Eudaimonic well-being development: Motives driving mountain-based adventure tourism

Abstract

Wellness adventure tourism is one attractive activity for tourists to gain a sense of self-achievement, ultimately leading to health and well-being. In recent years, mountain adventure tourism has made greater demands for the experience and sensation of such activities. The main aim of this paper is to seek an answer to the question of to what extent mountain-based adventure is the realization of eudaimonic well-being development. Qualitative research methods were employed in this study and a content analysis technique adopted to analyze data. The data were collected through 40 face-to-face interviews conducted at a mountain national park in Thailand. The results revealed that the motives driving tourists to participate in mountain hiking through eudaimonic experience could more easily achieve sustainable development of mountain-based tourism. It also helps to provide a greater marketing competitiveness advantage for a destination, helps to maintain and/or improve the physical and mental well-being of tourists, increases tourist numbers, and generates income to the community. It was found that the participants gave insight into the six components of the eudaimonic experience to generate well-being in life by participating in a wellness adventure tourism activity. The adventure activity helped the tourists to enhance their self-acceptance, purpose in life, autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relationship, and personal growth.