Spiritual tourism: a Sisyphean endeavour

ENG- This doctoral thesis investigates the phenomenon of spiritual tourism in nature. It approaches tourism not merely as a form of leisure or entertainment, but as a deeply embedded human practice. Tourism is examined as a means of meaning-making, a response to alienation, and a pursuit of authenticity, transformation, and transcendence. From this perspective, spiritual tourism is not treated as a separate subcategory, but rather as a lens through which the broader nature of tourism can be more profoundly understood. The research addresses two central questions. The first explores how and why (spiritual) tourism holds significance in contemporary human life. The second examines how tourism responds to the human pursuit of meaning and fulfilment. These questions are explored through four empirical studies employing a qualitative, constructivist-interpretivist approach. Chapters 2 and 3 investigate how protected natural areas in China are interpreted and developed in relation to spiritual tourism. These chapters also introduce the Eastern philosophical concept of the unity between humans and nature, offering new perspectives on how spiritual tourism can be conceptualised, developed, and managed. Chapter 4 shifts the focus to the spiritual experience of transcendence in nature, encouraging a rethinking of spiritual tourism from an ontological perspective. Chapter 5 examines how tourism and everyday life are intertwined in ongoing processes of meaning-making. It challenges the traditional binary between tourism and everyday life that has long dominated tourism research. Traditional qualitative methods were used throughout, including semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, alongside a constructivist grounded theory approach. Fieldwork in protected areas of China resulted in over one hundred interviews, offering valuable insights into how individuals experience and articulate spiritual and transformative encounters. The final reflection presents tourism as a Sisyphean journey. This metaphor captures the human tendency to seek fulfilment in a distant elsewhere, often resulting in the collapse of utopian ideals upon arrival and the repetition of cycles of longing and disillusionment. However, the research also suggests that such disillusionment may create the conditions for recognising the richness of everyday life. When travellers release their attachment to idealised destinations, they may begin to engage with life in a more grounded and authentic way. Overall, this thesis provides new theoretical insights into the nature of tourism by framing it as an existential and spiritual journey. It highlights tourism’s transformative potential and encourages a renewed understanding of its role in shaping human experience