Eudaimonic benefits of tourism: the pilgrimage experience

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes that tourism research needs to explore the potentially lasting psychological benefits of tourism by implementing a eudaimonic perspective of well-being. Consequently, this study adopted a eudaimonic approach to tourist well-being by investigating the reported psychological well-being of pilgrims and the concepts involved in the pilgrimage experience via the exploration of 74 personal narratives. Pilgrims’ self-transcendent peak experiences encompassed spiritual moments of revelation, healing and epiphany. These experiences led to spiritual growth that seems to have impacted participants’ religious spirituality, also long after their pilgrimage, which can be perceived as a potential long-term effect of the pilgrimage experience. The self-transcendent peak experience of the pilgrims can be explained via enhanced autonomy, the experience of positive relationships, achieved personal growth, a sense of purpose in and of life, their character development and a state of self-acceptance.

KEYWORDS:

• Well-being
• pilgrimage
• eudaimonia
• positive psychology
• tourist experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marc van Iwaarden

Marc van Iwaarden is a graduate of the BSc Tourism from Wageningen University and Breda University of Applied Sciences. His interests lie in the field of positive psychology, spirituality, religion and sustainable tourism. It is his passion to understand how people experience increased well-being in a lasting and sustainable way.

Jeroen Nawijn

Jeroen Nawijn is a Senior Lecturer at Breda University of applied sciences. His work addresses issues of well-being, sustainable tourism, and cultural heritage. His main interest is to study areas or phenomena in which there is friction. This friction could relate to practical issues such as differing stakeholder objectives, tensions between visitors and residents, or conceptual and methodological differences in academic interpretations and applications of theories within the field of tourism.