Searching for Life Satisfaction in Nature through Tourism: An Exploratory Research on Hikers

Abstract Hiking is a walking activity carried out in predetermined natural environments. It is practised by many people because it does not require much equipment and expertise, and it also offers its participants a much more economical leisure time activity than other sports branches, besides providing positive impacts on health and well-being. In this respect, the study investigated whether there is a relationship between hikers’ perceptions of nature, the benefits they get from hiking, and whether there is a relationship between hiking and life satisfaction. A qualitative approach was adopted, and a semi-structured interview form was prepared by utilising the relevant literature. In this context, interviews were conducted on 24.04.2023–11.06.2023 with 21 hikers over the age of 18 who were hiking in nature groups in Eskişehir with purposive and snowball sampling methods. The answers obtained were subjected to descriptive analysis. The results revealed that almost all the participants started hiking with intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivations. The findings also show that hiking has an important place in the lives of individuals, that it positively affects the lives of the participants, and that its non-economic benefits make significant contributions to increasing the life satisfaction of the participants.