Effect of psychical environment on experience design and management

Purpose Traditional research often emphasizes conscious, mindful processes whereby consumers actively evaluate their experiences. However, recent developments highlight the significance of unconscious reactions that are shaped by environmental stimuli. This study aims to conceptualize the psychical environment and its effects in hospitality and tourism. Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature review was conducted to gather insights on the psychical environment and unconscious responses. A keyword search was adopted to retrieve relevant articles in hospitality and tourism. The data analysis process was guided by the theoretical lens of the stimulus–organism–response model and dual process theory. Findings The psychical environment contains a combination of external and internal stimuli. These stimuli generate conscious and unconscious responses in consumers. The effects of these stimuli on consumers’ responses occur through direct mechanisms, dual processes, unconscious-conscious and conscious-unconscious effects. The theoretical foundations and methodological approaches are also reviewed. Practical implications The findings provide insights into strategies and practices that hospitality and tourism companies can adopt to optimize the psychical environment design and enhance customer experience. Originality/value This study introduces and defines the concept of the psychical environment in hospitality and tourism. This conceptualization provides a new lens to understand and analyze the subtle yet powerful factors that shape customer experiences, thus moving beyond traditional, purely conscious elements and physical considerations.