Glimmerance in hospitality and tourism experiences: how lightness sparks transformative interactions

The purpose of this research is to propose the novel concept of glimmerance to theorize those modest, positive affective experiences that are sparked by light, incidental triggers in hospitality and tourism experiences. Drawing on extant research on positive affect, transformative experiences and well-being, this conceptual research proposes a conceptual framework for glimmerance that delineates its characteristics, triggers, elicitation mechanisms and consequential impacts. Practical implications and future research directions are also discussed. Glimmerance arises from light triggers that gently disrupt the experiential norms of an experience encounter. Conditioned by individuals’ interpretative lens, glimmerance fosters emotional resonance and lingering uplift. The glimmerance perspective calls for experience design ethos that invite spontaneity, authenticity and quiet resonance. By conceptualizing glimmerance, this study extends positive affect and service encounter theories by highlighting how low-arousal, unscripted micro-moments can catalyze transformative experiences in hospitality and tourism. Experience design should prioritize lightness, authenticity and employee discretion to enable glimmerance-driven uplift. The conceptualization of glimmerance offers a fresh lens to understanding those light yet powerful moments in hospitality and tourism experiences, opening a fruitful avenue for future research.