“Are We There Yet?”: Mindful Consumption and Tourist Behavior in the Post-COVID World

Although tourism is commonly regarded as less damaging to the environment than other industries, its widespread presence and size have already resulted in negative impacts. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to shift the consumption mindset toward mindful tourism. By promoting responsible tourism growth, mindfulness-driven travel could mitigate the detrimental effects of tourism. This study aims to investigate the attitudes of urban Indian tourists toward mindfulness and mindfulness-driven tourism consumption following the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was deployed to collect data through semi-structured interviews featuring open-ended questions to achieve this objective. The questionnaire will be administered to 20 respondents to attain theoretical saturation. The researchers aim to ascertain whether compassion and meaningful experiences motivate the new-age Indian traveler when visiting tourist destinations.