
Barbara NeuhoferSalzburg University of Applied Sciences
Barbara Neuhofer
PhD
Dr. Barbara Neuhofer is a Professor of Experience Design at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences
About
57
Publications
166,425
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Introduction
Dr. Barbara Neuhofer is a Professor of Experience Design at the Department Business & Tourism at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Austria. Barbara is a Transformational Coach, Keynote Speaker, Experience Design Consultant and Trainer. Barbara’s research focuses on the intersection of experience design, positive psychology, human and digital transformation.
Additional affiliations
November 2016 - present
January 2014 - October 2016
Education
September 2015 - July 2016
October 2011 - May 2015
September 2009 - October 2010
Publications
Publications (57)
In the transformation economy, experiences designed to instigate experiences that trigger transformation are on the rise. Due to the co-creative nature of experiences, the role of the consumer, transformative experience (co-)facilitators (TEFs) and other stakeholders come forward. As the design and offering of transformative experiences (TEs) may d...
Current research on transformation has been primarily interested in triggers and the process of transformation. Yet, few studies have looked into examining what happens in the aftermath of a transformative experience, and how transformation takes effect. More work is needed to understand the measurement of transformation in the post-experience stag...
This paper presents a theoretical framework, which identifies the
roles and competencies a transformative experience facilitator
(TEF) requires to guide and contribute to human transformation.
A qualitative research design rooted in the tour guide’s
Experience Broker framework and phases of memorable tourist
experiences was used to conduct 31 in-de...
Purpose
Focussing on the perspective of business event leaders, this study aims to explore the future of transformative experience (TE) events, recognising a paradigm shift from organising conventional events to designing and guiding TEs in the meetings, incentives and conferences as exhibitions (MICE) context.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a...
Purpose
Through an interdisciplinary lens of positive psychology, this paper aims to explore positive experiences for human transformation, recognising their potential for a positive impact and contribution to the future tourism industry and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review forms the basis f...
This paper proposes a holistic overview of value co-creation and value co-destruction among stakeholders at transformative events. Through a thematic research design rooted in value co-creation and co-destruction, 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews with transformative event stakeholders including transformative experience facilitators, co-facil...
This research note reviews and discusses the state-of-the-art research on event experiences. Through an in-depth literature review, the study bridges events research and experience design to zoom in on transformative event experiences as an emerging area of interest in events research and practice. A shift from managing events to designing events,...
Destinationen der Zukunft stehen nicht nur für Erlebnisse und Orte, welche von Personen erlebt, bereist und besucht werden können, sondern auch für Lebensräume für die Bevölkerung und lokalen Gemeinschaften. Darüber hinaus werden Destinationen von verschiedensten Faktoren beeinflusst. Von der technologischen Entwicklung bis hin zur Nachhaltigkeit o...
The proliferation of novel work arrangements, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to the emergence of remote work trip experiences in which work is conducted within the context of leisure travel. Remote work trips challenge the dichotomous view of traditional work and leisure domains. Grounded in positive psychology, this exploratory rese...
The advent of recent technological advancements, and particularly, the metaverse, has brought unprecedented opportunities for tourism. The integration of multiple realities extends tourism beyond the traditional chronological classification of pre-travel, during-travel, and post-travel stages. The novel concept of never-ending tourism captures a ho...
The emerging trend of remote work arrangements allows workers to engage in leisure travel without detachment from work. Remote work trips are not full vacations, but the leisuretravel component as a form of active leisure and catalyst of the emotional experiences mayforce wellbeing. Through a critical review of wellbeing in tourism and management l...
While film and television have a long tradition in tourism marketing, the potential of video games is overlooked. This study unlocks a novel era of marketing by investigating the interplay between experiential factors and in-game experiences, and how they may contribute to one’s intention to visit in-game destinations. By taking Assassin’s Creed Od...
The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the high level of consumer acceptance have made it increasingly complex to retain loyal customers. Virtual Reality (VR) has become a solution that allows tourism providers to design technology-enhanced experiences along the entire customer journey. While most VR offers f...
In the emerging transformation age, not only do experiences with transformational qualities happen by chance, but they are induced through intentional design. This study investigates the human gathering Burning Man, often stipulated as one of the world's most transformative large-scale experiences. Grounded in the theoretical lens of environmental...
In experience economy, every employee is empowered to become an experience designer. Yet, existing service delivery skills relevant may not be enough when it comes to creating memorable experiences. Through a qualitative case study approach, this study explores employees' necessary competencies and potential barriers hindering employees from design...
The personalisation-privacy paradox demonstrates a two-fold effect of tourists’ awareness about personalisation on their experience. Compulsory personal data agreements under the GDPR and similar legislation acts raise tourists’ concerns regarding privacy and security. The role of tourist awareness about the value of data-driven personalisation in...
The proliferation of digital technologies has received considerable attention in the business landscape. Artificial intelligence (AI) is proclaimed as a transformative technological resource to human experiences, while concrete future scenarios of AI application within contemporary service ecosystems are only little understood. Through the theoreti...
Experiences always need to be designed with the visitor in mind. In our society, museums hold a prominent place for human learning and experiences. Museum experiences have become a sophisticated blend of spatial design, exhibit curation, and multimedia selection, shaping the overall physical context of the visitor's experience. Driven by the questi...
Digital technologies are transforming human relations, interactions and experiences in the business landscape. Whilst a great potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the service industries is predicted, the concrete influence of AI on customer experiences remains little understood. Drawing upon the service-dominant (SD) logic as a theoretical...
Purpose
In the emerging transformation economy, there is a shift from staging memorable experiences for many to eliciting life-transformative events for one. This study aims to understand how transformative experiences can be guided and what prerequisites are needed to elicit human transformation when designing experiences. This study borrows posit...
Due to fast-paced developments in the technological sphere, we witness robots becoming commonplace in hospitality. While research has focused on technical and functional aspects of robots, the ways in which robots could become effective members of human service teams are less understood. By taking a human-robot interaction (HRI) lens, this study in...
Purpose
The sharing economy (SE) has transformed the tourism industry and continues to disrupt multiple sectors in the global business landscape. This paper aims to investigate the potential of the SE entering the aviation sector and examines travelers’ willingness to pay (WTP) a premium for shared private air travel.
Design/methodology/approach
T...
The rapid development of Virtual Reality (VR) technology offers new opportunities for the promotion of tourism products and experiences. VR provides potential tourists with a compelling imagery and a chance to get a first impression of what it feels like to be at a destination. Previous studies have mostly focused on visual and auditory VR experien...
‘Smart tourism’ and ‘smart destinations’ have been gaining attention as new frameworks within which to understand the impact the latest information and communication technologies (ICTs) have on the relationship between businesses, destinations and tourists. However, there is a crucial element of the smart tourism ecosystem that has been rather negl...
The mental image potential visitors have of a destination is a critical factor when making travel
decisions. Research has shown that destination image formation correlates with users’
involvement with a device or platform, such as virtual reality (VR). While the impact of VR on
the formation of a destination image has only received limited attentio...
«Smart tourism» has gained momentum in research fostered by the revolution of the latest generation of information and communication technologies and has rapidly become a leading stream of literature. The concept has permeated governments and the business sphere and has been accompanied by the quest for developing smart devices, services and touris...
Purpose
Customer willingness to pay (WTP) was initially set out to estimate the perceived value from a purchasing experience. However, purchasing decisions have changed as value co-creation has been increasingly applied in the hospitality industry. In adopting a service-dominant (S-D) logic lens, this paper aims to empirically test how co-creation...
Eyetracking research has gained traction in a wide range of contexts and finds increasing application in the travel and tourism domain. Whilst there exists some empirical evidence of eyetracking in tourism, most research to date is restricted to lab environments and desktop computers, or occurs on a small scale. This paper presents a first large-sc...
Purpose
Drawing upon the theoretical framework of the service dominant (S-D) logic, value co-creation and social practices, this study investigates how value is co-created among guests, hosts and the wider local community in the sharing economy context of Airbnb.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative enquiry through an online content analysi...
Purpose
The paper’s aim is to develop a theoretical framework of value co-creation and value co-destruction of guest-host social practices facilitated through Airbnb in the sharing economy.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper makes use of a qualitative online content analysis to extract Airbnb data and to analyse guest reviews and host respon...
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore “how social media influence the way consumers search, evaluate and select a hotel within the ‘evaluation stage’ of the wider hotel decision-making process”.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory qualitative research has been carried out, conducting 12 individual face-to-face, semi-structured, in...
Digital technologies have had a great impact on people’s everyday lives and transformed work, leisure and travel contexts. The ubiquitous use of technologies has allowed people to connect everyday life and travel, causing blurring boundaries between once separated domains. A wide body of research has investigated how travel, leisure activities and...
Society and industries have undergone a profound shift as consumers have shifted from the
idea of merely buying products towards playing an active role in the consumption process.
With intensified competitiveness and dynamics on a global scale, businesses have
increasingly recognised opportunities differentiate themselves by empowering and involvin...
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become a key resource that has transformed travel and tourist experiences. Due to the increasing ubiquity and mobility of ICTs, they have become integral in creating connected experiences that interlink travel with everyday life. While recent studies have investigated value co-creation and the...
Society and industries have undergone a profound shift as consumers have shifted from the idea of merely buying products towards playing an active role in the consumption process. With intensified competitiveness and dynamics on a global scale, businesses have increasingly recognised opportunities to differentiate themselves by empowering and invol...
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had a major impact on the way people experience travel. Tourism research and management have been increasingly interested in exploring the role of ICTs as a potential catalyst of change that enhances tourist experiences. While generic technology adoption barriers are known, there is little know...
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had a major impact on the way people experience travel. Tourism research and management have been increasingly interested in exploring the role of ICTs as a potential catalyst of change that enhances tourist experiences. While generic technology adoption barriers are known, there is little know...
Recent advances in the field of technology have led to the emergence of innovative technological smart solutions providing unprecedented opportunities for application in the tourism and hospitality industry. With intensified competition in the tourism market place, it has become paramount for businesses to explore the potential of technologies, not...
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had a major impact on the way people experience travel. Tourism research and management have been increasingly interested in exploring the role of ICTs as a potential catalyst of change that enhances tourist experiences. While generic technology adoption barriers are known, there is little know...
Experiences constitute the essence of the tourism industry. While the literature has recognized the recent impact of technology on experiences, its empirical exploration remains scarce. This study addresses the gap by empirically exploring five leading industry cases to generate a holistic understanding of technology-enhanced tourism experiences. T...
Experiences constitute the essence of the tourism industry. While the literature has recognized the recent impact of technology on experiences, its empirical exploration remains scarce. This study addresses the gap by empirically exploring five leading industry cases to generate a holistic understanding of technology-enhanced tourism experiences. T...
Experiences represent the core of the tourism and hospitality industry. Companies seek to create unique and personalised experiences by addressing the needs and wants of contemporary consumers who are looking for something new. While the importance of experiences is unquestioned, the understanding of how to use technology to create personalised exp...
The notion of experiences constitutes an important concept in the context of travel and tourism. Tourism experiences are increasingly determined by experience co-creation and technology use. Considering the lack of literature addressing these changes, this paper has the aim to discuss the importance of co-creation and technology in the creation of...
With the increasing mobility and the emergence of social information and communication technologies, the tourist has turned into a connected consumer. In using the range of technologies available, tourists are now able to connect with their social circles to engage, share and co-create their tourist experiences online. While the significance of co-...
The notion of creating rich and memorable experiences for consumers constitutes a prevalent concept in the tourism industry. With the proliferation of destination choices and increasing competition, it has become critical for destinations to find innovative ways to differentiate their products and create experiences that provide distinct value for...
The notion of consumers increasingly striving for experiences constitutes a prevalent concept, particularly in tourism, as one of the largest experience creating industries. The recent impact of information and communication technologies has profoundly changed the nature of tourist experiences, the understanding of
which is crucial for creating and...
Location based services have gained increasing importance for the tourism industry in recent years. However, a real breakthrough to the mass market has not been fully achieved yet, due to a number of potential reasons, inter alia, institutional circumstances, drawbacks in technology and missing understanding of the real values inherent in location...