Exploring Tourists’ Well-being in Finnish Luxury Tourism

Abstract

Luxury tourism has changed from material goods to meaningful experiences, which is the result of the experience economy, social change, and sustainability awareness. This “new luxury” enhances tourist well-being through relaxation, growth, and deeper connections with society and nature. While there has been considerable research on tourism well-being, little has been done on tourists’ well-being in context of new luxury and Finnish luxury tourism. the purpose of this study is to explore traveler’s hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in Finnish luxury tourism and in new luxury tourism. Finnish luxury tourism emphasizes meaningful and nature-based experiences, though little research on tourist well-being in this context has been conducted. This research interviewed with eight international tourists to obtain qualitative data and applied DREAMA framework to interpret the psychological and emotional dimensions of luxury in Finnish Lapland context. Participants described Finnish luxury as a setting that provides peace, silence, nature immersion and effortless and intimate service. Hedonic well-being was gained through environmental stillness, restorative rituals, and effortless hospitality, while eudaimonic results emerged from affirmation of values, connection to nature and travel companion, and fulfillment. This study also showed that the dual aspects of affiliation, social and environmental, are central to well-being. Findings confirmed the applicability of the DREAMA in nature-oriented tourism and contributed the literature on well-being in new luxury tourism