As we have previously discussed about tourism and recreation and the relationship between them in our previous post, we’ll now discuss about the 5 phases of recreation and tourism experience that a tourist has to go through.
As you many have know by now that recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. Recreation activities are done for enjoyment, amusement, and pleasure. recreates or rejuvenates (refresh) the person engaged both mentally and physically for works.
When a person travels or recreates, there are mainly 5 phases involved that begins before he begins his journey.
Followings are the five phases of recreation or tourism experience:
Anticipation Phase:
It is in fact planning phase. During this phase a person analyses his own psychological needs or interests, the range of recreation opportunities available, and family or social needs to make a decision to participate a recreational activity.
The roles played by available information, leisure time and resources at hands are very crucial at this stage.
Even after making decision and selection of a recreation option, a lot of efforts and investment are made on preparation for the experience such as purchase of package in advance, purchase of recreation gears. It creates tremendous business.
Travel to Phase:
This is traveling phase that is necessary to get to the site of recreation activity. It requires inputs of time and costs. The role of different transportation means is important.
Uncertainties and inconveniences may greatly influence the travel to experience. Planning of transportation on regional, national and international basis is crucial to enhance this experience.
On-Site Experience Phase:
This is actual participation phase. It involves everything that a person does, feel, and experiences on the site. It involves the activities in which he engages, the resource setting where he performs recreation activities, the services and facilities he uses on the site, the costs he incurs, and the travel facilities he uses (on and between sites).
The on-site experience plays central role to enhance the visitors’ satisfaction from the total experience. The recreation service providers therefore emphasize development of quality services and facilities, good on-site travel between sites, cluster of closely related activities at one complex, and compatible price.
Return Travel Phase:
It is the experience obtained while returning to home. The routes and transport may be same or different but psychologically the person may be tired and hold different anticipation.
Many recreation service providers in the attempt to deal with more customers give thoughts only one short-term economic benefit and pay little attention on this phase. It is generally forgotten that small difficulty faced during this time may result in to develop a totally negative reflection about the entire experience.
Such happening may be unfortunate not only to the concerned to that service provider but also to the entire recreation industry of the area.
Recollection Phase:
This is a post-experience phase, in which the recreationists recall many important moments of the whole experience. They develop photos and films; share their experience with friends, relatives and may also plan for revisiting the site.
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