Examining the formation of wellbeing during and its change after a tourist experience

This study lays out a solid foundation for research on wellbeing in the tourism context by answering two primary questions – how, and in what way, does tourism promote wellbeing? Second, to what extent does wellbeing change after a tourist experience? To answer the first question, this study draws on existential authenticity theory that suggests tourism enables people to live authentically, and thereby allows for optimal tourist experiences. This study also refers to eudaimonism theory that indicates wellbeing is attained through being authentic in oneself and that experiencing optimal functioning in specific activities further facilitates wellbeing. By integrating these two theories, this study argues that existential authenticity facilitates wellbeing through optimal tourist experiences. To examine this premise, this study examined the mediating effect of optimal tourist experiences in the relationship between existential authenticity and wellbeing. To answer the second question concerning the sustained effect of the tourist experience on wellbeing, three sub-questions are posed that existing longitudinal studies have failed to adequately address: (1) what’s the trajectory of wellbeing change after a tourist experience? (2) does the tourist experience predict the change of wellbeing after tourism? and (3) is there a difference in feelings of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing in the change after a tourist experience? This study set out to address these questions by adopting a longitudinal survey design involving three waves over several months during which participants completed self-administered questionnaires concerning their tourist experience and both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. The three waves of data collection were administered from September 2018 to February 2019 in China, with 228 participants recruited for the first survey during their tourist experience. A total of 211 participants remained in the second survey conducted four weeks after their tourist experience, and 208 remained in the third survey conducted eight weeks after their tourist experience. Along with some demographics and trip characteristics, the initial survey measured existential authenticity based on the three core concepts of Authentic Living, Accepting External Influence, and Self-Alienation, and assessed the optimal tourist experiences based on Positive Emotions, Sense of Meaning in Life, Sense of Growth, Sense of Engagement, and Sense of Positive Relations. Hedonic wel