Mountain climbers' connectedness to nature and happiness: the roles of immersion and inspiration

The association between connectedness to nature and happiness has been investigated in studies on nature-based recreation. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Drawing upon the concept of ecological self, the present study investigated the associations among connectedness to nature, immersion, tourist inspiration, and happiness and explored the mediating roles of immersion and tourist inspiration in the context of mountaineering. We surveyed 359 mountain climbers who climbed high-altitude mountains in Taiwan. The results revealed that the direct path from connectedness to nature to happiness was nonsignificant. Connectedness to nature indirectly affected happiness through immersion and tourist inspiration, and the tourist inspiration had a stronger mediating influence than immersion. This study contributes to the literature by identifying two variables - immersion and tourist inspiration - that mediate the relationship between connectedness to nature and happiness. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.