MEMORABLE TOURISM EXPERIENCE OF A TOURISM ATTRACTION AT ITAIPU LAKE, BRAZIL

This paper aims to understand the travel experience of tourists who took a catamaran tour on Itaipu Lake, in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. The Memorable Tourist Experience (MTE) model of three dimensions support the analysis: 1) environment and culture; 2) interpersonal relationships; and 3) individual / psychological. The study's method is qualitative with a first step driven by the selection and content analysis of 330 comments from tourists; the second stage was a participant observation; and the final step consisted of unstructured interviews with three attractive managers. Among the results, the study confirmed the three dimensions of the literature-based model. Study results emphasize the environmental dimension, with the sunset contemplation and the greatness of the lake as the most emphasized aspects of the tourists' experience. The cultural dimension, although cited such as music, did not include elements of local culture. The relationship between tourist and the catamaran's staff was also emphasized as positive, but the relationship between tourists was poorly observed. In the personal dimension, only the categories emotion, involvement, renewal and knowledge were identified in the comments and during the participant observation. The cost-benefit and recommendation categories were not foreseen and were identified in this study, adding to the literature. Study findings queries to what extent the experience on the catamaran is memorable; some actions are suggested to reinforce the novelty perceived by tourists and the generation of lasting ties and memory after the experience.