The joy of riding or walk of shame? The theme park experience of obese people

This exploratory study focuses on obese people’s perceptions of their theme park experience. Given this study’s objective and the gap in the literature on obese people’s tourist experience, a qualitative research approach was adopted. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Participants revealed that their theme park experiences included a strong sense of humiliation. This is clearly associated with the interaction between their body, the physical environment and most importantly the human environment. Managerial implications are suggested.