DUGi

Evolving pathways for spiritual tourism in protected areas

http://dugi.udg.edu/item/http:@@@@hdl.handle.net@@10256@@28435

Spiritual tourism, which evolved from the existential forms of tourism in the modernist and early postmodern eras (Cohen, 1979), has become a prominent expression of contemporary tourism (Wang, Blasco, Hamzah, & Verschuuren, 2023). It encompasses activities such as New Age practices, secular pilgrimages, mindfulness, restorative retreats, and nature-based embodied experiences such as forest bathing; moving beyond the late postmodern focus on leisure and entertainment, these forms highlight tourism’s capacity for spiritual enrichment (Sharpley & Jepson, 2011; Wang, Blasco, Verschuuren, & Hamzah, 2024). As with many emerging concepts, its development presents considerable challenges for both academia and practice, given the elusive and multifaceted nature of spirituality. Our article, East Meets West: Spiritual Tourism in Chinese Protected Areas (Wang & Blasco, 2022), published in Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, was the first academic study to explore spiritual tourism within Chinese protected areas. Its academic impact lies in introducing a new conceptual approach to tourism development in China and interpreting the philosophy of the unity of heaven and humankind (Tian Ren He Yi) for both Chinese and international audiences (see Pang, Wu, Xiao, Song, & Huang, 2025). By weaving together nature, culture, and spirituality, the study highlighted the interconnections between people and the natural world. It also challenged the traditional division between nature and culture, aligning with emerging “more-than-human” perspectives in tourism research (Liburd, Blichfeldt, & Duedahl, 2021). In this commentary, we extend academic contributions by reflecting on how spiritual tourism and the Tian Ren He Yi framework have been received in practice, and examining the ongoing transformation of protected area governance in China. We discuss progress to date, the challenges encountered in applying our original aims, and potential future directions across three interrelated dimensions: practice, philosophy, and governance. These reflections draw on empirical data and project experience from the past five years (i.e. interviews and personal communications with practitioners and protected area managers), relevant publications, and two semi-structured interviews conducted specifically for this commentary. One interview was conducted with a Chinese protected area manager, and the other with an international tourism practitioner based in Spain, whose extensive professional experience includes designing and operating spiritual practice initiatives across Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Our intention is to move beyond an academic dialogue by integrating practitioners’ voices, thereby offering a more grounded account of how academic work is interpreted and applied in the world of practice.

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Elsevier