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Drugs and Tourists’ Experiences

Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Yaniv Belhassen

Eilat Campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

This study investigates the nature of drug-related tourist experiences from a phenomenological perspective. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with drug tourists and additional ethnographic data collected at various destinations of drug tourism, the empirical analysis yields four relevant insights: (1) drug-related tourist experiences are heterogeneous in nature and might involve either a pursuit of mere pleasure or a quest for profound and meaningful experiences; (2) for those who consume drugs for pleasure, the tourist experience is an intensified extension of their leisure routine; (3) the usage of drugs while traveling is not necessarily a form of escape from the reality of everyday life; and (4) the search for meaningful tourist experiences through drugs might involve the tourist’s attempt to engage in either "authentic" aspects of the local culture or drug-related subcultures.

Key Words: drug consumption • the tourist experience • cultural centers

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