Preliminary communication
Co-creating with the universe: A phenomenological study of New Age tourists
Tomas Pernecky
; Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Abstract
This paper discusses a phenomenological investigation of the experiences of New Age tourists in New Zealand. New Age tourism is becoming a noteworthy form of the tourism experience, while remaining an enigma in the field of tourism studies. This paper sets out to uncover some of the unknowns behind this type of travelling. To understand New Age tourism, one has to understand New Age tourists - their interests, experiences and perspective on travelling. It is shown that New Age tourists are highly individualised people characterised by their interest in unique 'life experiences'. Indeed, the New Age travellers in New Zealand are defined by their search for extraordinary and transcendental awareness, with the objectives being personal, spiritual and emotional growth. The method of data collection was phenomenological interviews, focusing on how New Age tourists perceive and describe their experiences. The phenomenological descriptions were derived through validated invariant constituents and themes, representing the group as a whole. This paper will discuss several major themes such as feelings of energy, being able to distinguish between different energies, having an extraordinary experience, or connecting to something. The outcome of this study is to bring new information and knowledge into tourism by gaining a deeper understanding of the New Age tourism experience.
Keywords
New Age tourism; New Age traveller; New Zealand
Hrčak ID:
161463
URI
Publication date:
8.6.2006.
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