New Age-Oriented Special Interest Travel: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Since the 1960s, an increasing market for “New Age” spiritual travel has been evidenced by the availability of travel guidebooks about power sites and directories of holistic retreat centres, as well as formally organized tours. Data on the New Age population and its demographics have only been available since the 1990s, and it indicates that travel for pilgrimage, personal growth and non-traditional spiritual practices has been increasing steadily since the 1980s. A survey of New Age tour operators confirms that women form the core clientele for New Age tours, and environmental concerns motivate many of the leaders. However many indigenous organizations are protesting the use of threatened traditional practices such as sweat lodges, vision quests, and their associated sacred sites.