (1): 22–43.
68.
ShengC. W.ChenM. C.2012. “A Study of Experience Expectations of Museum Visitors.” Tourism Management33 (1): 53–60.
69.
SimpsonP. M.SiguawJ. A.ShengX.2016. “Tourists’ Life Satisfaction at Home and Away: A Tale of Two Cities.” Journal of Travel Research55 (2): 161–75.
70.
SörenssonA.von FriedrichsY.2013. “An Importance–Performance Analysis of Sustainable Tourism: A Comparison between International and National Tourists.” Journal of Destination Marketing & Management2 (1): 14–21.
71.
SousaC. M. P.BradleyF.2005. “Global Markets: Does Psychic Distance Matter?” Journal of Strategic Marketing13 (1): 43–59.
72.
SousaC. M. P.BradleyF.2006. “Cultural Distance and Psychic Distance: Two Peas in a Pod?” Journal of International Marketing14 (1): 49–70.
73.
St-JamesY.DarveauJ.FortinJ.2018. “Immersion in Film Tourist Experiences.” Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing35 (3): 273–84.
74.
StoneL. S.NyaupaneG. P.2019. “The Tourist Gaze: Domestic versus International Tourists.” Journal of Travel Research58 (5): 877–91.
75.
SuM. M.WallG.2015. “Exploring the Shared Use of World Heritage Sites: Residents and Domestic Tourists’ Use and Perceptions of the Summer Palace in Beijing.” International Journal of Tourism Research17 (6): 591–601.
76.
VossK. E.SpangenbergE. R.GrohmannB.2003. “Measuring the Hedonic and Utilitarian Dimensions of Consumer Attitude.” Journal of Marketing Research40 (3): 310–20.
77.
WangC.QuH.HsuM. K.2016. “Toward an Integrated Model of Tourist Expectation Formation and Gender Difference.” Tourism Management54:58–71.
78.
WinerR. S.1999. “Experimentation in the 21st Century: The Importance of External Validity.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science27 (3): 349–58.
YukselA.2004. “Shopping Experience Evaluation: A Case of Domestic and International Visitors.” Tourism Management25 (6): 751–59.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
