Resumen de Spiritual Retreat Tourism in New Zealand
This article presents qualitative ethnographic case study research conducted at two spiritual retreat tourism sites in New Zealand. Data were collected from interviews with trustees, a retreat manager, workshop facilitators, and retreat-goers at the two sites. Participants also contributed visual data which have been analyzed using a semiotic approach. The research question asked: why do people engage in spiritual retreat tourism and what do they gain from their experiences? The retreat sites at the centre of this research offer group workshops for those wishing to pursue an area of interest, usually with a spiritual element, such as yoga for example.
This type of tourism is more broadly referred to as wellness tourism. Four themes emerged:
community, escape, therapeutic landscapes and spirituality. These themes make up the body of this article with the first three described in detail and the last theme of spirituality linked into each of these sections. This article contributes to understandings of holistic well-being and the importance of spiritual retreat tourism to consumers.
