Well-being of cycling tourists in Hainan, China

Abstract

Bicycles are now gradually losing their attraction for utilitarian use, but in recent years, cycling for tourism and recreation has gained in popularity. However, the experiences and well-being involved in cycling tourism from a theoretical perspective have received little attention. This article intends to explore the relationships between cycling tourism and well-being by studying cyclists on Hainan Island in China. Interviews and participation observations were used to collect data. The types of cycling tourists were firstly identified and classified, followed by analysis of how the tourists obtained well-being through physical and social activities and their contexts. The study finds that human–bicycle relationships and China’s collectivistic culture play important roles in how cycling tourists obtain well-being. This study provides a mobility perspective on cycling tourism and well-being.

Keywords:

• Cycling tourism
• well-being
• long distance cycling
• sport
• mobility

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 http://cycling.sport.org.cn/home/gyxh/index.html. Official website of Chinese Cycling Association. The content refers to the Brief Introduction of China Cycling Association.

2 http://sports.xinhuanet.com/c/2018-05/06/c_1122790443.htm. Big Data Report on Chinese Cycling in 2017 by Xinhua Sport.

3 http://mini.eastday.com/bdmip/171209081703669.html#

4 Wechat is a free application that provides instant messaging services for its users, including Voice SMS, Video, Pictures and Text and other services.