Dr George Zografos

Email: zografos.georgios@ac.eap.gr

The purpose of this work is the definition and design of a complete experience of a visitor in a tourist destination and specifically in the area of Northwestern Greece. It should be noted that, even today, the literature on "Visitor Experience Design" remains quite limited despite its wide scope of application. Moreover, it is clear that a visitor experience design has a significant impact on "travel behavior’.

Northwestern Greece (a term to describe two regions, that of Epirus and Western Macedonia), is an area mainly overseen when talking about Greece as tourist destination. Design of visitors’ experience could be a guide for the further development of the tourist products of those two regions.

In order to create-design an "essential" experience, we must combine the visitor's desires with the specificities of the tourist destination. Visitors classify experiences into various types from sensory ones to sensational and intellectual ones, on a context categorization basis.  Principles of experience design include: finding the theme of the experience, enrichment with positive thoughts and messages, elimination of all potential disadvantages, stimulation of senses.

Through unique, authentic, experiential life experiences, through connection with history, culture, geomorphology, gastronomy and folklore, the visitor seeks to have experiences through meaningful participation with all his/her senses and not through the distant observation of a new place. Experiential tourism or "experience" tourism refers to the revival of the travel experience.  The tourist experience will become an experiential memory through the cultural revival of traditions, philosophy and local heritage. Culture, ecology, education and alternative forms of tourism are the main pillars of experiential tourism on which each business is called upon to build its own unique tourist package.

The work that it is about to be presented in this paper, perceives tourist experience design as a result of a primary research which is focusing on the visitors’ interests. Following primary research, the present work proceeded to design the experience of a visitor to a tourist destination. What does include an experience? How is an experience perceived? These are some of the questions that had to be answered.

The hypothesis of the research is that "The visitor's experience in Northwestern Greece is multidimensional and unique" and that is proven, as the analysis of the responses revealed that tourists visit the area for its uniqueness and they are more interested in the natural beauties, the activities that can be carried out there and the local delicacies they can taste and secondarily in local traditions, the museums and archaeological sites.

As it can be easily concluded, the "Design of a Visitor Experience" can be an excellent marketing tool that will bring immediate profits to any tourism business but also to the place itself, specifically in our case, Northwestern Greece. Storytelling and word of mouth are prominent ways for successful marketing. Successful obtaining of unique experiences would promote the subject area in a wider audience.

Keywords: Visitors experience design, Northwestern Greece, travel behavior, place marketing, experiential tourism

JEL CODE: R58, R11