Expériences touristiques, flamenco et hapax existentiel

Every year many tourists visit Andalusia to practise flamenco. However, little information is available on the ways in which this art is practised. The objective of this article is to describe the nature of the tourist experience for flamenco enthusiasts who have come to Seville to practise dancing, singing, and guitar. Grounded theory helped to highlight four main themes, namely personal crisis, emotional experiences, self-discovery, and eudemonism. These themes lend the tourist experience a character akin to existential hapax, a defining and seminal moment in an individual’s existence which will influence his or her path in a sustainable manner. Contrary to the dominant discourse where tourism is seen as a purely hedonistic pursuit, this article sees the tourist experience as a eudemonistic project; that is, a project characterised by the feeling of a happy life lived in harmony with oneself.