Kollar, L: Personal Development and Tourism

The characteristic style of modern life, thus the constant presence of technology, stress, the pressure to person, artificial realities & an increasing scarcity of natural resources gave birth to new trends in the demand for tourism & leisure time activities. The reduction of natural resources due to urbanisation of habitats & the velocity of life seems to create the need to take short breaks in regular intervals & spend time in nature, or in connection with nature-based activities to compensate for the alienation. Which trends occur in tourism due to underlying socio-economic developments? Is there a market for natural, sense-making activities, which support escapism & leave the consumer with an experiences to grow rather than an ‘experience to show‘? Can nature experiences serve as a medium for tourist s personal development? What are the economical benefits in respecting the consumer‘‘s personal development? The author, Lilli Kollar, evaluates socio-economic developments that influence tourism demand in the course of the 21st century & comes up with a proposal for product diversification in the (nature) tourism industry.