Phenomenological approach in tourism studies

Tourism studies globally, and specifically in Iran have been mainly based on positivistic approach and quantitative techniques. Adopting new insight, perception and definitions in the field of tourism based on the idea that people have their own feelings, values and insight (personal) toward surrounding phenomena and that they can make a precise presentation of them, necessitates taking qualitative and interpretive approach in tourism studies. Phenomenology with the emphasis on humanistic and experimental dimension of tourism, provides researchers the opportunity to look at tourism from those who are experiencing it; tourists’ point of view. This article reviews some highly referenced papers in order to show how phenomenology, specifically in hermeneutic, interprets tourists’ experience and that how social science researchers can apply phenomenology to their tourism studies.