Melanie Smith; Robert Kiss; Inge Yan Fong Chan
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explore young people’s perceptions of spirituality as well as analyzing the role that spirituality plays in their wellness and travel. The work builds on previous studies that examined young peoples’ attitudes to spirituality, as well as research that examined ...
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The aim of this paper is to explore young people’s perceptions of spirituality as well as analyzing the role that spirituality plays in their wellness and travel. The work builds on previous studies that examined young peoples’ attitudes to spirituality, as well as research that examined cross-cultural differences in understandings of spirituality. The research draws on questionnaire data (a sample of 227) that was collected in two languages from young people in Generations Y and Z aged 18-39. The questionnaire was designed in English but was also translated into Mandarin Chinese. Both generations and cultural/language groups view spirituality as more connected to the self or nature than to religion or God. Attention to religion and spirituality scored much lower than other lifestyle and wellness domains. When travelling, the desire to engage in religious and spiritual activities were also ranked low compared to other activities. The data shows that young people tend to define spirituality more in relation to their own self and nature than to religion. Spirituality is ranked relatively low compared to other domains of wellness. However, although religious and spiritual motivations and benefits are ranked lower than some other experiences during travel, many young people prioritize trips that involve better connections to nature and the self, which reflects their original definitions of spirituality.