A framework for managing quality in the tourist experience

While the impacts of tourism have received considerable attention, relatively little research has focused on the impacts of tourism from the perspective of the tourists themselves. This paper examines the impacts of tourism on the quality of the tourist's experience. A synthesis of previous research identifies an interrelated series of experiential impacts related to tourist activity. The resulting understanding of the factors that threaten the quality of the tourist experience provides the basis for a management framework aimed toward protecting quality recreation/tourist experiences. The suggested management framework focuses on the identification of undesirable impacts on the tourist experience, the determination of causal factors related to these impacts, and the selection of potential management strategies for ameliorating the undesirable impacts.