Glenn Ross

Philip Pearce

Sebastian Filep

Tourism is arguably one of the largest self-initiated commercial interventions to create well-being and happiness on the entire planet. Yet there is a lack of specific attention to the ways in which we can better understand and evaluate the relationship between well-being and travel. The recent surge of scholarly work in positive psychology concerned with human well-being and flourishing represents a contemporary force with the potential to embellish and augment much current tourism study. This book maps out the field and then draws links between tourists, tourism and positive psychology. It discusses topics such as the issue of excess materialism and its fragile relationship with well-being, the value of positive psychology to lifestyle businesses, and the insights of the research field to spa and wellness tourism. This volume will interest those who study and practise tourism as well as scholars and graduate students in a range of disciplines such as psychology, sociology, business and leisure.

Tourists, Tourism and the Good Life

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Jennifer Laing

Tourism affects millions of individuals, numerous societies and environments in multiple, nuanced and overlapping ways. While it can be viewed as a frivolous leisure pursuit or simply a large industry, with potentially destructive impacts, it might also be understood in terms of its effects on human fulfilment, the good life and greater well-being. This book calls for positive tourism, principally grounded in theories from positive psychology (the study of what makes life worth living), and the development of a body of knowledge that explains what characterises optimal tourist experiences, what enables host communities to flourish and what encourages workers in tourism to thrive. Through original research studies reported in this international volume we aim to further develop this knowledge. The intersections between ongoing and traditionally inspired applications of psychology in tourism and this new thrust in psychological inquiry promise to refresh and challenge tourism research. This book will appeal to researchers and academics in tourism, leisure, positive psychology, management and related fields as well as graduate students, professionals and policy makers.

Positive Tourism

Rod Cuthbert

Vacation Rules explores the psychology of vacations and the effects they have on our emotions and well-being. The authors use the PERMA model of positive psychology to propose 36 “rules” to assist readers plan and enjoy their vacations better. It suggests that rather than concentrating on the mechanics of travel—who we fly with, where we stay, which car we rent, which tour we take—we should first consider exactly why we want to go on vacation, what our current state of mind is, who we are traveling with, how we manage expectations and interruptions, and other issues of a strategic nature. From the first rule, "Vacation more, live longer" to the last, "Accept your fate", Vacation Rules offers advice that impacts directly on everyday vacation issues and decisions. It provides insight into the importance of autonomy and why being in control of your day to day activities, rather than being completely guided by a travel companion or a guidebook, is so important to achieving happiness.

Sebastian Filep

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