Outdoor tourism to escape social surveillance: health gains but sustainability costs

We analyse motivations and perspectives of outdoor tourists and tourism stakeholders in the Islamic Republic of Iran. We use semi-structured qualitative interviews, and interpretivist grounded theory, with basic and axial coding and fine-scaled differential narrative analysis. We distinguish three principal tourist segments, seeking: exhilaration through adventure; enjoyment of nature; and escape from cultural restrictions and associated social surveillance. The nature and adventure segments behave as ecotourists, and gain improved eudaimonic wellbeing. Nature tourists gain psychological restoration through calm and tranquil nature contemplation. Adventure tourists gain psychological recharge through challenge and achievement. The escape segment, in contrast, aims for hedonic wellbeing, is heedless of its social and ecological impacts, and does not behave as ecotourists. It adopts an ecotourism disguise, to avoid being observed as it flouts expected cultural norms. It uses unauthorised and clandestine logistics providers, creating substantial management obstacles for authorised commercial outdoor tour providers. Temporary escape from social surveillance generates mental health gains as a psychological safety valve for the tourists concerned, but their behaviour imposes unsustainable costs on local communities, natural environment, nature and adventure tourists, and outdoor tourism operators. These costs reduce the net social economic gains achieved from the mental health benefits of outdoor tourism.