THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF PERSONAL SPIRITUALITY AND TOURISM EXPERIENCES
THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF PERSONAL SPIRITUALITY AND TOURISM EXPERIENCES

Summary/Abstract: A number of scholars have acknowledged the power of tourism to assist individuals in finding meaning and purpose in their lives. More recently, studies have proffered that tourism experiences may be imbued with personal spiritual significance. Indeed, transcendence and connectedness are considered to be at the heart of most definitions of religious and spiritual tourism. Less scholarly attention has been focused specifically on the concepts of transcendence and connectedness through tourism, excluding from the niche of religious pilgrimage. Through applying phenomenological principles, in-depth relationships were built with eleven individuals who, through engagement in travel with Hands up Holidays, a luxury tour provider, experienced transcendence, connectedness, and personal healing. The paper concludes by arguing that even amongst individuals that are non-religious, transcendence and connectedness are potentially powerful experiences that can be gained through tourism activities.

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