Camping: a liminal space as a gateway to eudaimonic happiness

Abstract

Camping–a growing niche in the tourism industry–allows participants to have a liminal experience. Using qualitative methods, we examine camp participants’ perspective through the lens of liminal theory. The data were obtained through participant observation and interviews with 27 campers. Camp participants’ liminal experiences are grouped into three dimensions: (1) learning in liminal spaces; (2) increased tolerance in liminal spaces and, (3) the effects of liminal spaces on eudaimonic happiness. Learning and tolerance in the camping experience has the potential to foster happiness, even after the participants return home. These findings from the Turkish experience contribute to a growing literature on liminality in camps and tourism more broadly.