TY: THES T1 - Co-creation enhancing food & wine tourism experiences A1 - Carvalho, Mariana Sousa e Silva Cabral de N2 - Experiential tourism implies the central role given to tourists, perceived as key elements for the co-creation of value, within various tourist experiences, with particular emphasis on food & wine tourism. Theoretical and empirical research on tourism experience co-creation and food & wine tourism, particularly involving the interrelationship between both domains is still scarce, despite the emerging character and growth potential of both areas. This study is hence aimed to contribute to a better understanding of how co-creation can add value to food & wine tourism experiences. Regarding the methodological design of the study, two major stages should be highlighted: (i) the conceptual stage, involving an integrative literature review within the scope of experience co-creation in tourism and food & wine tourism, aimed at identifying the most representative dimensions of experience co-creation in the literature; and ii) the empirical stage, including two complementary qualitative studies, a netnography on food tour experiences in an urban destination and a multiple-case study involving food & wine experiences in two Portuguese wine regions, Bairrada and Dão, in order to analyse the perspective of visitors and agents of supply on the co-creation of value in these experiences. In the case of the netnography, 658 reviews of tourists? food tour experiences with a food tour operator, shared on TripAdvisor, complemented with a semi-structured interview of the supply agent were analysed and, as for the multiple-case study, the perceptions of 38 visitors and of 6 supply agents of both regions were assessed through semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed by means of content analysis, implemented manually and with the support of qualitative data analysis software NVivo. The results showed the relevance of the role and the interrelationship between experience co-creation dimensions "interaction", "active participation", "involvement" (cognitive, emotional, and sensory), "personalization", and "authenticity" for the design of appealing, distinctive and memorable food & wine tourism experiences. The theoretical contributions of the study are synthesized in a proposed definition of experience co-creation in food & wine tourism and in a corresponding conceptual framework, that add to existing literature in the field for the range of dimensions considered and the interrelationships established, as well as for the holistic view of experience co-creation in food & wine tourism, given the role expected from tourists as co-creators of the experience provided. The practical implications of the study relate to value co-creation strategies to be considered by supply agents and destination management organizations in the design of food & wine experiences that cater to different tourist profiles visiting wine regions and that include an offer that preserves the identity of the region and simultaneously reinvents itself through sustainable practices. Limitations of the study and proposals for future research are also presented. UR - https://ria.ua.pt/handle/10773/33476 Y1 - 2022 PB - No publisher defined