Need a "Whycation"?

"Fans' strong emotional attachment to favorite characters and celebrities leads to a desire for proximity. Travel to locations significant to fandom helps fans feel like part of the story - a source of meaning. Fans describe these pilgrimages as providing a sense of homecoming to a place that is new but familiar. The location is invested with the symbolism of something special and sacred, no matter how mundane it seems."

"People who travel for fun tend to be happier than those who don't travel at all, but why? Several recent articles have suggested that for many people, traveling is not about going to a specific destination. Instead, tourists may be looking for an escape, or a sense of purpose and identity. Travel involves change, so it can be a way of getting "unstuck" from the same old routine. When you're somewhere different, you often feel like someone different, which can feel liberating."

"Tourism is about getting closer to a place that we love. For fans, that might not mean a beach, but a trip to Graceland or the real-world location that stood in for Westeros. Travel and tourism have been an integral part of fan communities for decades as they have trekked to conventions, concerts and sporting events, as well as other related locations which are meaningful to them. These locations may not be traditional travel destinations, but they fit the definition of "Whycation.""

Strong emotional attachment to favorite characters and celebrities motivates fans to seek physical proximity by visiting places associated with their fandom. These pilgrimages create feelings of homecoming to locations that are simultaneously new and familiar and impute symbolic, sometimes sacred, meaning to mundane sites. Many recreational travelers report greater happiness, often because travel offers escape, identity, and purposeful change. Travelers frequently prioritize the why of a trip over the where, a trend labeled "Whycation" and expected to grow. Fan tourism encompasses conventions, concerts, sporting events, and visits to filming locations and memorial sites, making nontraditional destinations significant and culturally meaningful.

Read at Psychology Today