Pursuit of well-being and masochism: why do tourists voluntarily consume pain and negative emotions?[Quête de bien-être et masochisme : pourquoi les touristes consomment-ils volontairement de la douleur et des émotions négatives ?]

Numerous marketing studies stipulate that negative emotions during consumption lead to undesirable reactions, such as dissatisfaction (Phillips and Baumgartner, 2002) and complaints (Zeelenberg and Pieters, 2004). In the tourism sector, rooted in the hedonistic perspective, the consumption of tourism experiences and destinations is based on the bipolarity hypothesis that negative and positive emotions are mutually exclusive (Babin et al., 1998) and that negative emotions detract from the tourism experience (Kim et al., 2021). While this research is relevant, it fails to capture the reasons why some people actively and voluntarily engage in tourist experiences involving negative emotions and/or physical pain. Thanks to four participant observations conducted during various tourism and leisure experiences (at Ryumon Ji Zen Temple, La Frappadingue, Explora Project and the Panik Room escape game), we have shown that, under certain conditions, pain and negative emotions represent a necessary step towards the perception of personal benefits, particularly in terms of fun, eudemonic well-being or social bonding. The results of this research will give rise to recommendations for tourism and leisure professionals, enabling their customers to satisfy their quest for fulfillment and pleasure through emotionally and physically challenging experiences.