Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Zhenshan Xu (xu_zhenshan@hotmail.com) is a PhD candidate in the Waikato Management School at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He obtained his Master's degree (in Tourism) from Shaanxi Normal University, China. His research focuses mainly on destination marketing, theme parks, tourist behavior, and visitor emotion.

Yingsha Zhang, Ph.D. (zhangysh67@mail.sysu.edu.cn), is an associate professor of tourism in the School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China. Yingsha’s research mainly focuses on destination marketing and management, tourist behavior and decision-making, research methods, and tourism geography, with special emphasis on theme parks.

Chris Ryan, Ph.D. (chris.ryan@waikato.ac.nz), is a professor of tourism in the Waikato Management School at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He gained his doctoral degree at the Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK and his research interests relate to tourist motivations, behaviours and the consequences of those behaviours. He has published approximately 250 refereed journal articles.

Abstract (150 Words)

This study explored the relationship between theme park visitors' experiences and emotions. A sample of 1660 visitors was surveyed at six types of theme parks in Xi'an, China. The study develops a new measurement scale of visitor experience that is suitable for six types of theme parks. Results show that atmosphere is the most important experience dimension, followed by core intangible experience, people, safety, special features, infrastructure, price, layout, and core tangible experience. Park type moderates the effect of experience on visitor emotion. The performance and importance of different experience dimensions and indicators vary across different types of theme parks. These variations are explained from the perspectives of Kano's model and type/individual features. Perceived risk of COVID has a positive impact on visitor experience and emotion and a partial mediation effect on visitor emotion through visitor experience. Findings help theme park operators better manage visitors' experiences and emotions.

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Visitor Experience and Emotion at Six Types of Theme Parks

This study explored the relationship between theme park visitors' experiences and emotions. A sample of 1660 visitors was surveyed at six types of theme parks in Xi'an, China. The study develops a new measurement scale of visitor experience that is suitable for six types of theme parks. Results show that atmosphere is the most important experience dimension, followed by core intangible experience, people, safety, special features, infrastructure, price, layout, and core tangible experience. Park type moderates the effect of experience on visitor emotion. The performance and importance of different experience dimensions and indicators vary across different types of theme parks. These variations are explained from the perspectives of Kano's model and type/individual features. Perceived risk of COVID has a positive impact on visitor experience and emotion and a partial mediation effect on visitor emotion through visitor experience. Findings help theme park operators better manage visitors' experiences and emotions.