From culture to customer care
Attributes shaping tattoo tourism experiences
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22430293 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Krittabhas Khwanyuen (0000-0002-7186-9278, Prince of Songkla University), Nichapat Sangkaew (0000-0003-4185-9375, Prince of Songkla University), Chayanon Phucharoen (0000-0003-0565-7389, Prince of Songkla University), Surarak Wichupankul (0000-0001-8581-7738, Prince of Songkla University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-16 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-05 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1940-7963 • E-ISSN: 1940-7971 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/19407963.2026.2661329 |
| OpenAlex | W7160274553 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 62 |
Tattoo tourism has emerged as a distinctive form of cultural and creative tourism in which ritual meanings, artistic practice, and professional customer care converge in an intimate and irreversible encounter. This study conceptualizes tattoo tourism not only as cultural consumption but also as a professionalized service experience. Google reviews from 664 tattoo studios across Thailand were analyzed using text mining, Naïve Bayes sentiment classification, salience scores, and Importance–Performance Analysis. Tattoo-related terms were grouped into six themes: cultural and symbolic aspects; health, safety, and cleanliness; service and customer care; tattoo practitioner; studio environment; and perceived value. The findings highlight the central role of friendliness and hospitality. Spiritual and belief-related elements, such as Sak Yant, faith, and blessings, are well delivered but often evaluated through the lens of service care and risk management. The study offers an attribute-based perspective on tattoo tourism and practical implications for destination managers and tattoo practitioners.
Consumer behaviour · Customer Relationship Management · Tourism · Tourism geography · Tourist industry · Global Healthcare and Medical Tourism · Philosophy, Health, and Society · Tattoo and Body Piercing Complications
Memorable tourism experience
Thematic Analysis
Importance-Performance Analysis
Purposive sampling
Wealth and tourism in Thailand
On the Immorality of Tattoos
Capturing mobile, situational, and multi-dimensional tourist experience
Destination Relational Aesthetic Qualities
Heritage practices as development's blind spot
The Routledge Handbook of Cultural Tourism
Bodies of Inscription
The Body, the Spirit, and the Other
The aura of tattoos
Tourists’ perceptions of ‘cultural and creative souvenir’ products and their relationship with place
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Conspicuous souvenirs
Rare tattoos shape and composition on a South American mummy
Tattoo as a personalised souvenir
Body Modification in East Asia
Essence, Identity, Signature
The service experience in tourism
Guiding the path to sustainable tourism development
Spirit Possession and Tourism at Thai Festivals A Comparative Study
Authenticity and commoditization in tourism
Souvenir authenticity in the additive manufacturing age
Rethinking embodiment in tourism research
Inked nostalgia
Girl with the Sak Yon Tattoo
Purchase and Protect
Conceptualization and Measurement of Happy Travel Experiences Using Hedonic, Eudaimonic, and Engagement Aspects
Developing creativity in tourist experiences
Tat's All Folks
The Possibility of Primitiveness
Tattooing the Body, Marking Culture
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |