Highlighting the benefits of tourism humour: The views of tourists

• For tourists some of these benefits include breaking the ice with strangers; dealing with overcrowded tourist places and unpleasant food; comforting others; alleviating anxieties and coping with difficult and embarrassing situations such as motion sickness.
• Advantages of humour for tourism operators were identified as positive word-of-mouth recommendations made by tourists; a means of differentiation and potential opportunities for repeat business.

The study considered tourists' perspectives about humour. It explored both the perceived benefits of humour for the tourists themselves and advantages for the businesses they visit. The work offers empirical data embellishing existing conceptual approaches. The data were collected across five tourism settings in Australia where humour was a well-recognised component of the experience. Both a questionnaire-based survey and focus group discussions were employed to access key information. The study identified a suite of reasons as to why humour should be encouraged during tourism experiences. The findings highlighted the role humour plays for tourists in connecting with others and in coping with difficult and stressful travel situations. Additionally, the research outlined key ways humour adds value for tourism businesses, notably in terms of providing truly memorable experiences. Further benefits of using humour for the businesses lie in distinctiveness, engagement with customers and enhancing the likelihood of repeat business.