Managing customer experience for spiritual and cultural tourism: an overview

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a background on developments in hospitality and tourism in India and its contribution to economic growth. Design/methodology/approach The paper discusses the importance of customer experience and provides insights on destination management approaches. It reviews the factors beyond the control of a specific service provider which impact the consumer experience. The paper also discusses the tourism potential for selected spiritual and cultural sites and gives an overview of the approach followed to assess consumer experience at each of these locations. Findings The paper focuses on elements that contribute to consumer experience at selected spiritual and cultural places. It also focuses on technology and its impact on creating a superior experience. Further, aspects of infrastructure and hygiene are also reviewed. Originality/value The paper explores spiritual and cultural tourism in the context of India where there is very little formal research in this area.