A number of scholars have acknowledged the power of tourism to assist
individuals in finding meaning and purpose in their lives. More recently, studies
have proffered that tourism experiences may be imbued with personal spiritual
significance. Indeed, transcendence and connectedness are considered to be at the
heart of most definitions of religious and spiritual tourism. Less scholarly attention
has been focused specifically on the concepts of transcendence and
connectedness through tourism, excluding from the niche of religious pilgrimage.
Through applying phenomenological principles, in-depth relationships were built
with eleven individuals who, through engagement in travel with Hands up Holidays,
a luxury tour provider, experienced transcendence, connectedness, and personal
healing. The paper concludes by arguing that even amongst individuals that are
non-religious, transcendence and connectedness are potentially powerful
experiences that can be gained through tourism activities.