Experience lived by tourists in Fervedouro do Ceiça, Totantins (TO), Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the experience obtained by the tourist when visiting Fervedouro do Ceiça, the main attraction of Jalapão State Park (PEJ), located in Tocantins state of Brazil. Regarding the investigation method, the research is characterized as exploratory, descriptive, with a qualitative approach and based on documentary data. The data were interpreted taking the foundations of the experience economy. As for the data, the set of comments about the Fervedouro do Ceiça available on the TripAdvisor platform was collected, which were processed using R software tools. After processing, 237 tetragrams were obtained (sequences of four words) that were classified according to the domains of experience, which are: contemplation, evasion, entertainment and learning. In the considered clipping, entertainment obtained 49% of the tetragrams, reveleating that most individuals obtain a passive participation, having fun in the place. The second domain was learning with 23% of the tetragrams, showing that tourists learn something by enjoying the attraction. Due to being a natural environment and the structure of the fervedouros, the landscape draws the attention of tourists, causing contemplation to obtain 18% of the tetragrams. Finally, evasion, of the individual`s emotional detachment, appears in 10% of the tetragrams. Thus, it is understood that, in order to promote a more complete experience at the Fervedouro do Ceiça attraction, there is need to increase the learning, aesthetics and evasion domains, since almost half of the comments indicate that the tourist only has fun in the fervedouro (entertainment).