Tourists as Experience Collectors: A New Travelling Mind-Set

While literature on experiential tourism suggests that travellers are increasingly more interested in unique experiences, little has been said about the nature and dynamics of tourists seeking new destinations/travelling experiences. Using theoretical arguments derived from literature on collecting, we re-conceptualise frequent travellers as collectors of travelling experiences and destinations, rather than tangible souvenirs, and explore the underlying and implications of this process. Findings from our 22 in-depth interviews with frequent travellers indicate that this is a pervasive and prevalent process across many tourists. We argue that interested organisation market travelling experiences ‘sets’, and offer opportunites to materialise and exhibit collectors’ experiences.