Spirituality Studies 11-2 Fall 2025 5 Vivien Iacob et al. mindfulness and tourism well-being, considering cognitive and affective well-being and the mediation effect of spirituality on this relationship. It is important to note that the study of variables such as mindfulness, spirituality, happiness, satisfaction, and well-being may represent a research challenge since there is no consensus on the definition of these concepts. In addition, some concepts, such as happiness, satisfaction, and well-being, are not well differentiated in the literature and have been used interchangeably (Filep and Laing 2019; Pearce 2009). For this reason, and since studies exploring the relationships between these concepts are scarce, this study aims to fill this gap and contribute to scientific progress in this field. This study investigates the direct and indirect relationships among mindfulness, spirituality, and tourism well-being, operationalized through Affective Well-Being (AWB) and Cognitive Well-Being (CWB), by testing a mediation model in which spirituality serves as a mediator between mindfulness and tourism well-being. The study aims to clarify these relationships and contribute to the scientific understanding of how mindfulness and spirituality jointly influence tourism well-being. The subsequent section presents the theoretical background of mindfulness, tourism well-being, and spirituality. The conceptual model is proposed based on the literature review presented. 2 Literature Review 2.1 Mindfulness Mindfulness has received greater attention in Western culture after the accomplishment and proven effectiveness of the Mindfulness Based-Stress Reduction (MBSR) program developed by Kabat-Zinn (1982). Although there is no consensus about the definition of mindfulness, for this study’s purposes, the definition promoted by Kabat-Zinn (2014) will be considered; mindfulness could be defined as an awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose, in a particular way to the present moment nonjudgmentally. Emotions play a central role in all aspects of human experience, including interaction with other individuals and contexts (Lazarus 2006). Mindfulness involves moment-to-moment awareness and observing emotions rather than controlling them. As emotions are part of everyday life, it’s essential to highlight the significance of awareness in the present moment, allowing individuals to recognize their emotions. Some mechanisms of mindfulness, including emotion regulation, lead to significant changes that facilitate positive emotions, self-compassion, and acceptance of growth (Gu et al. 2019). Emotion regulation involves managing emotions over time and responding appropriately to situational demands (Gross 2013). Thus, by developing mindfulness skills, individuals can bring a new perspective on their emotions, allowing for better emotion regulation. Mindfulness researchers report various long-term positive effects, including increased well-being, compassion (Baer et al. 2012), quality of life, and decreased depression, anxiety, and stress (Grossman et al. 2004). Whether psychologically healthy or not, every individual benefits from practicing mindfulness (Lazaridou et al. 2016). It seems that mindfulness has an essential role in numerous aspects of our lives, especially in well-being-related factors. As Klussman et al. (2020) argue, mindfulness could strongly and consistently predict well-being. Some researchers suggested a positive relationship between mindfulness and spiritual well-being (Bester et al.
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