PROCEEDINGS OF THE EATSA CONFERENCE 2020

Creative Tourism as a Destination Experiential Marketing
Strategy
Eunice Duarte a , Eunice Lopes b
a ESCAD, Portugal
b IPT, Portugal
Abstract
This article deals with the relationship between creative tourism and experiential marketing strategy.
Creative tourism has been experiencing an increase in demand, as a consequence of current tourists looking
for interactive and co-production cultural experiences that involve the culture of the receiving country. In
this sense, it is necessary to understand the experiential marketing strategies used in this type of tourism.
Experiential marketing has been indicated as a differentiating constituent for tourist destinations in the
process of creating value and retaining tourists. In addition, the development of creative tourism has
presented singularities that pose challenges in the connection between supply and demand leading to the
process of co-creating significant experiences. Tourist destinations have promoted an offer based on
cultural reproduction, sponsoring creative tourism. This is a paradigm justified by the process of building
narratives resulting from co-creation experiences integrated in creative tourism. This article aims to
understand the extent to which creative tourism is important for the sustainability of tourist activity in
tourist destinations and how experiential marketing strategies have contributed to its development,
differentiation and tourist attractiveness. The creative tourist offers of Nova Zealandia and Barcelona will
be the cases presented in this study as starting points for reflection on this reality.
Research focus: Marketing Strategy
Keyword: Creative Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Tourist, Experiential Marketing
Corresponding author:
Eunice Duarte
ESCAD
Rua Ocidental do Mercado Nº33, 2ºesq
2900-516 Setúbal
Portugal
eunice.duarte29@gmail.com
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