Designing and offering legend-based experiences: Perspectives of Santa Claus in the Joulupukin Pajakylä

Prokopis A. Christou, Katerina Pericleous and Raija Komppula

Annals of Tourism Research, 2023, vol. 98, issue C

Abstract: Humans, more than ever before, pursue connections with legends and legendary figures, not least at intentionally designed settings. This quest has endured for millennia as a reflection of legendary narratives that inform the origins, cosmologies, and festivities of people. This study, grounded in an environmental psychology theoretical lens, attempts to reveal what constitutes a legend-based experience. The study analyses visitors' experiences at Lapland's legend-based Joulupukin Pajakylä. The findings deliver understandings of how people interact with a real person acting as a legendary figure and being located amidst the legend and reality environment in a legendary informed setting. The study contributes to the interdisciplinary socio-psychology, business, design, art/folkloric and tourism discourse, relating to the legend-place-visitor triad.

Keywords: Tourist experience; Legend-based experiences; Environmental psychology; Place; Heritage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:anture:v:98:y:2023:i:c:s0160738322001700

DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2022.103519

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