The present study introduces the Tourist Innovativeness (TI) scale by incorporating insights from consumer innovativeness. This addresses the increasing need for tourism destinations to comprehend and cater to innovative tourists. Understanding tourists’ innovativeness is essential for tourism enterprises striving to enhance their competitiveness and stay ahead in the ever-evolving tourism industry. Existing tourism literature lacks a comprehensive measurement scale that broadly captures the concept of TI. Our research design comprises three stages to ensure the rigorous development of the scale: (a) item generation and experts’ survey, (b) purification and dimensionality of the scale, and (c) assessing the reliability and validity of the scale. The scale includes five dimensions and nineteen items, providing a comprehensive tool for measuring TI. The study also explores the aspects of the actual visit experience that tourists aim to capture during their travels, offering a holistic representation of TI. Additionally, it discusses implications and future research directions for the tourism industry, highlighting opportunities for further exploration and practical applications. Overall, this study advances the understanding of TI and presents a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners in the field of tourism.