Ultra-orthodox jewish tourism: A differential passage out of a sociocultural bubble to the "open space"

This study looks at travel expectations, requirements, and consumer behavior of three groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews known as "Haredim," who are trapped between their own motivations and travel needs and those of the secular society surrounding them. This study postulated that since each subgroup within this unique community is different in its socioeconomic, cultural, and religious characteristics, it will reveal a significantly different set of travel expectations and consumer behavior patterns. The study made use of the Value Stretch methodology integrated into three focus groups, which were conducted with three Haredi subgroups, namely, Sefaradim, Lithuanians, and Hasidim. These focus groups were accompanied by in-depth interviews with tour operators and some individual participants of the focus groups. Findings show that travel motivations, needs, and prerequisite travel expectations of these three subgroups are differential. Apparently, geographical proximity to secular communities and level of conformity to the Haredi lifestyle are the leading factors that shape this differential pattern.