Caught in the maze: Exploration of the ‘tourist trap’ phenomenon

This research note explores the intricate nature of tourist traps, going beyond the prevalent negative stigma attached to them. While the term tourist trap is casually used, only a limited number of scholars have investigated the intricacies of this phenomenon, and there is a scarcity of empirical r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTourism management (1982) Vol. 106; p. 105009
Main Authors Polus, Reni, Nautiyal, Rajesh, Nautiyal, Ashish
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2025
Subjects
Information asymmetry
Parchin Kari
Pietra dura
Reflective collaborative autoethnography (RCA)
Tourist trap
Trust
Parchin Kari
Reflective collaborative autoethnography (RCA)
Tourist trap
Information asymmetry
Trust
Pietra dura
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Summary:This research note explores the intricate nature of tourist traps, going beyond the prevalent negative stigma attached to them. While the term tourist trap is casually used, only a limited number of scholars have investigated the intricacies of this phenomenon, and there is a scarcity of empirical research on this topic. Using a Reflective Collaborative Autoethnography (RCA) approach, this research note presents a reflective analysis of the authors’ experience with the phenomenon. Through this exploration, we uncover insights in both psychological and tangible dimensions, contributing to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of tourist traps. Expanding from the findings, this research note conceptualises the concept of a tourist trap from a dual-perspective framework that considers both supply and demand aspects. This framework goes beyond the traditional focus on product or service quality, providing a more nuanced discourse on the multifaceted nature of tourist traps.
ISSN:0261-5177
DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2024.105009