A review of the notion of creative tourism

During the last decades, the search for new development models led academics and practitioners to view creativity as a new and valuable resource to improve the competitiveness and differentiation of destinations and attractions. The concept of creative tourism has emerged and grown in popularity, and academics have started to explain its key elements. Different conceptualisations have emphasised the co-creation process on which this new form of tourism is based; the exploitation of both tangible and intangible resources of the destinations (cultural, natural, personal/individual, etc.) through participative/interactive/hands-on activities; and the process of acquiring/improving knowledge and skills on the part of tourists. However, the concept is still subject to ambiguity and shares many features with both educational and experiential tourism. Defining the distinguishing elements of creative tourism is therefore essential for its understanding. This study expands the knowledge of creative tourism, going beyond the general notions of creativity and creativity-centred economic approaches recalled in academic literature. We reviewed different formulations in academic literature and propose a new conceptualization that focuses on differentiating elements from educational and experiential tourism. We also applied existing theoretical frameworks – i.e., the '4Ps') and 'Four-C' models – and explained why creative tourism can be considered a specific expression of creativity on tourism.