There is mounting evidence that an increasing number of tourists are using the dating application (‘app’) Tinder. This paper explores this phenomenon, including how Tinder users engage with the app prior to, during and following their travel, and whether their engagement aligns with theories pertaining to the stages of becoming a tourist. In order to investigate Tinder’s potential to enhance the tourism experience, the research employed a qualitative approach utilizing in depth interviews with Australians who had used Tinder while travelling. The findings demonstrate that Tinder plays a significant role in the tourism experience, for example by allowing instant access to local knowledge, and providing company for solo travellers. Further it demonstrates that Tinder tourists seek control of their own experience by using a non-traditional tourism app, which has implications for what the tourism industry can offer.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	tourism experience, Tinder, online dating applications, smartphone, location based services, digital elasticity
Research Division:	Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
Research Group:	Tourism
Research Field:	Tourist behaviour and visitor experience
Objective Division:	Commercial Services and Tourism
Objective Group:	Tourism services
Objective Field:	Socio-cultural issues in tourism
UTAS Author:	Leurs, E (Ms Elleke Leurs)
UTAS Author:	Hardy, A (Associate Professor Anne Hardy)
ID Code:	129421
Year Published:	2018
Web of Science® Times Cited:	4
Deposited By:	Marketing
Deposited On:	2018-11-29
Last Modified:	2019-03-15
Downloads:	0