Inspiring educational & aesthetic dimensions in glacier experiences: The case of ice cave tourism in Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland

In recent years tourism has increased significantly and Iceland has become a popular destination not only in summer but in winter as well. Various activities for recreation are available for tourists visiting the country. As most of the tourists visiting Iceland are seeking the scenery of the country´s nature and landscape, it is not surprising that most of the recreation offered is nature related, such as hikes or using special transportation vehicles for off road activities. The South Coast attracts most visitors as almost 80% of them coming to Iceland choose to visit the Glacier Lagoon, one of many attractions in that area. Glaciers have long been an attraction for foreign visitors and are popular for recreation activities. Many tourism companies are offering a variety of organized trips to the glaciers, giving their customers a unique experience and knowledge that they will not forget as the tours are educational experiences. The experiences perceived by the tourists are therefore the focal point of such trips and a crucial factor for the customer to be satisfied with the service and the likelihood of recommending it to others. During the winter months many seek to
experience the magnificent ice caves.
This study focused on tourism-related concepts, service theory, the Grönroos service model, experience and experience economy presented by Pine and Gilmore (1999) which is the theoretical base of this research. Social changes have taken place in the world and are leading rapidly to the experience economy as products and services are increasingly sold through experience. The experience economy is classified into four dimensions: education, entertainment, esthetic and escapist. Experience is described as a scripted play where the company's service environment is used as a stage and the products the company sells as props, ultimately having customers participate in this play and are thus active in creating a memorable event for themselves.
Tourism is a good example of how the 21st century world is transforming more into an experience economy. Travel was mostly about visiting different places, now tourism is more about visitors’ experiences. Consumers have begun to pursue unique experiences that are unrelated to and different from their daily environment. Travel has become a product and service and is about meeting the needs and expectations of consumers. Experience is very important when it comes to selling goods and services, therefore it should be done in a unique way so that the experience will be memorable. This is the foundation of the experience economy.