Exploring the effectiveness of social holidays in the Finnish context

Abstract

This study explores the effectiveness of social holidays by examining, how the objectives of state-driven Finnish social tourism are met in practice and how the benefits of a social holiday differ between disadvantaged families with children and adult groups. Among both groups, the results of a quantitative survey (N = 796) and six qualitative interviews of four highly experienced holiday instructors foreground benefits related to emotional and mental well-being, participation and activeness, and an opportunity to escape mundane responsibilities and difficult life situations. Our results suggest that in some areas (social interaction, life management, peer support) outcomes of a holiday vary between customer groups, which foregrounds the need to match social tourism objectives and services to their variable needs and motives. Regarding methodological aspects, this study demonstrates that when a respondent directly evaluates the benefits of a holiday, the results may differ from those gained via two-stage quantitative analyses applying general-level scales.