The role of tourism consumption in identity construction

Identity plays a pivotal role in tourism consumption, though almost nearly all tourism-related consumption studies either underestimate or refer inadequately to identity's role in tourism consumption. In the context of this understanding, the purpose of the current doctoral dissertation is to bring about an understanding toward to role of identity construction through tourism consumption. Grounded theory which is one of the qualitative research approaches applied to accomplish the relevant purpose. An in-depth interview, enabling the researcher to gain new insights into investigated subject were implemented in accordance with the grounded theory approach stages. Twenty-five subjects were interviewed through theoretical sampling technique. Results of the research demonstrated that tourists are actualizing identity-tended consumptions in almost all processes of tourism consumption i.e. pre, during, and post tourism consumption process. The results shed light on both the way how tourists construct their identity through tourism consumptions and tourists consumptions that fit into their identity. Through presenting the identity tended tourism consumption model, the current doctoral dissertation provides and consists of a set of profound contributions not only to the relevant literature but practitioners/decision-makers and entreprenuers.