The most important trip for who I am: exploring the dimensions of the Eudaimonic Tourist Experience

Abstract Based on a review of the concept of eudaimonia, the study proposes a definition for the eudaimonic tourist experience construct and identifies 15 potential constituent dimensions of the construct, from an extensive literature review in the domains of positive psychology, existential-humanistic psychology, developmental psychology (studies on identity formation in the Eriksonian stream) and tourism (studies on transformative tourism experience). In order to validate the theorized dimensions, a survey with 569 subjects was undertaken. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed six factors (Alterity and Benevolence, Intimacy and Belonging, Personal meaningfulness, Openness to the new, Autonomy and Maturity), which accounted for 62.636% of the total variance. Through strong theoretical and empirical foundation, the study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the transformative processes provided by tourist experiences, proposing a multidimensional structure for eudaimonic experiences in tourism contexts.