Application of theory to literary tourism: a comparison of parasocial interaction theory and co-creation theory

During the COVID-19 quarantine, reading increased worldwide and with it the demand for literary tourism. While previous research has examined the motivations for literary tourists, no generalizable theory has emerged. After analyzing the previous work on literary tourism, this study compared the applicability of parasocial interaction theory and co-creation theory for literary tourists. This study conducted four surveys of both literary society members and the general public. Most of the antecedents of co-creation theory were significant for literary tourists while two of the antecedents of parasocial interaction theory were applicable for the public, although the overall model was supported. For researchers, this is one of the first papers to apply social science theories to literary tourism. For literary destinations, partnering with literary societies can attract guests who want to help create the experience for themselves and other society members.