Consumers as co-creators in community-based tourism experience : Impacts on their motivation and satisfaction

A tourism experience is a continuous process. Yet, the following question remains an outstanding issue: How to account for a memorable experience when the experience encompasses periods that occur before, during, and after visiting a destination? Community-based tourism (CBT) allows visitors to establish a positive experience by playing an active role before, during, and after visiting a destination. The aim of this study is to create a comprehensive research framework to examine the overall experience of tourists when they act as co-creators. The survey design was used to collect 239 valid samples after tourists participated in a CBT activity situated in a traditional fishing village. Based on statistical results from partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), this study demonstrates that: (1) There was a more positive impact on co-creation of the CBT experience for tourists with a recreational motivation than those with a learning motivation. (2) Co-creation of the CBT experience had positive impacts on both satisfaction with the CBT experience itself and satisfaction with the impact of the CBT experience on their lives overall. (3) Satisfaction with the impact of CBT on life overall had a higher positive influence on revisit intention than did satisfaction with just the CBT experience. Furthermore, the results of analysis in this study are helpful to community associations or destination marketing organizations to create attractive experience activities.