2022 Volume 25 Pages 41-52
This study examines the co-creation process that exists between Chinese tourists and businesses, from the perspective of having the will and capability to engage in value co-creation marketing in Japan. The case study looks at photography services provided to Chinese tourists by a professional photographer. Previous research has found that many Chinese tourists want to communicate proactively during their travels. The problem, however, is that shopping districts and other places in Japan lack the will or ability to respond to such needs. This study uses field work to take a 4C approach in analyzing the co-creation process that occurs between customers and businesses. After organizing the data gathered during the field work into three aspects representing customer capabilities, interaction, and contextual value, Chinese tourists were classified into four types according to their ability and context. We then examined business operators’ ability to enhance customer context during the co-creation process during tourist consumption. Finally, we used the findings of the research to discuss reverse asymmetry of information and the cycle of tourism consumption.
