The Best Tourism Island Destination in the World and Meaningful Experiences: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Madeira Island is the World’ Leading Island Destination for the last four years. As a winning destination it is vital to understand how the new “economy experience” is being acknowledged, since tourism is seeing a shift where meaningful experiences are crucial. The goal was to identify the variables being studied in Madeira tourism and if ‘experience’ is part of product offers. A systematic literature review was used with the terms: ‘Madeira’, ‘Porto Santo’ and ‘Tourism’. Application of inclusion/exclusion criteria led to a final sample of 30 references. Three major themes being empathized in Madeira tourism were found: a) nature; b) culture/heritage and c) economy/marketing. Experience is being introduced on tourism product offers, however a lack of research focused on ‘meaningful experiences’ linked to personal growth and tourists’ personal characteristics was discovered. Implications to theory and practice are discussed.