An existentialist exploration of tourism sustainability: backpackers fleeing and finding themselves

Abstract

This article applies existentialism to sustainable tourism discussion using an exploratory netnographic case study of 12 backpackers. Highlighted is the importance of both existential avoidance and authenticity to participants looking to escape and transcend underlying existential anxiety. Avoidance can be found in the cultural-adherence and selfesteem pathways facilitated by travel. Authenticity is identified in the deeper interactions with host peoples and landscapes, and the liberation, reflection and learning which emerge from this. Avoidance and authenticity are linked in turn with the sustainability of tourism pursued. The former is associated with more hedonistic escape and superficial, selfcentric and insensitive tourism. The latter is suggestive of more transcendent escape and involved, appreciative and alternative tourism.

Motivations of global Millennial travelers

“…In addition, 'use my imagination' was changed to 'develop my creativity' to account for creative modes of travel (Richards, 2011). Other adapted items were developed in the intellectual dimension on 'learn more about myself', which equates to the oft-quoted idea that young people travel 'to find themselves' (Carnavan, 2018) and 'experience everyday life in another country', which relates to the 'live life like a local' trends (Russo and Richards, 2016). The two competence-mastery items 'use my physical abilities' and 'challenge my abilities' were combined because of potential overlap, and 'help people in the destination' was added to this dimension to indicate the 'soft skill' of empathy.…”

Current Issues of Backpacking Tourism Development: Profile and Characteristics of “Sharecost” and “Opentrip” Tourist

“…In general, this type of tourist is dominated by young tourists who plan trips flexibly and informally, and are more interested in budget hotels. In particular, their activities interact more and participate with local communities [16,17]. Other motivations are generally out of routine and away from the residence or home [10].…”

‘The smell of death and the smell of life’: authenticity, anxiety and perceptions of death at Varanasi’s cremation grounds

“…In tourism studies, anxiety is discussed in relation to motivation (see Brown, 2013;Canavan, 2017;Kirillova et al, 2016;Shepherd, 2015;Vidon & Rickly, 2018). While Dann (1977) was among the first to note the implications of 'anomie' for touristic motivation, the concept received little attention until the last decade.…”

“…Indeed, research suggests that despite its subjectivity, place matters for the experience of existential authenticity (Rickly-Boyd, 2013b), and that tourism can often function as a catalyst for making life changes post-travel in order to enact ideals of existential authenticity in everyday life (Brown, 2013). Further, an existentialist perspective has been enriched by research focused on the role of existential anxiety in tourism motivation and experience (Kirillova, Lehto, & Cai, 2016, 2017Vidon & Rickly, 2018). Thus, this paper empirically examines some fundamental questions of dark tourism research, such as how gazing at the death of others paves the way for authentic experiences in cross-cultural tourism encounters.…”