Female friends’ holiday experiences in heterotopia

Abstract

While the travel experiences of women have received some attention, there is scope for further exploration of the relationship between holiday spaces and the impact they have on females’ experiences. Drawing from narrative interviews, and informed by the Foucauldian concept of heterotopia, this paper explores the tourism experiences of female friends on the island of Ada Bojana, Montenegro. The findings reveal that the island’s environment facilitates release from the pressures of everyday life through playful and transgressive practices. Also, the intimate socialities of some holiday spaces are conducive to empowerment, self-transformation and bonding with significant others. It is argued that heterotopias possess the agency to foster positive change in the individuals who dwell in them.