Active engagement with nature: outdoor adventure tourism, sustainability and wellbeing

Abstract

This article draws on the conflicting arguments surrounding outdoor adventure tourism activities to determine if such activities might usefully be considered beneficial for humans and nature, and how they might offer avenues for sustainable tourism practice. Research in the field has often examined outdoor adventure activities through a lens that either highlights their negative environmental impacts or has sought to conceptualise motivations and/or experiences. In this article we argue that through practices that are often seen as destructive, there is the possibility to think differently about human-nature relationships and pro-environmentalism. To explore these issues, we draw on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews with outdoor adventure tourists. Our analysis highlights how outdoor adventure tourism facilitates reconnections to nature, offering potential wellbeing impacts and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. We conclude that outdoor adventure activities as a form of sustainable tourism have potential implications for our understanding of, and engagement with, sustainability, mental health and wellbeing.

Problematic blue growth: a thematic synthesis of social sustainability problems related to growth in the marine and coastal tourism

“…They develop models for studying the relationship between tourism impact, emotions, and stress. Tourism and leisure researchers have been reporting the psychological and mental well-being benefits of activities for the ones pursuing the activities (e.g., Hanna et al 2019). However, empirical studies with a focus on emotional wellbeing and stress that the host community residents experience are extremely rare.…”

The social crisis aftermath: tourist well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak

“…Perceived well-being is defined as an "assessment of satisfaction with the quality of their life (QOL) as a whole and/or the quality of aspects or domains of life" (McCabe & Johnson, 2013, p. 44). In a context of leisure travel, tourists resort to vacations for health and wellness benefits (Buckley, 2020;Farki c et al, 2020;Hanna et al, 2019), in which wellness has been referred to as an "optimistic assessment of their lives including contentment, positive emotion, engagement and purpose" (Pyke et al, 2016, p. 94). Tourists' traversal of a foreign place and encounter of hospitality services often renders mental and fatigue restoration potential that ultimately enhances their temporal well-being (Rosenbaum & Wong, 2015).…”

“…Tourists' holiday travel away from their domicile is meant to provide them with restorative experiences that fulfill their needs for vigor, rejuvenation, social connection, and ultimately, improved well-being Hanna et al, 2019;Uysal et al, 2016). Academics and industry practitioners have long been advocating sustainable tourism practices that promote positive psychology and mental health (Buckley, 2020;Farki c et al, 2020).…”

Tourism development and sustainable well-being: a Beyond GDP perspective

“…Tourism development affects people's ability to access environmental amenities to undertake recreational and nature based activities that improve the work-life balance and social connections (Durand, 2015). Researchers have highlighted how outdoor adventure tourism facilitates reconnections to nature, offering potential wellbeing impacts and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours (Hanna et al, 2019).…”

“…Social networks influence individual health and higher life expectancy, gender relations, workplace productivity and economic performance, neighbourhood vitality and public safety, formation of pro-social and pro-environmental norms and values, personal safety and security and sense of belonging (Algan, 2018;Algan & Cahuc, 2014;Putnam, 2001). Networks which promote environmentally friendly norms and values can result in more sustainable use of natural resources (Hanna et al, 2019). Social capital in the tourism industry includes the various networks, associations, joint ventures, strategic alliances, festivals and events, formed to meet consumer needs as well as the community spirit of sharing, collaboration and volunteering that drives the welcoming of visitors and expansion of new forms of tourism supply (Moscardo, 2012;Nunkoo, 2017).…”