Why Theming? Identifying the Purposes of Theming in Tourism

There are increasing numbers of studies on themed environments in tourism and other industries because theming has been shown to increase the attractiveness and pull-factor of a space or destination. Little attention has been given to exploring why theming occurs. This study contributes to the understanding of theming in a tourism context and aims to identify the different purposes of theming in tourism. Several purposes have previously been proposed; however, empirical research approaches are limited when exploring these purposes. The purposes identified in this study can be considered essential objectives for managers who are considering theming their products and services. Qualitative interviews were performed with key informants, resulting in five distinct purposes behind theming: (i) differentiation, (ii) increase sales, (iii) create bonds, (iv) attract, stop and make visitors stay, and (v) enhance the end-to-end experience. The study concludes with suggestions for future research.