Self-transformation through mountain cycling : tourists’ emotional experiences and geographical imaginations

Abstract

Mountain cycling tourism is a popular niche, attracting individuals to enjoy natural scenery and adventure sports. This study explored cyclists' experiences of mountain cycling tourism and their geographical imaginations through constructivist thematic analyses, with data collected via netnography and in-depth interviews. The study drew on flow and life course theories as an interpretive framework, and revealed four themes related to cyclists' emotional experiences: contextual guidance, embodied cognition, interweaving emotions, and cycling space production. Tourists’ understanding and meaning-making of mountain cycling involve trajectory (metaphor) of life stages, changes in attitude, emotional upliftment, and persistent thinking. This study extends the concepts of place meaning and geographic imagination to the sports tourism field, providing new perspectives on and expanding the scope of geographic imagination studies. Practical implications of the study for destination marketing are reflected in terms of experience management, and product and facility offerings.