Understanding the appropriation process to co-construct tourism experiences more efficiently

A first-time consumer of a consumption experience rarely possesses the competencies to fully appreciate a new consumption context and reach a state of immersion. This chapter proposes that, through appropriation strategies, individuals reproduce the experience of home in new consumption universes, allowing them to immerse themselves better and quicker. Appropriation involves acquiring different types of knowledge and competencies, their application to a new context, and attaching personal meanings to this experience. The sudden rise in demand for the consumption of natural environments urges experienced suppliers to launch initiatives that communicate competencies to inexperienced consumers. Transmitting competencies has also become a skill that experience providers need to master to increase consumer satisfaction while at the same time transmitting responsible practices to protect fragile natural environments. This chapter first investigates the meaning of feeling “at home,” then it presents three appropriation strategies, and finally, it explores how competencies are transmitted.