Tourism Experiences as a Stress Reliever: Examining the Effects of Tourism Recovery Experiences on Life Satisfaction

Abstract

The effect-recovery theory (Meijman and Mulder 1998) and the conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll 1998) suggest that taking a leisure trip provides opportunities for relaxation, detachment from work, mastery experience, and personal control. This research examined the role of tourism experiences as a stress reliever, particularly focusing on the underlying psychological experiences associated with recovery. Further, this research examined how these recovery experiences during a leisure trip influence perceived life satisfaction after the trip. It was found that all four dimensions of tourism recovery experiences had positive effects on life satisfaction. The results also revealed that even a weekend getaway can help people to recover from work stress, while longer trips provide more opportunities for recovery experiences.