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Home / Tourism Analysis, Volume 29, Number 1

Open Access Exploring the Psychological Well-Being of Tourism Community Members Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory: A Case Study of Queenstown, New Zealand

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Authors: Kondja, Alice 1 ; Filep, Sebastian 1 ; Mackenzie, Susan Houge 2 ; Lo, Ada 1 ; Vada, Sera 3 ; 

Source: Tourism Analysis, Volume 29, Number 1, 2024, pp. 1-16(16)

Publisher: Cognizant Communication Corporation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3727/108354223X16898473535094

This article is Open Access under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND licence.

Despite a substantial history of research on the well-being of host communities at tourism destinations, the individual psychological well-being of local residents remains an underexplored topic. This study explores the psychological well-being of tourism host community members through a case study of Queenstown, New Zealand. By drawing on the self-determination theory, an innovative focus group analysis approach, microinterlocutor analysis, complemented by thematic analysis, was used to explain the psychological well-being of individual host community members in a nature-based tourism destination. Findings revealed a sense of autonomy, relatedness to people and the natural environment, feelings of competence or mastery, and beneficence-supported psychological well-being. This study extends prior research on the well-being of host communities by identifying key psychological well-being domains explicitly related to host community members. Practical implications of the findings are highlighted with reference to nature-based destinations.

Keywords: HOST COMMUNITY; NATURE-BASED TOURISM; PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING; SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 2: Department of Tourism, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand 3: Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

Publication date: 05 March 2024

This article was made available online on 18 July 2023 as a Fast Track article with title: "EXPLORING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF TOURISM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY: A CASE STUDY OF QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND ".

More about this publication?
  • Established in 1996, Tourism Analysis is an interdisciplinary journal that provides a platform for exchanging ideas and research in tourism and related fields. The journal aims to publish articles that explore a broad range of research subjects, including, but not limited to, the social, economic, cultural, environmental, and psychological aspects of tourism, consumer behavior in tourism, sustainable and responsible tourism, and effective operations, marketing, and management.

    Tourism Analysis focuses on both theoretical and applied research and strives to promote innovative approaches to understanding the complex and dynamic nature of tourism, its stakeholders, businesses, and its effects on society. The journal welcomes articles on innovative research topics and methodologies beyond the traditional theory-testing sciences, such as robotics, computational sciences, and data analytics.

    Our primary goal is to contribute to the development and advancement of new knowledge in tourism while fostering critical reflections and debates on the radical changes and evolution in tourism among scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

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