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The limits of creative approach: conducting an orchestra of emotions in the darkness

    Ilze Grinfelde Affiliation
    ; Linda Veliverronena Affiliation

Abstract

Soviet period has left behind number of uncomfortable, also unwanted heritage sites in Eastern Europe countries that are sensitive, emotionally loaded and easy to communicate neither for locals nor tourists. Such a site is Committee for State Security Building that functions as a museum of Communist regime victims in Riga, Latvia. The research discusses the balance between creativity and authentic simplicity in the designing visitors’ on-site experience in dark tourism objects. The aim of the study is to explore visitors’ emotions during visit to Committee for State Security Building in Riga and the role of a creative tourism product design in stimulating emotions. Visitors’ comments about their visit to the Committee for State Security Building on TripAdvisor were used as the main data source. The research results confirm walking tour in Committee for State Security Building generates memorable impressions and contrast the opinion that new layers of creativity to this dark tourism product would satisfy and entertain customer. The Committee for State Security Building in Riga is an example where creative tourism product design does not have a significant impact on the emotional experience of visitors because main sources of visitors’ experience are high quality performance of tour guides and their rich knowledge, personal stories, authentic atmosphere and interior of the building.

Article in English.


Kūrybinio požiūrio ribos: diriguojant emocijų orkestrui tamsoje

Santrauka

Rytų Europos šalyse sovietinis periodas paliko daugybę nemalonių ir nepageidaujamų paveldo vietų, kurios yra jautrios, įkrautos emociškai ir nelengvai komunikuojamos tiek vietinių, tiek turistų. Tokia vieta yra Valstybės saugumo komiteto pastatas, veikiantis kaip komunistinio režimo aukų muziejus Rygoje (Latvija). Tyrime aptariama pusiausvyra tarp kūrybiškumo ir autentiško paprastumo, modeliuojant lankytojų vietos potyrius tamsiojo turizmo objektuose. Tyrimo tikslas – paaiškinti lankytojų emocijas, lankantis Valstybės saugumo komiteto pastate Rygoje ir kūrybinio turizmo produkto dizaino vaidmenį sužadinant emocijas. Kaip pagrindiniu duomenų šaltiniu buvo pasinaudota lankytojų atsiliepimais apie jų apsilankymą Valstybės saugumo komiteto pastate TripAdvisor platformoje. Tyrimo rezultatai patvirtina, kad pasivaikščiojimas po Valstybės saugumo komiteto pastatą sukelia įsimintinų įspūdžių ir prieštarauja nuomonei, jog nauji šio tamsiojo turizmo produkto kūrybiškumo klodai patenkins ir pralinksmins klientą. Valstybės saugumo komiteto pastatas Rygoje – tai pavyzdys, kai kūrybinio turizmo produkto dizainas neturi reikšmingo poveikio lankytojų emociniams potyriams, nes pagrindiniai šaltiniai apie lankytojų patirtį yra aukštos kokybės turus vedančių gidų ir jų turimų gausių žinių, asmeninių istorijų, autentiškos atmosferos ir pastato interjero kuriamas spektaklis.

Reikšminiai žodžiai: tamsusis turizmas, kūrybiškumas, emocijos, turizmo produkto dizainas, lankytojo potyriai, lankytojo motyvacija.

Keyword : dark tourism, creativity, emotions, tourism product design, visitor experience, visitor motivation

How to Cite
Grinfelde, I., & Veliverronena, L. (2018). The limits of creative approach: conducting an orchestra of emotions in the darkness. Creativity Studies, 11(2), 362-376. https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2018.7183
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Dec 21, 2018
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