Research on the formation process and elements of the solo tourist’s well-being based on the grounded theory

Although the single group and the single economy have increased rapidly, the growing group of tourists-solo tourists has been neglected by scholars for a long time. This paper takes them as the research object and explores their happiness via travel. Based on the network text data, the paper finds that the formation of solo tourists' well-being can be divided into three stages, which are the anticipation before traveling alone, the experience during travel, and the happiness precipitation after traveling alone. The well-being of ST is a complex concept which includes 8 categories. There are similarities and differences between the happiness of solo tourists and that of ordinary tourists. The pleasure is the same as ordinary tourists' well-being. The sense of escape, meaning of life, and gain are similar and different. The sense of control, reality, freedom, and ease are the unique facts of ST's well-being. The research reveals the formation process of ST's well-being and the richness of their connotations, providing a theoretical basis for stimulating the well-being of the unique group and enriching and expanding the research results of tourism well-being.