Mental health rescue effects of women's outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery

Highlights

• Women's walking-in-nature tourism products generate psychotherapeutic benefits.

• New tourism-nature-health theoretical paradigm, large-scale empirical support

• Novel findings: psychological rescue, missing life component, flow-on to family

• Valuable in recovery from mental health deterioration during COVID-19 lockdowns

• Future research: men, singles, children, retirees, other countries and cultures

Abstract

Mental and social health outcomes from a portfolio of women's outdoor tourism products, with ~100,000 clients, are analysed using a catalysed netnography of >1000 social media posts. Entirely novel outcomes include: psychological rescue; recognition of a previously missing life component, and flow-on effects to family members. Outcomes reported previously for extreme sports, but not previously for hiking in nature, include psychological transformation. Outcomes also identified previously include: happiness, gratitude, relaxation, clarity and insights, nature appreciation, challenge and capability, and companionship and community effects. Commercial outdoor tourism enterprises can contribute powerfully to the wellbeing of women and families. This will be especially valuable for mental health recovery, following deterioration during COVID-19 coronavirus lockdowns worldwide.