When flow meets business: A study of mountain biking

Abstract

Flow, a state of mind that occurs when persons are deeply immersed in an activity, plays an important role in enhancing the tourist experience through a variety of activities. Historically, flow is explored from the perspective of how tourists' experience the state, while little attention has been given to how tourism businesses can facilitate flow states to improve their product offerings. This prelminary study explores a tourism business in Tasmania, Australia, whose ethos is centred around a desire to facilitate a flow state for their guests, including the design of infrastructure, guide training and the design of itineraries. The impact of these mechanisms upon guests' experiences is assessed to understand whether and how these design elements influence the attainment of flow.

Keywords

• Flow
• Mountain bike
• Cycling
• Tourism
• Travel
• Tour operators