Psychological tourism as a direction of integrative psychology.

Psychological tourism (psi-tourism) is a new and rapidly developing direction of modern tourism. Its appearance is due to the intense rhythm of human life, especially in large cities, which constantly keeps you in suspense and does not allow you to relax for a moment. Stress, haste, vanity, noise have a destructive effect on both the physical and mental health of each of us. It is not always possible to fully recover on weekends. The only hope left is a vacation. How to do it? At sea or to work on your development? Why not combine both? Psychological tourism has appeared to help those who want not just to relax, but also to improve themselves.

What does psychological tourism include?

Psychological tourism is a specially developed technology for restoring and maintaining human psychological health in the modern world. It is known that the nervous system and the human body as a whole are overworked not only and not so much by mental and physical work, but also by the emotions received throughout life. Poor mood, anger, fear, and other negative emotions deprive a person of vigor, lead to loss of strength, loss of mental balance, and depression.

Sometimes, in order to free yourself from this, to reboot, you need to leave, completely relax and gain new emotions, new knowledge, acquire new skills in order to put life on a completely different track. The combination of an interesting holiday with the acquisition of useful psychological skills is psychological tourism. During this period, a person can both relax and learn, for example, effective communications, quick relaxation skills, and time management.

Forms of psychological tourism

Today there are many forms of psychological tourism.

This and trips to the mountains with a guide and psychologist.

These are trips to various resorts where vacation is accompanied by interesting trainings.

This ecotourism, where a person immerses himself in nature and at the same time learns some psychological skills. In such programs they usually live in tents and exclusively in purely natural conditions.

There is also more civilized tourism: in modern cities with an excursion program and accompanying training.

Ideal psychological tourism is:

Combining relaxation and travel to interesting places with knowledge of the world of the soul, getting to know the hidden power inside each of us.

Usually a group of people is supervised by a specialist who draws up a program of meditations and trainings that help them achieve a state of harmony, help them completely relax and get rid of negativity.

Effective psychological tourism consists of rest, training, psychological relief, unlocking one’s potential and development.

In a short time, a person can both have a good rest and learn, for example, meditation, communication skills, energy breathing, etc.

As a rule, upon returning home after a properly selected course, a person feels a surge of energy, strength, is emotionally, physically and spiritually renewed, filled with fresh ideas and a willingness to create and achieve new goals.

The atmosphere both in the family and at work improves, because the very perception of life changes, the body’s energy resources are restored, and ineffective behavior strategies are corrected.

tourist psychological interactive

Elements of psychology in tourism

Tourism psychology refers to social psychology, more precisely, to that part of it that studies the relationships between people during vacations and explores the motivations associated with tourist migrations and services. It can be said that applied tourism psychology studies behavior in connection with the economic, social, labor and cultural aspects of tourism activities. One of the most important factors in the work of any travel agency is understanding what clients want. You should understand the reason that prompted them to choose this or that tour, their expectations from the trip. In other words, understand the full range of motives. The most popular theory is the theory of human needs motivation by A. Maslow. In his works “Motives and Personality” and “The Theory of Human Motivation”, a pyramid of needs is substantiated, at the base of which are the most fundamental, and at the top are personal ones. The hierarchy of needs is outlined by him as follows:

- all human needs can be grouped into five large groups in the form of a pyramid. After one need is satisfied, another takes its place. The highest needs are the most difficult to satisfy;
- in order for motivation to satisfy a particular need to arise, it is necessary to satisfy a need located at a lower rank. When a need arises, the body automatically tries to satisfy it by creating adequate behavior; Need satisfaction is a very important factor and determines behavior.

Let's consider human needs according to A. Maslow:

1) physiological primary needs are of greatest importance for a person. When these needs are largely satisfied, the base of the pyramid can generate motivation to satisfy needs at higher levels;
2) security needs are aimed at seeking protection against danger or any threat. They may be physical (accidents) or economic (economic instability or unemployment);
3) relationship, or social, needs become important when a person is confident in his well-being and safety. It becomes important for a person to be perceived by other people, to be a member of a group, to achieve recognition;
4) psychological needs - respect or self-love - relate to the status of communication with others, the desire for knowledge and success. At this level of values there is trust and recognition from others. By satisfying this need, the individual strives for self-affirmation and independence;
5) the needs of self-expression and development associated with the internal state of a person are at the top of the pyramid. These are the needs of creation and the realization of one's own self. For implementation, significant internal potential and a high cultural level are required. According to Maslow, all steps of this pyramid must be completed gradually. Also, a person can simultaneously be at several levels at the same time, but this does not mean that the needs in everyday life are satisfied 100% when moving to each higher level. A. Maslow believes that the needs are satisfied (on average): physiological - by 80%, safety - by 70%, social - by 50%, psychological - by 40% and self-expression - by 100%.

- physical motivation on vacation: sports, recreation on the beaches, training related to health promotion, etc. All these motivations have a common aspect: to reduce fatigue and tension through active physical activity and thus achieve a new physical state through rest.
-cultural motivations can be identified as the desire to get to know other areas of the country with a different culture, history, and architecture.
-social motivations, or relationships between people, include the desire to meet new people and visit friends.
-motivations for changing activities or geographic locations involve getting out of the routine associated with work or everyday activities, moving to a new geographic environment.
- motivations for status and prestige are associated with a person’s “I” and his personal development. These motives may be associated, for example, with business travel, trips to congresses, or study. The desire for recognition, attention and a good reputation can be satisfied very widely and deeply through travel.
-entertainment motivation is associated with the desire to have fun (dancing, sports, music, walks).

The psychology of tourist needs covers the study of all psychological aspects of the client: his behavior, motivation, desires, cultural and other needs based on:

- motivation and desires of the tourist;
- typology of tourist clientele;

Travelers can be classified according to the types identified by the American psychologist Stanley Plog:

Psychocentrics (concentrate on themselves) and egocentrics (extroverted behavior). Psychocentrics prefer: to travel with families in strictly defined places; active joint recreation in familiar areas; resorts where there is a lot of sun and good quality of relaxation; little activity; places that can be reached by car; tourist comfort with a developed network of hotels, restaurants, shops; home environment (familiar cuisine, family atmosphere, absence of foreigners); a complete package of very intensive excursions.

Egocentric people prefer active and varied entertainment; adventures and thrills in life; travel to satisfy curiosity. The greatest attraction is seen in underdeveloped tourist areas. They try to make maximum use of air transport and are demanding about living conditions and good nutrition. For them, “modernity”, or more precisely, following fashion, is not necessary, since they are not interested in promoted, “hackneyed” resorts and attractions. They prefer to get acquainted with a new culture and communicate with foreigners. If there are excursions in the program, they do not accept strict schedules and require the maximum degree of freedom and independence. Adaptation of this classification on Russian soil is a controversial and difficult issue. And we will not be able to give unambiguous answers for a long time, since the constantly traveling stratum of society, firstly, is small, and secondly, is still in a state of forming preferences.

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What is psychological tourism?

The modern pace of life, frequent stress, vanity lead to a rapid waste of energy, and the inability to rest properly and lack of time for rest aggravate the situation: human health is deteriorating. Psychological tourism, the purpose of which is the harmonization of the human condition, self-development and self-improvement, can help to recover. Psitourism allows you to take a break from life and identify personal reserves for recovery.

It is known that a person gets tired both physically and emotionally. Negative emotions (anger, fear) deplete the nervous system, making it more vulnerable and sensitive to stress. Over time, performance decreases, and you have to put more effort into completing tasks, as the body gets tired and requires rest. Constant emotional stress disturbs mental balance and can lead to depression or other mental disorders, such as anxiety-phobic, obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic attacks, etc.

Psychological tourism promotes emotional “reboot” and relief from negative experiences. This is an interesting trip where you can get new emotions, exciting experiences, and gain valuable knowledge and skills. Such tourism combines the pleasant and the useful: rest and acquisition of psychological skills of self-regulation, relaxation, development of the ability to manage personal time, effective communication. Typically the trip lasts 1-2 weeks.

Types of psychological tourism:

hike with a trainer-psychologist and guide,
trip abroad to undergo self-development training,
trip to a big city with excursions, trainings,
eco-tourism: knowledge of the surrounding world + self-knowledge and acquisition of new psychological skills. Most often, such tourists live in tents in nature.

The components of psitourism are: new knowledge, revelation of personal potential, emotional “reboot”, self-development, relaxation. The psitourism program is a combination of travel, outdoor recreation with personal development and self-knowledge.

This type of tourism allows you to leave worries and your usual way of life for a while and engage in knowledge of your soul and restoration in nature. Finding himself in a new environment, a person develops new adaptation strategies, meets new people, and learns new useful information from a psychologist. All this contributes to emotional relief, an opportunity to look at the world in a new way and explore previously unknown horizons.

Psychological tourism as relaxation for body and soul

Each trip has a main theme. It is closely intertwined with the choice of place of residence, excursions, sightseeing, etc. The topic of the trip is known in advance; the psychologist can slightly adjust the topic if the group requests it.

Usually a group consists of 12-14 tourists (this is the optimal number) and a trainer-psychologist. He draws up a psychological training program. The psychologist also works with each participant in the developmental journey to teach them how to get rid of bad and negative thoughts and master the skills of self-regulation and meditation. Trip organizers often travel with the group to make the trip more comfortable and well-planned.

What is included in the psychological tourism program?

The basis of psychological tourism is the basic provisions of Gestalt therapy. The main goal of this type of recreation is to gain inner harmony and psychological integrity, accept oneself, fill life with meaning, harmonize relationships with the world with the help of specially organized psychological assistance, trainings and classes. Psitourism uses many interesting techniques such as photo and video therapy, etc.

Psychological tourism programs often include:

Why is psychological tourism needed and what does it give a person?

Thus, psychological tourism is a new and effective way of recreation. It helps to get rid of psychological stress and restore a person’s working capacity, expands the horizons of personal development, develops the ability to take responsibility for organizing one’s life and way of thinking, and contributes to the acquisition of new effective coping strategies and skills to cope with stressful situations. This is a great opportunity to relax, develop and get to know yourself.

Psychological tourism is a fundamentally new direction of tourism, which is becoming more and more popular every day. This phenomenon is due to the fact that many people living in large cities are forced to constantly be stressed due to the frantic pace of the metropolis. Vanity, noise, inability to rest and constant haste, without a doubt, have a very negative impact on a person’s physical and emotional state. Moreover, weekends do not bring adequate relief, since they are not enough for a person to fully rest. Psychological tourism can be a way out of this situation. If you are hesitating between a week of self-development or a vacation at sea, then you should choose both. After all, psychological tourism was created in order to combine two imaginary alternatives and demonstrate the real benefits of travel for humans.

What is psychological tourism

Psychological tourism (psitourism) is aimed at restoring the psychological state of a person, surrounded most of the time by worries and problems. Such a vacation is simply necessary for those who are committed to constant development and improvement. A vacation in this format gives a person the opportunity to reveal his inner reserves and sets him up for positive achievements.

It's no secret that in addition to physical and mental stress, the human nervous system is also drained by emotions. Negative experiences such as anger, fear or bad mood make a person incapacitated, depriving him of strength and peace of mind. Often such emotional stress leads to depression. To get out of this “swamp” a person needs to make an emotional “reboot”, which means an interesting trip in which he will learn something new and acquire previously unknown skills. New emotions and impressions, received during the trip, will direct your life along a more harmonious path. If you relax and gain psychological skills at the same time, then upon arrival you will observe positive changes in yourself. A week or two is the ideal period to master time management, quick relaxation skills, or effective communication. The choice is yours.

Currently, there are a large number of variations of psychological tourism. Among them:

Hiking with a psychologist and guide;
A trip abroad, which includes the opportunity to undergo any training;
Eco-tourism, which allows a person to understand the world around him and gain useful psychological skills. In most cases, eco-tourists stay in tents in the middle of nature;
A trip to a major city, accompanied by interesting excursions and trainings.

It is worth remembering that effective psitourism implies relaxation, mastering knowledge, unlocking human potential, psychological “reboot” and self-development. Ideally, relaxation should be harmoniously combined with travel, new acquaintances and the development of inner strength.

How is the psitourism program organized?

Often, each trip is formed in one contextual key. There is a main theme of travel, which is harmoniously woven into all the details of the trip, such as accommodation, activities, excursions, and choice of attractions.

The optimal number of psitourists is from 12 to 14 people. The group is led by a qualified trainer-psychologist. This person creates a program of training and meditation. He also helps each group member achieve harmony, relax and get rid of negative thoughts. In order for all psitourists to feel more comfortable, trip organizers usually travel with the group.

The fruits of psychological tourism:

Psychological tourism involves relaxation and psychological support at the same time. This concept includes a mandatory program of personal growth. A person discovers new spaces for self-knowledge and development. Psiturists enrich their inner world by being in new conditions.

In order to understand what is psychological tourism, you need to try this at least once. Don't hesitate, you will like it. It is not without reason that such leisure activities have become a real trend among lovers of personal self-development.

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