The Affective Journey: Emotions and Psychological Well-being in Museum-Based Wellness Tourism

Abstract

This study looked at how emotional experience affects the psychological well-being and tourist satisfaction in the environment of museum-based wellness tourism. As the trend of experiential tourism has taken root, museums have been increasingly understood as not just as places of culture and learning, but as somewhere that generates emotional reactions and mental health. The most important aim of the research is to examine the role of the emotional experience at the museum visits towards psychological health and satisfaction of the visitors. An approach to quantitative research design was chosen and 140 visitors to the museum were used as the sample population where a structured, self-prepared questionnaire was used to gather data. The study variables are the independent variable (emotional experience), and psychological well-being, and tourist satisfaction as dependent variables. These findings show that visitors who have positive emotions like joy, awe, and relaxation will have a better chance of experiencing mental enrichment and be satisfied with their visit to the museum. The paper concludes that museums are important in enhancing emotional stimulation and mental wellbeing, thus, advancing wellness tourism. The results offer useful information to museum managers and other tourism stakeholders on ways to create more engaging and experiences that are more wellness-oriented.