A phenomenological study of the learning experience of children in rural tourism destinations

Increasing the level of awareness and knowledge of children is one of the families’ main goals and concerns. Informal learning through communication, experience, and objective observation during tourism can be one of the appropriate methods in this field. Particularly tourism in rural environments is a new, tangible, empirical, and observational experience. In this study, using a phenomenological approach, the learning experiences of 22 children in rural tourism destinations in the vicinity of the metropolis of Mashhad, Iran were interpreted through interviews and paintings. The descriptive phenomenological approach is a good qualitative method for studying children’s tourism experiences. Also, analysis of paintings and interviews conducted with children studied in rural tourism destinations showed that the experience of tourism outside the city, viewing life and activity in villages, observing other tourists, and playing in nature, led to the formation and increase of children’s learning. It is about taking responsibility, self-confidence, socialization, respect nature, tolerance, and patience, fostering creativity, and self-protection. The findings show that travel and tourism have a significant impact on increasing children’s environmental and social learning and can be an appropriate guide for parents of children and schools related to raising children in the use of tourism in rural areas as a way of environmental, experimental and observational learning. Thus, informal learning through tourism is a good way to develop children’s awareness and various skills such as familiarity with rural lifestyles, occupations and animals and plants, touching objects, the true size of phenomena, understanding environmental realities, communicating with others.