Returning home

This chapter takes a closer look at the returning home experience of tourists. The restorative benefits of holidays to health and well-being are considered, for example positive effects on mood, quality of sleep, and overall life satisfaction. Both for short- and long-term holidays, tourists can face challenges in re-integrating into their home society, a process that is often referred to as reverse culture shock or re-entry crisis. The chapter employs various concepts to augment the understanding of the tourists in dealing with their post-holiday blues when returning home such as the fade-out effect and contrast effect. The chapter also considers the timing of the fade-out effect and looks at ways the returning tourist can manage or fail to manage their holiday benefits. The chapter also considers the negative souvenirs that tourists may bring home from their holiday including sunburn, insect bites and sexually transmitted diseases, which may affect tourists long after their holiday has finished.