Alienation, meaning in life and modes of out-there-ness: rethinking tourist experience in the pre-travel phase

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interplay between alienation, meaning in life and modes of tourist experience during the pre-travel phase, utilizing the concept of “out-there-ness.” Drawing on Cohen's phenomenology of tourist experience and integrating meaning in life, alienation and the out-there-ness framework, it explores how individuals engage in tourism to escape everyday life. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a quantitative approach collecting survey data from 401 respondents in Mersin, Türkiye, all of whom had recent or planned leisure travel experiences. The study identifies five modes of “out-there-ness”, forms of distancing oneself from everyday life – amusement, change, interest, rapture and dedication characterized by varying emotional and cognitive engagement levels. Findings The results of this study indicate that alienation significantly affects engagement in modes, particularly influencing superficial modes such as amusement, alongside more profound experiences such as rapture. Interestingly, alienation had no significant impact on dedication, challenging the notion that alienation always leads to deep existential experiences. The results further show that the search for meaning drives tourists toward immersive experiences like rapture, while the presence of meaning fosters engagement in balancing modes such as amusement, change and interest. Practical implications The findings suggest that destination management organizations (DMOs) and travel platforms should design pre-travel communication around differentiated experiential orientations rather than using a single escape- or authenticity-based message. Mode-based segmentation can help managers match content and digital touchpoints to tourists seeking hedonic relief, structured renewal, cognitive engagement, emotional immersion or deeper meaning. Originality/value These findings suggest that, during the pre-travel phase, tourism offers both temporary escapism and pathways to personal growth, highlighting how anticipatory experiences shape psychological engagement before the journey begins.