Abstract:
This conceptual paper explores the nexus between travel and learning; an area of
investigation long neglected by tourism researchers. Using Aristotle’s concepts of phronesis,
techne and episteme a framework for the major areas of literature dealing with touristic learning
are considered and opportunities and challenges for expanding the boundaries of
knowledge are explored. Key proposals are: learning resulting from tourist experiences is
likely to be highly personal and strongly tied to individual interests, motivations and prior
knowledge; the nature of learning from a tourist experience only emerges over space and
time; and long-term meanings created by tourists are likely to be strongly influenced by
their perceptions of how these experiences satisfy identity-related needs and expectations.
