Shifting from Individual Opulence to Collective Well-Being: Replacing Luxury and Tourism as Human Stains by Nurturing a Positive Anthropocene

Abstract

While prior research describes the transformation of luxury from a micro level with an individualistic focus to a macro level with a sustainable foundation, this study anticipates that a radical reconfiguration of individualistic-focused luxury and tourism to a meta level well-being perspective is necessary for nurturing a positive Anthropocene. Therefore, the study constructs the perspective that luxury and tourism can contribute to environmental and human well-being, which is transformative from an individualistic, dolce vita, luxury travel Zeitgeist (i.e., complementing Roth's tragedy, The Human Stain) to collective well-being that is authentic and holistically encompassing the entire ecosystem. The analyses here indicate that human attitudes, beliefs, and actions must change radically in configurations to embrace this meta-level luxury and tourism perspectives. The theoretical and practical reconfigurations include shifting from being selfish to generous, temporal to everlasting, exclusive to inclusive, hubris to humility, and linear to circular.