Memorable wildlife tourism experience: Evidence from the Mole National Park

Abstract

The goal of this research was to develop and validate an integrative model for memorable wildlife tourism experience. The study examined how escapism, experience co-creation, existential authenticity, and experiential satisfaction serve as drivers of memorable wildlife experience. It further explored the connection between memorable wildlife tourism experience and hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, place attachment and pro-environmental behaviour. The sample consists of 361 international tourists aged 18 years or more who visited the Mole National Park in Ghana between October 2022 and September 2023 for a wildlife safari. Results reveals that as experience co-creation, experiential authenticity, and experiential satisfaction increase, the more memorable wildlife tourism experience becomes. Enhanced experiential satisfaction and memorable experiences are associated with heightened hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, place attachment, and pro-environmental behaviour. The theoretical and managerial implications as well as recommendations for future studies are presented.