This paper investigates the role of emotion in the ethical choice
processes of tourists. Specifically, it explores how hedonism is
experienced and the links between hedonic experiences and intentions
for future ethical behaviour. It adopts an interpretative phenomenological
analysis (IPA) approach to examine the experience
of emotion in self-defined ethical tourists’ consumption of places.
The findings highlight that emotionally charged experiences are
powerful motivators of consumers’ ethical choice. It identifies the
role hedonism plays in rationalizing and reinforcing current and
intended ethical behaviour. Finally, the paper discusses the importance
of emotional experiences as a source of hedonic value in
engaging individuals in consumption encounters