No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
Wellness Tourism: Retreat Visitor Motivations and Experiences
Tourism Recreation Research
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of visitors who engage with retreat tourism, a specialty subsector of wellness tourism. Retreats are usually centres or venues with a pre-prescribed aim of providing a combination of activities, practices and treatments aimed to balance body, mind and spirit in calming, supportive contexts. Wider research has been conducted in recent years on health and wellness tourism, which usefully gives an overview of product and tourist typologies. More in-depth research is presented here, beyond the spa and medical sectors, which have gained the most attention to date. The aim of this work follows on from the author's previous work on retreat operators, to give insight this time to the retreat visitor. Analyses of visitor profiles, characteristics, motivations and behaviours are presented. Methodologically, interviews, questionnaires, participant observation and secondary content analysis are all used to survey retreat participants in different countries. A combination of purpose-built, temporary venues and multi-location retreat companies were sampled to give a breadth of touristic experience. Visitor perspectives on preferred activities, operational issues, regulation and feedback about their experiences are presented within their own right and also within the context of wider wellness tourism, for comparative purposes. Research findings indicate important differences between retreat visitors and general tourists in terms of the often very personal experiences encountered, and therefore the concomitant responsibility of the sector to provide quality instructors and adequate care. The dearth of prior research on this specific special interest tourism niche allows for this work to fill an existing gap in the research literature.
... These discussions frame our case study as we introduce the research group and outline the goals, design and implementation of our research retreat. Furthermore, the case study details our experiences of sensing and serving the subjunctive mood of the research retreat (Plancke, 2020), the role self-directed and emergent explorations played (Kelly, 2012), and how inhabiting the lifeworlds of the retreat cultivated an enduring sense of community (Glouberman and Cloutier, 2017). The closing section offers critical reflections to acknowledge the blurriness, complexities and challenges of research retreats. ...
... To better understand research retreats as an immersive fieldwork methodology, we consider how retreats, more broadly, are experienced and conceived. Catherine Kelly (2012), specializing in the growing field of retreat tourism, observes that retreats and notions of 'being on retreat' are commonly associated with contextualized forms of deep self-reflection. She argues that tourism retreats: ...
... Notably, ideas about what it means to be on retreat were embedded in the objectives. For example, the first objective facilitated self-reflection and self-determined sharings and learnings (Kelly, 2012). The second objective provided opportunities to hone and develop knowledge and practices (Kelly and Smith, 2017). ...
Retreats are frequently examined as an ethnographic field to investigate a range of phenomena that occurs while on retreat. This process involves the researcher/s entering the lifeworlds of the retreat. Through immersion in lifeworlds, ethnographers derive insights into the how, what and why within retreat settings. However, designing and facilitating retreats as a method of ethnographic inquiry does more than this. There is not only immersion in lifeworlds but an active co-creation of them. This article presents a case study of a retreat designed for the primary purpose of conducting ethnographic research. The retreat brought together five self-identifying women to explore their storied experiences of belonging. This article shows how the retreat not only provided the setting but dynamically shaped the research. We argue that research retreats are an inclusive way of conducting ethnographic research that attunes and attends to relationally embodied collective meaning-making processes involved in crafting lifeworlds.
... It's defined as the state where people attain balance in mental, spiritual, and physiological health overall by participating in healthful and fulfilling activities (Liao et al., 2023). According to Kelly (2012), wellness tourists have different priorities when it comes to seeking or maintaining well-being. Some individuals are focused on maintaining their current health, while others seek stress relief. ...
... Some respondents have experienced a focused mind and awareness through wellness tourism (Kelly, 2012). They explained how wellness tourism enables them to focus their minds on important things and provides the opportunity for clear and deep understanding, ultimately helping them to be more productive (Dillette et al., 2021). ...
... Digital distractions also make some people more stressed, but wellness centers have shown how this mental stress can be reduced, allowing tourists to get away from these distractions and become individuals with focused minds. The results showcase that participating in these activities promotes mental and emotional well-being (Cohen et al., 2017;Kelly, 2012;Sthapit et al., 2023;Thal, 2015). As we know, this is the need of the hour to help Gen Z come out of stress and feel focused and present in the moment. ...
Wellness tourism has emerged as a prominent source of healing and stress relief, significantly enhancing the tourist experience. This present study aims to analyze the mindfulness journey of Generation Z (Gen Z) during their visits to wellness centers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eligible participants who had spent a week or stayed longer at wellness centers or retreat spots, and data was collected using purposive sampling techniques. Data analysis was performed using NVivo (14), employing thematic and content analysis methods to achieve research objectives. The study identifies five key factors influencing the mindfulness experience at wellness centers: spirituality, nature connectedness, focus mind, self-awareness and thoughts regulation. The findings contribute to understanding the emerging market segment, i.e., Gen Z, and their mindfulness experience during visits to wellness centers. Furthermore, the study offers theoretical insights into the factors that shape Gen Z's experiences while visiting wellness centers, enabling service providers to enhance their offerings and ensure better tourist experiences according to the preferences of Gen Z tourists.
... Figure 4 visually shows the organization by continent. Some articles were listed in multiple codes given that some publications, such as the works of Smith and Puczkó (2015) and Kelly (2012), based their research findings from various countries. The majority of the publications related to THT were conducted in Asia, with a total of 17 articles. ...
... Ayurveda has been discussed in three articles and stands as a traditional Indian system of medicine (Muralidhar & Karthikeyan, 2016;Swain & Sahu, 2008;Vijayakumar & Rao, 2005). Other activities and services related to THT that are emerging include fitness-related services and wellness retreat services, where practices such as "Tai chi" are highlighted (Huang & Xu, 2014;Kelly, 2012). One of the emerging concepts in THT is the therapeutic landscape (Dinu et al., 2010;Huang & Xu, 2018). ...
... Natural resources serve as attractions for wellness tourists seeking wellness experiences. Another main driving factor is social and cultural factors, which include factors such as the experience of foreign culture (Kim et al., 2011) and social bonding (Kelly, 2012). Islam (2014) discussed the importance of Chinese culture in THTs, which holds importance among tourists. ...
This systematic literature review explores the research stream of traditional health tourism (THT) by covering a time frame of two decades. This research aimed to identify the key research areas and themes in the THT literature and proposed a research framework for further investigation. A total of 29 selected articles were analyzed and classified into seven categories, which included national contexts, products and services, driving factors, challenges in the development of THT and so forth. The analysis of the selected articles involved providing a descriptive analysis of the articles, followed by discussion of the content of the articles according to the themes. Additionally, gaps were identified in the literature on THTs. The research framework proposed in this review comprises eleven recommendations, which act as a roadmap for future investigations, encouraging researchers to engage in cross-cultural analyses, mixed-methods studies, and further investigations into different critical factors that affect THT. Thus, the review has significant implications because it provides a future research agenda, and the practical implications can be extended to the tourism industry and policymakers.
... GWI (2021) defines wellness tourism as travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one's personal well-being. Wellness tourist motivation relates to travelling that improves well-being through physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual activities simultaneously touching one's body, mind, and spirit (Bočkus et al., 2023b;Bushell & Sheldon, 2009;Chen et al., 2008;Kelly, 2012;Smith & Kelly, 2006;Smith & Puczkó, 2009;Voigt et al., 2011). These motivations can be categorised into hedonic-oriented (happiness and pleasure-seeking) and eudaimonic-oriented (psychological functioning and meaning-seeking) motivations, stressing broader philosophical and psychological discussions about happiness and the "good life" (Ryan & Deci, 2001). ...
... Wellness tourist motivation has been broadly studied across a wide range of wellness and spa settings, including motivations to travel for wellness (Chen et al., 2008;Kelly, 2012;Smith & Kelly, 2006) and, more specifically, the characteristics of wellness tourists (Voigt et al., 2011), wellness tourism motivation scales (Kessler et al., 2020;Voigt et al., 2010), market demand analysis (Mueller & Kaufmann, 2001;Smith & Kelly, 2006), and cross-cultural wellness tourist motivation (Bočkus et al., 2023b). Different types of wellness tourism have been studied, such as Alpine wellness (Pechlaner & Fischer, 2006), rural wellness (Pesonen & Komppula, 2010), lake wellness , Nordic well-being (Hjalager et al., 2011), forest-based well-being (Komppula et al., 2017), and, most recently, urban wellness Saari, 2022). ...
... Tourism scholars have been increasingly interested in the rise of positive psychology (Filep et al., 2022;Filep & Laing, 2019;Smith & Diekmann, 2017). Tourism knowledge related to this field has been growing over the last decades through a broad range of terms, including "wellness" (Bushell & Sheldon, 2009;Kelly, 2012;Smith & Kelly, 2006;Smith & Puczkó, 2009;Voigt et al., 2010;, "happiness" (Nawijn, 2011;Nawijn et al., 2010), and "hedonic" and "eudaimonic" well-being (Dillette et al., 2018;Filep et al., 2022;Kim & Yang, 2021;Konu, 2016;Lengieza et al., 2019;Rahmani et al., 2018;Voigt, 2016;Voigt et al., 2010;. ...
This paper examines the relationships between happiness, wellness tourist motivation, and tourism destinations among Finnish wellness travellers during crises, “the happiest country in the world”. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from
Finnish wellness travellers via a survey (n = 520) in fall 2021. The
findings highlighted that Finnish happiness is largely based on
eudaimonic-oriented meaning-seeking focusing on long-term
happiness rather than hedonic-oriented and short-term pleasure-seeking: relationships, nature, rest and relaxation, and health and
well-being. These motivations echo Finnish wellness travellers’
destination preferences: spas, urban destinations, national parks,
and outdoor recreation areas. This paper contributes to previous
tourism literature by providing the industry with new insights
into travel motivations and the sources of happiness, especially in
Finland.
... Therefore, a digital marketing strategy for Ancient Balinese Yoga should maintain a balance between attracting attention and maintaining authenticity. Kelly (2012) in Tourism Management analyzes trends in wellness tourism and emphasizes the importance of differentiation. Ancient Balinese Yoga can be positioned as a unique wellness experience which combine ancient yoga practices with Balinese local wisdom and immersive cultural experiences. ...
... The positioning of Ancient Balinese Yoga in the context of wellness tourism is a crucial aspect in the effort to make Bali a world centre for spiritual tourism. Kelly (2012) emphasizes the importance of differentiation in an increasingly competitive wellness market, where Ancient Balinese Yoga can highlight its uniqueness and authenticity as an ancient practice that has endured for centuries. Smith and Puczkó (2015) identified a trend towards wellness experiences that are more holistic and integrated with local culture, providing an opportunity for Ancient Balinese Yoga to position itself as an experience that not only nourishes the body but also enriches the soul through connection with Bali's spiritual heritage. ...
Background: Religion is often considered as a cause of environmental problems. In response to this pessimism, Buddhism through the philosophy of Dharma comes up as revolutionary perspective in shaping contemporary environmental development paradigm, a counter for modern Cartesian-Newtonian paradigm. This philosophy is embodied in the concept of paṭiccasamuppāda applied as “scalpel” on existing environmental problems. Methods: This research uses a qualitative case study to explore the revival of Ancient Balinese Yoga as a spiritual tourism destination. Data were collected through interviews, observations, document analysis, and FGDs. Data analysis included transcription, coding, thematic analysis, and contextual interpretation, with triangulation to validate findings. Findings: Currently, there are significant efforts to revive Ancient Balinese Yoga as a spiritual tourism destination in Bali. Especially with the increasing of global interest in wellness and spirituality, Bali has great potential to attract tourists seeking authentic spiritual experiences. This involves the restoration and revitalization of traditional practices, including the hosting of yoga retreats, spiritual training, and festivals featuring ancient aspects of Balinese yoga and meditation. The development of spiritual tourism based on Ancient Balinese Yoga focuses on maintaining the authenticity of the practice while adapting to the needs and expectations of modern tourists. Conclusion: By combining yoga training with cultural tours, spiritual seminars, and meditation programs, Bali can position itself as a major hub for global spiritual tourism. Reviving Ancient Balinese Yoga as a spiritual tourism destination also supports the preservation of Bali's cultural and spiritual heritage, provides economic benefits to local communities, and enriches the traveler’s experience with authentic spiritual depth. Novelty/Originality of this article: By bridging Buddhist philosophy with the revival of Ancient Balinese Yoga, this research offers a novel perspective on addressing contemporary ecological challenges, highlighting the interconnectedness of all life and proposing spiritual practices as essential components of sustainable development.
... Wellness tourists vary: some are seeking or attempting to maintain a sense of wellbeing and stress relief; some may be seeking to cure a specific illness. The majority are women (Kelly, 2012). The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) identifies two basic types of wellness tourists (GWI, 2020): ...
... The tourism-wellbeing relationship, wellness and health tourism, tourists' motivations for wellness tourism, the impact of tourism on tourists' and hosts' wellbeing and wellness tourism experiences have recently, and slowly, begun to be studied in academic research (Kelly, 2012;Lee et al., 2020;Page et al., 2017;Rodrigues et al., 2010;Suess et al., 2018;Voigt et al., 2011;etc). In other words, the body of tourism and leisure research is evolving. ...
In a time of rapid change for travel-related health interventions, this timely Handbook offers critical insights into the interrelationship between tourism, public health, and the wellbeing of local communities and tourists. Written with a global audience in mind, it features cutting-edge interdisciplinary research conducted by leading academics in tourism, public health, wellbeing, and social welfare.
Investigating the nexus between tourism and public health in an era of globalisation, tourism growth and COVID-19, this incisive Handbook rethinks the role of tourism in contemporary society. Chapters explore issues from medical tourism, spiritual health, and sustainability to wellness, social development, and disease outbreaks, providing key insights that will assist diverse stakeholders to better navigate this uniquely challenging time in travel and health promotion. The Handbook addresses the growing risks of international travel and considers how the tourism industry might evolve in the wake of COVID-19 and other crises afflicting modern society.
Cross-disciplinary in scope, this dynamic Handbook makes a crucial contribution to the literature on the consequences of tourism for public health. Its novel analyses of topics related to tourism, public health, wellbeing, and social welfare will be of significant benefit to tourism stakeholders, healthcare practitioners and policymakers.
... I dette arbeidet rådføres KMD av Nasjonalt geodataråd som representeres av medlemmer fra både privat og offentlig sektor. Geodataloven med tilhørende forskrift har som formål å sikre private samt offentlige aktører god og effektiv tilgang til offentlige geodata (Lovdata 2010;2012 (2015) geodata i en hierarkisk struktur over sju nivåer. Første nivå beskriver landformer, geologi og vannmasser. ...
... Det dreier seg ikke bare om helse og velvaere; både avslapning, deltakelse i flere ulike aktiviteter, rekreasjon og naturopplevelse er viktige motiver i denne sammenhengen. Og Kelly (2012) viser at både tradisjonelle og nye tilbud om «retreat» er i vekst internasjonalt. Hun fremholder at fred og ro på et attraktivt sted er en hovedsak, men mener også at aktiviteter er viktige for et slikt opphold. ...
... With the twenty-first century, the acceleration of globalisation has brought a new dimension to the concepts of health and travel (Labonté et al., 2011). In this period, people have brought a different perspective to medical tourism by combining health services with leisure and tourism activities, and the dynamics of wellness tourism have been reshaped (Gustavo, 2010;Kelly, 2012). ...
This research aims to evaluate the experiences of international tourists who travel to Türkiye for hair transplant procedures and the quality of services they encounter throughout this process. By analysing tourists’ perceptions through reviews on Trustpilot, the research identifies key service components that shape these experiences, shedding light on the multidimensional nature of hair transplant tourism. The research employs a content analysis approach to analyse online reviews collected from Trustpilot. This qualitative method allows for an in-depth understanding of tourists’ experiences with various aspects of hair transplant services in Türkiye, focusing on six main components. This research contributes to the medical tourism literature by providing a comprehensive model that encapsulates the full patient journey in hair transplant tourism. By highlighting the importance of interconnected service components, it offers practical insights for clinics and sector stakeholders to enhance patient experience. The research identifies that hair transplant procedures represent a multifaceted experience where each service component plays a crucial role in the overall journey. It was determined that the experiences of tourists travelling for hair transplantation consist of six main components, including ‘clinic and equipment quality’, ‘service quality’, ‘price-performance perception’, ‘transfer and accommodation services’, ‘fulfillment of expectations’, ‘follow-up processes’.
... For example, data from the Vietnam National administration of tourism shows a decline in international visitors to Vietnam during this period, dropping from 1,512,000 in January to 1,151,000 in July 2024 (administration, 2024). the root of this issue lies in the inherent nature of the tourism industry, where tourist decision-making is ultimately decisive, with their mt, sa, te, and perception playing crucial roles in forming re (Deb et al., 2024;He et al., 2023;Kelly, 2012;Kou & Xue, 2024;osei, 2022). Hence, exploring re in a complex construct of mt, sa, te, and perception is critical in developed countries as well as in emerging countries such as china, Vietnam, etc. ...
Despite the efforts of the government and managers to promote tourism in the context of the economic downturn, tourism recovery has been slow. Tourist revisit intention is a significant factor in considering tourist loyalty to a destination. This research seeks to investigate the mechanism of tourist revisit intention via the impact of eWOM as a substitute for tourism advertisements that have become too familiar and obscure. The cross-sectional research was carried out by convenience sampling with the involvement of 351 visitors in central Vietnam. The study evaluated the measurement model to ensure the suitability of the scales as well as assessed the structural model and tested the proposed hypotheses using SmartPls software. The research results indicated that eWOM significantly impacts tourist engagement (TE) and perceived value (PV), shedding light on tourist motivation (MT), satisfaction (SA), and revisit intention (RE). Notably, trade-offs (TR) related to monetary and non-monetary costs negatively moderate the association between PV and RE. The highlights of this study are the mediating influence of cognitive processes and the moderating influence of trade-offs, shaping RE in the current context.
... Spiritual resource in commodification is one of the various packages of activities in retreat tourism with the ability to improve the mental and physical quality of health (Aggarwal, Guglani, & Goel, 2008;Kunwar, 2020). Tourists' experiences of retreat tourism are related to reducing stress through tour guides, such as yoga and meditation (Kelly, 2012). The research in Mashhad (Shirmohammadi & Abyaran, 2019) noted that tranquility and health are the brand images of spiritual tourism which related to retreat tourism. ...
Bali tourism decrease in growth since March 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Irrespective of the decrease in growth, retreat tourism products still survive with a few numbers of tourist. This resilience occurs because it is categorized as a small-scale business. The facts led to explore the potential of retreat tourism as a new normal tourism, because it avoids of crowd and increase body immunity. This article aims are to explore the potentials of retreat tourism as a new normal tourism in Bali. The article uses tourism product planning theory and sustainability concept to describe the potential of retreat tourism as products of new normal tourism. This is based on qualitative research and qualitatively analyzed. The results showed that the retreat has the potential as a new normal tourism product, due to the provision of core health products, harmonized with the local community, local economy and environment. It means that the retreat tourism supports the new normal issue of tourism.
... Tourism is a multifaceted and diverse industry that involves individuals leaving their usual places of residence and work for various purposes, including relaxation, recreation, business, or personal reasons (Kelly, 2012;Javdan et al., 2023). The duration of their stay largely depends on the level of comfort and enjoyment they experience during their visit. ...
The tourism sector in Iran, specifically in Ardabil province, is facing challenges related to spatial organization, limited data, and methodological obstacles that hinder comprehensive development planning. Achieving balanced growth and addressing regional disparities by effectively ranking and equitably allocating tourism infrastructure is crucial for advancing tourism in the region. This study utilizes the TOPSIS model and a descriptive-analytic approach to evaluate tourism infrastructure in Ardabil province and promote sustainable zone development, despite data constraints and methodological complexities. The research highlights the importance of coordinating spatial organization and enhancing interactions among tourist destinations, despite challenges in data collection and methodology. Ranking tourism infrastructure across different regions within the province is essential for informed decision-making. Ardabil 0.672207538, Bilesavar 0.648904625, Khalkhal: 0.545977855, Pars Abad 0.579013247, Kosar 0.521208804, Sareyn 0.541886571, Meshkinshar 0.393576942, Moghan 0.367070217, Namin: 0.30225629, Nir 0.175678498. Ardabil and Sareyn are the top-ranked destinations based on the criteria used for town ranking. These findings emphasize the need for strategic interventions, investments, and the establishment of a more balanced and sustainable tourism industry in Ardabil province, despite limitations in data and methodology.
... Fourth, weather conditions are an external environmental factor that the industry cannot directly control, but they have a significant impact on the tourism experience in terms of satisfaction and perceived value (Coghlan & Prideaux, 2009). Good weather is a general expectation, but diverse weather conditions have a very complex impact on the wellness tourism experience (Coghlan & Prideaux, 2009;Kelly, 2012). Fifth, even wellness tourism focuses on mental and physical wellbeing, tourists look for sightseeing spots, experiences, and activities, especially higher on repeat visitors (Meera & Vinodan, 2019). ...
... Wellness tourism is defined as all phenomena arising from tourism activities conducted by tourists whose main purpose is health promotion, related facilities, or services (Kelly, 2015;Lim et al., 2016;Stará & Peterson, 2017). According to the Global Wellness Institute (2018), wellness tourism is currently a rapidly growing industry that shows a growth rate of about 6.5%, which is twice that of the general tourism industry. ...
This study was carried out to examine the wellness that tourists wanted to fulfill through wellness tourism and identify the relationship between tourists' perceived value and their future behavioral intentions. To perform this study, residents aged 20 or older living in Seoul who are interested in wellness tourism were surveyed, and a total of 401 valid responses were used for analyses. The findings suggest that particular attributes of wellness tourism had a positive relationship with ‘emotional value’ except ‘physical wellness’. Also, a positive relationship was observed between utilitarian value, epistemic value, and all particular attributes of wellness tourism.
... However, due to the difference in defining the concept of "health tourism", therefore, the study conducted with terms such as "wellness tourism" 4,5 and "medical and health tourism" 6 also fall within the scope discussion of this paper. To address this partial disagreement in understanding, some studies have focused on clarifying the characteristics 7,8 and historical development 9 of health tourism. Some specific studies in China and abroad have also covered various aspects of health tourism. ...
The evaluation index system is constructed based on the connotation and characteristics of health tourism. Using the entropy method, Thiel index, exploratory spatial data analysis method, spatial Markov chain and spatial econometric model, research is carried out around the development index, difference status, spatial-temporal pattern, dynamic evolution and influencing factors of health tourism. The following results were drawn: (1) The development index of health tourism in China is low, but the development speed is fast. The inter-regional development index shows an eastern China > central China > western China pattern, and the development speed exhibits a western China > central China > eastern China situation. (2) In the overall difference in China’s health tourism development, the intra-regional difference is consistently higher than the inter-regional difference. Among the three major regions, the overall difference between eastern China and western China is always higher than that of central China. (3) The development of health tourism in China is positively correlated in the global space, with some local spatial clustering. (4) The dynamic evolution of health tourism development in China shows part of the “Matthew effect” characteristics, with an obvious spatial spillover effect. (5) Various influencing factors produced widely varying direct, indirect and total effects on health tourism development in China, eastern China, central China and western China. Finally, based on the results of the above empirical analysis, policy recommendations to promote the development of health tourism in China are proposed.
... • Miscellaneous: these retreats are often located in landscapes which have specific connections to nature, for example, silent retreats in deserts or eco-retreats in jungles Kelly's (2012) research shows that the main motivations for going to retreats are to de-stress and unwind, as well as enhancing health more generally. Participants may want to improve a specific practice like yoga or seek spiritual and social benefits. ...
Regardless of their age, gender or cultural background, humans naturally graviate towards wanting to be well and are prepared to invest in the future of their wellness, including travelling to destinations where their wellness can be enhanced. This chapter demonstrates that the wellness tourism sector can offer a broad spectrum of educational, aesthetic, escapist or even entertaining experiences. These range from hedonic spa treatments offering relaxation and temporary stress relief to retreat programmes which can help to transform one's life and to develop new skills or spiritual practices which can be transcendent leading to a new sense of self and purpose. Different wellness experiences may be desired according to age and gender, cultural and religious background, as well as life-stage. In terms of experience creation, research on spa and wellness facilities highlights the importance of an attractive, clean environment and calm atmosphere, friendly empathetic staff and a smooth, reliable process. Wellness experiences can also be personalised, customised or co-created according to individual characteristics and personality traits or even the guest's mood at that moment. The chapter emphasises the need for innovative wellness experience creation as an important social and business proposition for many years to come.
... Retreats have traditionally afforded visitors a sanctuary to which they could escape from the monotony, stress and busyness of their everyday lives. Although their purpose is firstly rest and relaxation (Kelly, 2012), retreats ideally also provide some elements of hedonism or fun, combined with deeper eudaimonic practices which encourage self-development and transformation (Glouberman and Cloutier, 2017;Kelly and Smith, 2017). Some healing or health-enhancing complementary therapies are usually offered (Cohen et al., 2017) but the main focus is on emotional wellbeing or mental wellness. ...
... Travel is often regarded as an effective way to reduce the stress by enabling people to relax physically and emotionally (Chen et al., 2016;Io, 2021). Stress reduction, which is a common motivation for many tourists, has been identified as a primary cause and benefit in wellness studies (Kelly, 2012;Chen et al., 2013;Chen & Petrick, 2013;Hudson et al., 2017;Baloglu et al., 2019). Considering the specificities of resorts, Chien et al. (2012) showed the impact of travel motivation on intention to choose a beach-based resort. ...
Health-consciousness is an important reason for travelling to resorts that offer health and wellness services. Additionally, during stressful periods, health-consciousness may trigger de-stress motivation, which is another reason to travel to destinations that help exiting from the stressful conditions. The post-pandemic context presents a situation in which health-consciousness, together with de-stress motivation, could play an important role for travelling to nearby resorts, the services of which together with opportunities to socialize could be seen as desired objectives. However, evidence on the impact of de-stress motivation on desire and intention to travel in post-restriction period is scarce, presenting a notable research gap. This gap is addressed with modelling on the basis of goal-directed behaviour that predicts travelling with the consideration of travel desire and travel intentions. This study concentrates on the impact of health-consciousness and de-stress motivation on desire and intention to travel, with the analysis of data collected from 793 respondents in Lithuania. It was found that health-consciousness and de-stress motivation are positively related to each other and have a significant impact on both travel desire and intention.
... A wellness service or experience is offered through diverse facilities in the service sector, such as hot springs hotels Chi et al., 2020), retreat centers (Kelly, 2012), spiritual retreat centers, and lifestyle resorts (Voigt et al., 2010). A selection of empirical studies on wellness have mainly focused on exploring service quality based on physical attributes or the relevant activities perceived by wellness tourists. ...
... Dolnicar et al., 2012;Gilbert & Abdullah, 2002;Uysal et al., 2016), 'wellness' (e.g. Kelly, 2012;Voigt et al., 2011;Voigt & Pforr, 2014), and 'happiness' (e.g. Filep & Deery, 2010;McCabe & Johnson, 2013;Nawijn, 2011). ...
This exploratory paper contributes to a theorization of the relationship between leisure travels and subjective well-being (SWB) among older adults. Although it is generally agreed that leisure travel contributes to one’s mental well-being, the processes that lead to various forms of well-being are often understudied. It is argued that a more nuanced understanding of these processes can lead to better appreciation of the meanings of travel for the older adults. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 older travellers to garner their thoughts on how leisure travels have contributed to their SWB. Through a thematic analysis of travel narratives, four recurring themes, namely (1) reminiscing the past, (2) bonding with family members, (3) rediscovering self and (4) forming informal networks of care (RBRiC), were identified as processes leading to various elements of SWB among older adults. Although non-exhaustive, these processes reveal the embodied meanings and experiences of travel for the individual and can potentially lead to more meaningful discussions on how various aspects of SWB are attained.
... In a crowded market, broad conceptualizations of well-being may provide significant opportunities for destinations to gain competitiveness and thus prolong their lifespan [80]. Most of the research on wellness tourism has centered on tourists who partake in activities such as visiting spas, using health products, or receiving medical services [81], and although there has been considerable research on traditional health care and recreational health care, only a few studies have been conducted regarding wellness hotels, which are considered to be one of the most prominent segments of wellness tourism in the engagement of tourists with spas, health products, or medical service [82]. Despite the limited research on wellness tourism, it is evident that this sector plays a significant role in promoting the well-being of many individuals [83]. ...
With its fast-growing trend, wellness tourism is transforming the client base and service and product offerings, and it is attracting new suppliers. The purpose of understanding the customer experience as portrayed in online reviews is to sustainably maintain customer loyalty and satisfaction. The objective of this research is to identify the critical attributes and their structural relationships to Korean wellness tourism. The study analyzed 24,060 Google-based customer reviews on 11 wellness tourism destinations in South Korea. Following the calculation of word frequencies in a matrix, UCINET 6.0 was utilized to analyze the centrality of the network and perform a CONCOR analysis. Based on the findings of the CONCOR analysis, the review data were sorted into four distinct categories. Following the quantitative analysis led to the identification of six variables that were grouped together through exploratory factor analysis.: wellness, tangible, value, F&B, purpose, and service. Whereas value, F&B, and service negatively affected the satisfaction of guests, the study also revealed that wellness, tangible, and purpose all had positive impacts and contributed to increased trust among wellness tourism customers. In terms of managerial implication, the results will enable wellness tourism destination managers to focus more on improving the factors of value, food, and service.
... Some studies (e.g. Kelly, 2012) include several different destinations in the study, but the results are not focused on potential differences between source markets. Others (e.g. ...
This study surveyed 1562 wellness tourists in Finland, the St. Petersburg area, and Lithuania to explore what were their motivations for taking a wellness trip, to investigate what differences there were between different nationalities and determine how wellness tourists could be segmented based on their motivation. As most previous studies analysed wellness tourism motivations in one chosen destination, this study fills the gap in cross-cultural analysis of motivations. Exploratory factor analysis revealed six motivational factors including status, beauty and appearance, personal development, nature and outdoors, socialization, and resting and relaxation, the latter factor being dominant across all nationality groups. Seemingly unrelated regression analysis revealed significant differences in terms of the importance of beautification, improving physical condition, nature, and the desire to indulge in luxury experiences.
... mercantilização dos cuidados de saúde e da paisagem, a relação entre a vida quotidiana e as férias, bem como os motivos do turismo médico e de bem-estar. análise dos visitantes que se envolvem com o turismo de retiro, um subsetor especializado do turismo de bem-estar.Kelly, C. 2012 ...
O comportamento do consumidor mudou bastante e com a pandemia de COVID-19 e essas alterações tornaram-se mais significativas. Acredita-se que, mesmo com a melhoria dos números de casos da doença, pessoas ainda continuarão buscando formas seguras de viajar e espaços onde possam ir para se reconectar e se reabilitar do estresse cotidiano. Um dos segmentos turísticos que têm sido capaz de atender a essas solicitações é o turismo de saúde e, mais especificamente, o turismo de bem-estar. Assim, o principal questionamento dessa pesquisa é: Houve uma maior procura pelo turismo de bem-estar após a pandemia de COVID-19? Para responder à tal questão, procurou-se atender ao seguinte objetivo: realizar uma análise do que vem sendo estudado e publicado sobre esse tema em uma das principais bases de dados, a Scopus (Elsevier) e uma análise observacional do que tem sido postado no Instagram para promover as experiências de turismo de bem-estar. A pesquisa foi realizada em outubro de 2022 e como resultado observou-se que houve um aumento significativo das menções às possibilidades de experiências nesse segmento, tanto no que se refere aos estudos sobre essas temáticas, como às postagens realizadas no Instagram, mostrando que é uma atividade que apesar do crescimento, ainda tem muito potencial, principalmente após o arrefecimento da pandemia. A limitação de pesquisa foi a revisão em apenas uma base de dados e sugere-se como estudos futuros a ampliação dessa análise e acredita-se que a pesquisa no Instagram em mais um idioma de largo alcance mundial também poderá ser relevante.Palavras-chave: Turismo de bem-estar. Experiência. Hedonismo. Reabilitação. COVID-19.
... asking how they feel and whether they need help) is an important competence. In the case of medical tourism services in the USA, the involvement of personnel is rather physical (informed consent) (Kleefield, 2017), with therapeutic tourism services in Slovakia it is intellectual (health education) (Derco, 2014) and with wellness tourism services in the UKemotional (spiritual participation) (Kelly, 2012). Furthermore, wellness tourism enterprises created a new competence, namely therapeutic communities, which enhance the feeling of co-dependency, increase the need to share one's success and concerns with other people and foster the awareness of the role other people play in one's life (Glouberman & Cloutier, 2017). ...
The aim of the paper is to identify employee competences crucial for the development of therapeutic enterprises in a changing environment. Methodology typical of qualitative research (focus group) was employed. Focus group conducted with 16 representatives of top management in therapeutic and tourism enterprises indicate that problem-solving skills, creativity and cooperation/collaboration with other people will be the most useful soft skills for the future operation of therapeutic enterprises, whereas implementation of new IT solutions, building and maintaining relations with clients, and writing blogs and activity in social media are hard skills that will require the most rapid changes. This is of key importance for the process of adjusting the product and the quality of therapeutic and tourism services to the ever more demanding commercial tourists, whose number is growing in therapeutic enterprises. The competences listed above have important implications for scholars, allowing them to understand the specifics and character of competences used in therapeutic enterprises, as well as for managers of European therapeutic enterprises.
... Given the high importance of the offer diversity for the destination choice, variety of treatments and activities should be one of the top priorities for the product development managers. In addition to innovative ways of using the thermo-mineral water for relaxation and alleviation of medical conditions, diversification could be achieved through introduction of alternative forms of wellness, for example retreat centers [64] and spiritual services such as yoga and meditation [65]. Forest wellness represents another possibility, given the number of mountainous protected areas in the proximity of the spa destinations. ...
Serbian spas, with their abundant geothermal springs and air qualities, are a significant natural resource for the country. Nowadays, tourism industry has become a predominant beneficiary attracting both leisure- and health-related visits. Nonetheless, the literature on current consumer behavior is devoid of a model that incorporates both motivating and constraining factors in the spa and wellness industry’s decision-making process. Serbia’s spa industry is still adjusting to the needs of the modern wellness visitor as a result of the country’s unique transitional path. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the role of incentive and restrictions in the destination selection process of spa visitors in Serbia, to gain insight into the development of wellness tourism in a particular sociocultural environment. The analytical hierarchy process was used to determine the relative relevance of the consumer behavior elements evaluated. The findings indicate that non-medical motivations are becoming more important, implying that demand is finally shifting toward the wellness idea, which was initially disrupted by the country’s delayed transformation. The findings have administrative ramifications, the most significant of which were price strategies and product diversification.
... Primarily, the weight of the articles addressing the motivation of WT participants stands out (e.g. Chen et al., 2008;Dimitrovski and Todorovi c, 2015;Kelly, 2012;Mak et al., 2009;Smith and Kelly, 2006b). This subject was also researched in the third most cited study (Voigt et al., 2011). ...
Purpose
The study aims to explore the intellectual structure of wellness tourism (WT) research by performing a two-phase methodological approach.
Design/methodology/approach
Citation and co-citation analysis were performed on 209 articles published up to October 2021 in Scopus, and the results were visualised with the VOSviewer software. Furthermore, to assess clusters in-depth, qualitative thematic content analysis was used.
Findings
The findings indicate that the main articles of WT research examine the demand side of WT. Five clusters were explored by co-citation analysis. Each cluster is discussed by presenting the main theme, key theoretical framework, and characteristic methodological perspective. Accordingly, no dominant theory stands out in research on wellness tourism. Most of the study has been done through cross-sectional surveys.
Practical implications
The authors anticipate that by the recommendations outlined in this study, WT research will progress and provide significant insights to WT practitioners in the coming years to meet tourist expectations.
Originality/value
Via this research, which shows the discovery of the intellectual structure of WT and its holistic picture, the deficiencies in the picture will be seen, and practitioners will be provided information based on evidence.
... In 2017, this industry was valued at $639 billion, and it is anticipated to rise to $919 billion by 2022 (Global Wellness Institute, 2021). This sector caters to a diverse group of people, goods, and destinations (Kelly, 2012). The rapidly expanding wellness industry focuses on health maintenance, prevention of sickness, and it appeals to healthy individuals of all ages (Brown, 2006). ...
The objective of this research is to determine the present condition by investigating the literature using bibliometric analysis to categorise the field structure on wellness tourism between 1998 and 2021 and the topic was searched in the database of “Scopus”. During the initial search, 414 documents were obtained in total which was later refined as per the criteria. Using this strategy, we discovered 386 records, and after removing four duplicates and one irrelevant document, the refining gave 381 related papers. We found 2 studies that gather more than 238 “Scopus” citations and a total of ten studies have contributed for 1414 citations. A total of 804 authors who published articles related to wellness tourism between 1998 and 2021, and smith m, Voigt C, and Puczkó l are the most influential authors based on citations. The visualisation of similarities Viewer`s co-citation of authors analysis has revealed that the predominant co-cited authors are smith, m. Puczko, l, Kelly, C, Voigt, C, Uysal, M. as per Scopus co-citation count. It is one of the latest forms of alternative tourism which requires further research.
... Nowadays, tourism studies started to pay attention to wellbeing through a wide range of scientific fields such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, etc. under the perspective of the quality of life, happiness (Filep & Deery 2010), wellness (Kelly, 2012;Smith & Puczko, 2014;Voigt & Pforr, 2013) and self-satisfaction. (Bloom et. ...
Hosts’ perspective toward sustainable tourism and their well-being is a crucial factor in
community participation and tourism growth. The purpose of this inquiry is to reveal the
perspective of residents of Greece regarding sustainability in tourism and wellbeing. This
paper presents a) the philosophical approach and the conceptual framework concerning
sustainable tourism and wellbeing, and b) the primary research that took place in Greece in order to identify if there is any relationship between the above two factors.
... The identified components of health treatments and tourist attractions in the wellness tourism conceptual model are considered part of a safe and reliable approach to satisfy tourist expectations for wellness tourism and to pull tourists toward their desired HWB frames (Choi et al., 2015;Hudson et al., 2017;Kelly, 2015;Nair et al., 2016;Pierantozzi, 2013). A destination offering tourism with its advanced interconnected wellness resources helps to maintain its competitive position while attracting new tourists (Chen et al., 2013b;Gatrell, 2011). ...
Purpose
Wellness tourism is complex due to the varied expectations and perceptions of tourists. This study attempts to explore components that shape tourist expectations of health treatments and tourist attractions, which have not been deeply explored in the extant literature.
Design/methodology/approach
A scoping review of the literature published between 2000 and 2021 was conducted to reach the conclusions of this study. Out of 303 literature sources, a total of 105 literature sources were retained for the final analysis.
Findings
Findings show that tourists expect a mix of health treatments, such as conventional medical treatments and alternative health treatments and tourist attractions, as part of wellness tourism to improve their health and well-being (HWB). A favorable trade-off between tourist expectations and their perception of wellness tourism impacts tourist HWB and behavioral intention.
Practical implications
The proposed wellness tourism conceptual model and wellness tourism matrix may help wellness tourism service providers to understand tourist expectations for health treatments and tourist attractions in a recent context. Wellness tourism service providers may follow the guidelines outlined in this study to offer health treatments and tourist attractions according to tourist expectations, which may result in the favorable behavioral intentions of wellness tourists.
Originality/value
This study unravels the previously under-explored role of conventional medical treatments, which arguably fall under the category of allopathic medical treatment, in wellness tourism. Destination marketing organizations may focus on the wellness philosophies of health treatments and tourist attractions to meet the growing expectations of wellness tourists for HWB, as outlined in the literature review. This study provides insights into the different components of contemporary wellness tourism those impact wellness tourists' cognitive responses, HWB and behavioral intention.
... Further, past studies on wellness travel have branched out on motivational factors (Damijanic̀& Ŝergo, 2013;Kelly, 2012;Kessler et al., 2020;Konu & Laukkanen, 2010;Lim et al., 2016;Tuzunkan, 2018), service factors (Chen et al., 2013), behavioural segmentation (Suresh et al., 2007), travel behaviour (Han et al., 2017;Hashemi et al., 2014;Hudson et al., 2016), retreat operators (Kelly, 2010) and destination development (Hujibens, 2011), determinants of expenditures (Medina-Muñoz & Medina-Muñoz, 2012), destination image, perception and preference (Anggraeni et al., 2020;Sibi & Abraham, 2017;Valentine, 2016), offer systems of wellness tourism (Dini & Pencarelli, 2021) and wellness Tourism Experience (He et al., 2021). ...
The COVID 19 pandemic has caused people to rethink their thoughts on health tourism. They are now emphasising the idea that health is wealth. This is an opportunity for players in the industry to create value by offering a variety of services. Therefore, it becomes imperative to find out the factors a potential wellness tourist is looking for before making a travel choice. The study aims to find out the influence of the perceived image of a wellness destination, wellness travel motives, and wellness tourist expectations from a destination on the future travel behaviour of the potential wellness tourist using Structural Equation Modelling. The empirical results indicate that factors of destination image affect tourist expectations. Further, expectations positively affect the factors of wellness travel motivation, which in turn affect travel behaviour positively. The study shows that for a positive image, a wellness destination must have an adequate blend of soft and hard wellness infrastructure and trained wellness professionals. Moreover, the tourists are looking for solace and tranquility, therefore, a destination where a mix of health and wellness-related activities are offered but without much indulgence of technology will attract tourists.
... Sağlık turizmi deneyimi ve sonraki sonuçları literatürde birçok değişkenle ilişkilendirilmiştir. Örneğin, turistlerin yaşam kalitesi (Luo vd., 2018), refah (Lee vd., 2014), yaşam memnuniyeti (Chen, Petrick ve Shahvali, 2016b), fizyolojik ve psikolojik rahatlama (Ohe vd., 2017), motivasyon (Kelly, 2012) gibi değişkenler talep tarafı perspektifinden doğrulanmıştır. Ancak turistlerle nasıl iyi ilişkiler kurulacağı ve bağlılığın teşvik edilmesi gibi arz tarafına yönelik sınırlı sayıda çalışmanın olduğu görülmektedir. ...
Çalışma, sağlık turizmi deneyimi, turist ilham kaynağı ve bağlılığı arasındaki etkiyi ölçmek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın evrenini Bingöl’de termal kaplıca tesislerinin yer aldığı Ilıcalar bölgesini ziyaret eden yerli turistler oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada, veri toplamak amacıyla anket tekniği kullanılmıştır. Evrenin geniş bir alanı kapsaması nedeniyle araştırmada tesadüfi olmayan örneklemelerden “kolayda örneklem” yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Veriler 01 Eylül-01 Ekim 2021 tarihleri arasında çevrimiçi toplanmıştır. Toplamda 418 geçerli veri, çalışmanın analizi için tespit edilmiştir. Araştırmanın veri analizi için Smart (PLS-SEM) kullanılmıştır. Gerçekleştirilen yapısal eşitlik modeli sonuçlarına göre sağlık turizmi deneyiminin ve alt boyutlarını oluşturan eğitim, eğlence, estetik ve kaçış değişkenlerinin turist ilham kaynağı üzerinde pozitif yönden anlamlı etkisinin olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca turist ilham kaynağının turist bağlılığı üzerinde pozitif yönden anlamlı etkisinin olduğu belirlenmiştir.
... Numerous research studies have been conducted into the different perceptions of users, establishing profiles and analysing the geographic differences within the spa sector, resulting from the process of diversification and adaptation of the original concept of thermalism as a synonym for health. In Europe, these include the paper by Kelly [13] analysing the profile of visitors to retreats at a global level; a study of the perception of the characteristics of the geological surroundings of spas in Slovakia [14]; the investigations on spatial profiles of spa tourism establishments in Slovakia [15] and Hungary [16]; a study of the growth in demand for the hot springs sector in Rumania [17]; the research into motivational profiles in Serbia [18]; an analysis of the segmentation of the clients of spas in Poland in general [19,20], and in medical spas in Poland in particular [21]; the research conducted to identify a standard profile of spa clients in Portugal [8]; the analysis of profiles in relation to motivational factors with ANOVA in Slovenia [22]; and the studies analysing three clusters of clients in Greek spas [23,24]. Particularly in Spain, there has been research analysing the visitors to wellness centres in Gran Canaria [25], the perception of the quality of service and related forms of conduct [26], and recent analyses of sociodemographic profiles, and of profiles based on satisfaction and on the characteristics of stays at spas in Andalusia [27,28]. ...
Spa tourism has undergone important changes in recent decades, actively embracing wellness and wellbeing. However, this transition is taking place in different ways in Europe, and this has led to varying perceptions of thermalism that have little to do with its original conception. The main aim of this study was to analyse current perceptions of spa tourism amongst university students, so as to identify profiles and compare the differences between two study cases: Granada (Spain) and Aachen (Germany). For this purpose, we applied a methodology that combines artificial intelligence techniques with questionnaires containing both quantitative and qualitative variables. This enabled us to identify and characterize a series of profiles, so as to acquire detailed knowledge of the perceptions of these students regarding spa tourism in Granada and Aachen. On the basis of the results, the interviewees were grouped together into seven profiles from which we deduced that young Germans from Aachen visit spas more frequently and have a more realistic perception of the thermal sector than young Spanish people from Granada. This situation could limit present and future demand for spas in southern Spain. With this in mind, in this paper we present an updated assessment of the demand for spas amongst university students, in order to design effective geomarketing strategies in two cities with long spa traditions.
Tourism significantly impacts the global economy (Camilleri 2018), especially in small economies like island nations in the SW Pacific (Hall 1994; Hughes 2022; Kumar and Stauvermann 2023; Poirine 2010; Pratt and Harrison 2015; Rapaport 2013). In remote areas, tourism often leverages unique local features to attract visitors (D’Hauteserre 2016; Hughes 2022; Kreisel 1996; Kreisel and Reeh 2006). While it can boost local economies (Pratt and Kuilamu 2022), it may also strain local resources if poorly managed (Harrison 2022).
Living and dying well together in the Anthropocene, in the context of intensifying climate crises, global pandemics, and fast-paced hustle culture, is an increasingly daunting task. While many wellness movements call for strict regimes and vigorous activity, striving for largely unattainable bodily norms and longevity, an emerging trend centres on embracing natural processes and temporalities of resistance focused on relaxation, rest, and even decay. So-called ‘girl mossing’ and ‘girl rotting’ encourage women to be intentionally unproductive, and to spend time instead lying on a forest floor, staring up at a canopy of trees, caressing moss. Similarly, members of the ‘death positive’ and ‘new death’ movements advocate for sensorial connection with nature at the end of life, and for an embrace of practices of decay and decomposition. Both trends are dominated by women and influenced by Buddhist and Pagan traditions. They also exemplify spiritual complexity, particularly relating to biomedicine and consumerism. Examining these interconnected lifestyle and deathstyle movements, this article considers the uptake of ‘relational naturalism’ in contemporary societies as an antidote to the personal and planetary harms of neoliberal capitalism.
Current scholarship tends to frame retreat-going, and the practices carried out therein, as emblematic of late-modern forms of self-work, understanding retreats as part of broader personal life projects of self-mastery and self-knowledge. For this article, I draw on empirical data to suggest that, although work on the self is typically the central concern for retreat-goers, they also question or outright reject the discipline of the retreat space by breaking its ‘rules’. Borrowing insights developed in the context of organisation studies, I describe two kinds of such ‘misbehaviour’ on retreat. First, I explore how retreat-goers misbehave in regards to the rules around intimacy, since sexual and erotic desire is usually discouraged but nonetheless features in retreat-goers’ experiences. Then, I explore examples of collective misbehaviour and suggest that retreat-goers often work together to ensure the retreat’s success by collaboratively breaking the rules through practices like gossip. This article contributes an understanding of how wellbeing practices might be usefully made sense of as social accomplishments, situated within the greater swathe of everyday life. But I also map out one way in which the concept of ‘misbehaviour’ might be applied to activities outside of the workplace.
This study investigated the characteristics of markets segmented by the push–pull factors associated with medical tourists. The questionnaire sought information on attributes of medical tourism motivations and included eight push factor attributes, 10 pull factor attributes, and 13 demographic and medical tourism behavior variables, for a total of 31 items. The surveys were translated into Chinese, Japanese, and English. This paper proposes a market segmentation that consists of three significant segments, the quality seeker, the essential services seeker, and the rest seeker. The results indicate that these segments have strategic implications for reaching individual markets in the medical tourism industry.
Sentiment analysis aims to extract general information from texts and understand the opinion, attitude, or emotion of an individual or group of people towards a specific topic. Currently, a source of information used is the messages published on Twitter, which offer possibilities of great interest to evaluate the currents of opinion disseminated through this social network.
However, the enormous volumes of text require tools capable of automatically processing these messages without losing reliability. This article describes a technique to address this problem. This technique uses a variant of a Bi-GRU, a recurrent neural network (RNN) that promises to highlight local and global contextual features of tweets to increase the accuracy of classifying opinions in that social network. Experiments show better performance in tweet analysis, improving accuracy, recall, f-score, and accuracy parameters than traditional techniques. Finally, we identify the advantages and limitations of the system for its application to research on “Pueblos Mágicos” tourism in Quintana Roo.
Purpose
Wellness tourism offers opportunities for consumers to explore the self. This paper aims to explore how identity transitions occur in a liminal tourism space – a holistic wellness retreat.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt a qualitative methodology, including in-depth semi-structured interviews supplemented by various projective techniques. Following an interpretivist approach, eight consumers were interviewed at the commencement and the completion of a holistic wellness retreat stay. Participant observation was also undertaken during the retreat programme.
Findings
The paper shows an identity transition is facilitated by the liminal space of the holistic wellness retreat and further shaped by self-work during the retreat. As participants gain new knowledge on the self and start living “consciously”, they gain a sense of vision, clarity and direction to a new self, wherein identity transition is a starting point and a process of change rather than an end goal.
Originality/value
While much past research views tourism activities as mainly “play”, the findings reveal the holistic wellness retreat experiences as both identity play and identity work. This paper provides theoretical insights into the process from identity play to identity work and what makes this process effective for identity transition.
Purpose
Tourism on wellness is a rapidly expanding segment of the travel industry; nevertheless, it is still in its infancy, and more study research is needed to develop a scientific foundation for health and wellness tourism. The study uses bibliometric indicators like as citations to determine the field structure on wellness tourism from 1998 to 2021, and the VOSviewer software to map the significant trends in wellness tourism (WT) area, to examine the present situation.
Design/methodology/approach
To reach this objective, the theme of “wellness tourism” was searched in the “Scopus” database, and bibliometrics data on the publications were obtained. In total, 414 papers were found during the initial search, which was then narrowed according to the criteria. Using this strategy, the author discovered 386 records, and after removing 4 duplicates and 1 irrelevant document, the refining produced 381 related documents. The most-cited papers, significant authors, co-citation of references, sources and authors were all investigated for the publications related to WT.
Findings
According to this report, research into wellness tourism has increased in recent years. The authors discovered two papers with over 238 “Scopus” citations and a total of 10 studies with 1414 citations. According to Scopus, the document Napier et al. receives 36.5% of citations each year. There were a total of 804 authors who published about WT between 1998 and 2021, with Smith, M, Voigt, c, and Puczkó, L being the most-cited reference authors in the subject. Han h. has the highest index of 56 of all the authors.
Research limitations/implications
The “Scopus” database was used for bibliometric analysis, although the VOSviewer was used exclusively. This considered as a first study to utilize a bibliometric method to address this research gap, identifying the tools, journals, and, most crucially, conceptual subdomains like spa, yoga, therapy, spirituality and trekking that will be significant in future research.
Originality/value
Using a bibliometric analytic approach, this article looked at papers on wellness tourism published between 1998 and 2021. Thus, its goal is to learn more about wellness tourism and to enlighten wellness tourism scholars on the field's structure.
A globális szocio-ökológiai válság mélyülésével párhuzamosan felértékelődik a desztinációk belső transzformációt katalizáló liminális jellege. A liminális potenciál aktualizálódásának és így az ennek nyomán megvalósuló belső transzformációnak is alapfeltétele az éber, nyitott jelenlét, a tudatosság és a figyelem, amit mindfulness néven ismer a szakirodalom. A belső transzformáció igénye a fenntarthatóság kontex-tusában nagy jelentőségű, mivel a jelenkori válság nem elsődlegesen tudományos-technikai kihívás, hanem alapvetően egzisztenciális problematika. A spirituális elvonulási központok fókuszáltan jelenítik meg a desztinációs térre generálisan jellemző liminális potenciált, vagy heideggeri terminológiával élve, Spielraum jelleget. A spirituális elvonulási központ transzformációt fokozottan katalizálni képes jellege kiemeli a desztinációt a turizmust ma még dominánsan jellemző, hedonista motivációkra és eszkapizmusra épülő, fogyasztást kiszolgáló szerepkörből és helyette annak spirituális jellegét, transzformatív potenciálját emeli a középpontba. Turizmusszociológiai szempontból az elvonulási központok témaköre eddig szinte érintetlen terület a magyar nyelvű szakirodalomban. A cikk célja a döntéshozók figyelmének felhívása a téma fontosságára.
Health and Wellness Tourism takes an innovative look at this rapidly growing sector of today's thriving tourism industry. This book examines the range of motivations that drive this diverse sector of tourists, the products that are being developed to meet their needs and the management implications of these developments. A wide range of international case studies illustrate the multiple aspects of the industry and new and emerging trends including spas, medical wellness, life-coaching, meditation, festivals, pilgrimage and yoga retreats. The authors also evaluate marketing and promotional strategies and assess operational and management issues in the context of health and wellness tourism. This text includes a number of features to reinforce theory for advanced students of hospitality, leisure and tourism and related disciplines.
Escapism has arguably always been an important element of tourism, but the visitor gaze has usually been externally rather than internally directed. However, the growth of the holistic tourism sector suggests that there is an increasing desire to focus on the self rather than the Other', and ‘existential’ rather than 'objective 'authenticity (Wang 1999). This represents escapism of a different kind—a paradoxical desire to escape but in order to ‘find’ oneself! Numerous factors have precipitated this growth, not least the apparent anomie of postmodern society. This paper will discuss the way in which holistic products are being developed to meet the changing needs of tourists, considering some of the factors that have apparently engendered this development. This will include an analysis of typologies of activities, profiles of consumers and typical motivations. Holistic retreats tend to offer combinations of therapies and counselling, pathways to spiritual development, creative enhancement, and many other routes to the reconciliation of body, mind and spirit. The latter part of the paper will focus on some examples of this phenomenon, illustrating the diversity of needs that are being catered for within this emergent sector.
The purpose of this study is to segment tourists according to the benefits they seek from a tourism destination. These segments are examined in order to find attractive segments for local wellbeing products. Segmentation in the context of wellbeing and wellness provides companies information on what kind of tourists are most interested in buying wellbeing products and contributes to the existing segmentation theory by using data driven segmentation in a situation where traditionally common-sense segmentation is used. The literature surrounding benefit segmentation in tourism is reviewed in order to find the benefits tourists might think of as important. The results of K-means cluster analysis show that tourists in the Savonlinna region, Finland, can be divided into four segments. The segments differ from each other in the benefits they seek and in interest in wellbeing holidays, but are quite similar regarding to their socio-demographic factors. This study shows that data-driven segmentation can be used to find markets for a certain product instead of a priori segmentation. The results also show that benefits sought have a strong influence on customer behavior but little in common with socio-economic factors, which proves the usefulness of benefit segmentation in tourism. Based on the results, tourism companies can find the most suitable segments for their offerings.
Over the years, academics have attempted to develop typologies that distinguish between various types of tourists. There is, however, general consensus that these taxonomies suffer from several weaknesses. In particular, they are based on a priori theoretical assumptions that rely on just one or very few dimensions, such as numbers of tourists. In remedying these shortfalls, the current paper proposes a new typology of tourists grounded in a two-fold empirical research that contrasts two opposite types of tourists, namely, solitary travellers and group tourists. Two separate qualitative pieces of fieldwork were carried out in order to obtain the necessary data from solitary travellers and group tourists in Norway. The comparison, based on psychographic variables (travel philosophy, travel motive and personal values), suggests that tourist experiences vary along a continuum of individualistic/collectivistic orientation. The solitary traveller represents an individualistic-oriented person whereas the group or package tourist typifies a collectivistic-oriented person. Each of these categories may further include a variety of tourists depending on their degree (i.e., low or high) of individualistic or collec-tivistic orientation.
Contemporary studies of tourism see the tourist experience as either something essentially spurious and superficial, an extension of an alienated world, or as a serious search for authenticity, an effort to escape from an alienated world. It is argued that neither of these views is universally valid. A more discriminating distinction between five types of tourist experiences is proposed, based on the place and significance of tourist experience in the total world-view of tourists, their relationship to a perceived `centre' and the location of that centre in relation to the society in which the tourist lives. It is proposed that the resulting continuum of types of tourist experience is both more comprehensive than alternative conceptual frameworks and capable of reconciling and integrating the conflicting interpretations arising from earlier studies.
This article discusses the concept of the ‘tourist’ within tourist studies. It critiques the conceptual category of tourist in recent literature on typologies of tourists and tourist experiences. Although greater understanding of the tourist has been identified as one of the principal research issues for tourism research, the focus is on types and forms of touristic experience rather than uses of the concept of ‘tourist’ as a lay category, thereby taking for granted its function within a wider cultural discourse of holidaymaking and travelling. The article raises questions concerning the construct ‘tourist’ and discusses the implications of such ambiguities for theory and empirical analysis of interview data on tourist experiences. This discussion reviews the literature on tourist experience and typologies, a discussion of the use of the concept of ‘tourist’ as a members’ category, and proposes a tentative clarification of the issues as a basis from which to direct future empirical research questions.
Destinations' competitiveness would be enhanced if organizations or destinations could provide appropriate supply components and benefits that suit diverse market segments. Under the circumstance of tourists' unknown attitudes toward the healthy-living component, this study unveils characteristics related to healthy-living market segments and their relating to the tourism system's supply components. Two segments are delineated based on the Healthy-Living Attitudinal Scale and profiled with healthy-oriented destination attributes, sources of information, travel experiences, and general demographics.The main managerial implications that can be derived from this study are the following: (1) cluster one (High Healthy-Living Conscious segment) has more concerns about healthy-oriented destination services and products, (2) special interest (healthy-living) magazines, agencies, and brochures are found to be viable sources of travel information when it comes to establishing a destination's communication strategies, and (3) destinations' marketers who target business travelers, and the convention and meetings market should pay closer attention to these travel segments in order to increase their business competitiveness.
The most problematic issues that characterize western society is the crisis of the subject and the difficulties of interpersonal
relationships, leading to situations of deep distress and increasing the fragility of human beings. This behavior of the contemporary
man also depends on flexibility rules in all areas of society and particularly inside the work, causing a significant impact
on the character of individuals, reducing the expectations and hopes for the future, making flexible affective relationships.
It is a fragile, insecure, unsatisfied self that waits all the year round for holiday and concentrates on it great expectations
and hopes: the conquest of a new social identity, the self-realization, the development of communicative relations. Tourists
prefer places with a strong link with nature, where it is possible to do open air activities, play sports and enjoy the beauties
of the surrounding landscape. But in practical terms it must be said that holidays not always turn into such a perfect experience:
individuals can barely satisfy their wishes and needs because of the difficulty in cutting themselves off from the routine
life; moreover the pervasive machinery of tourist facilities tends to wrap in the consumer spiral even holidays’ places and
times. Furthermore, the relation with the otherness reveals not to be exclusive only to the festive or vacation time, but
it rather involves the whole existence of a person in his ethical and social dimension. The difficulties in fulfilling the
wish for happiness through tourism depend perhaps on the impossibility of completely telling everyday life from spare time,
which means that acting changes its modes, but not its substance.
KeywordsTourism–Happiness–Holidays–Wellness–Everyday life–Local development–Sustainable tourism
This study provides a profile of the health resort sector in Australia. The study was based on resort directories, an analysis of promotional materials produced by each of the resorts within the population and discussions with representatives of Australia's various state tourism organisations. It was found that most properties in the health resort category may be described as being mainstream and offering a tourism focus. The smallest number are found in the alternative and medical treatment focus categories though these components of the health resort sector do appear to be dynamic and innovative. The development of a dynamic and innovative health resort sector may owe something to the absence of a strong tradition of spas in Australia.
The aim of this article is to focus on developing an understanding of wellness tourism provision. A brief contextualisation is offered, along with a discussion of definitions and classifications. Subsequently, in order to offer a more in-depth analysis, one market category — that of the holistic or wellness ‘retreat’ — is assessed in greater detail. This research attempts to unpick some of the generalisations made about the wellness tourism sector by providing detailed research on one under-represented part of this market provision. An operator database was created of retreat centres globally, based on the author's definitional classification criteria. Over 500 centres' data were collated and reviewed. From this a more in-depth survey took place, whereby 50 retreat providers were interviewed to research a range of motivational, experiential and management issues related to wellness tourism. The research shows that retreat operators are a relatively unique group of wellness tourism providers insofar as they are poorly organised collectively (compared, for example, to the spa sector); the vast majority can be classified as ‘lifestyle entrepreneurs’ in terms of their business motivations and aspirations; many own, manage and teach at their centres, and their views on and engagement with training, regulation and the tourism sector itself are very much place-specific. The product focus of many retreats is what sets them apart from other aspects of wellness tourism.
Medical tourism, where patients travel overseas for operations, has grown rapidly in the past decade, especially for cosmetic surgery. High costs and long waiting lists at home, new technology and skills in destination countries alongside reduced transport costs and Internet marketing have all played a role. Several Asian countries are dominant, but most countries have sought to enter the market. Conventional tourism has been a by-product of this growth, despite its tourist packaging, and overall benefits to the travel industry have been considerable. The rise of medical tourism emphasises the privatisation of health care, the growing dependence on technology, uneven access to health resources and the accelerated globalisation of both health care and tourism.
A conceptual framework is presented as a means to organize the many measures of human wellness that are now available. Health and human wellness are now often used interchangeably and there has been considerable augmentation of the indicators of progress – in addition to traditional indicators such as life expectancy and mortality rates, there is now an ability to use more positive indicators such as self-related health and self-esteem.
Much writing treats the tourist as a unitary type, confined to a touristic bubble. Attempts have been made to subdivide the tourist by developing various typologies. These approaches neglect the tourists' voice. By contrast, this paper's case study from Chalkidiki, Greece, indicates that different tourist types experience the same host community in different ways. Analysis of qualitative data from 86 British holidaymakers has led to the identification of five micro-types. Each is characterized by the dominant themes identified for their choice of holiday, types of activities, and views about the host community.RésuméLe sacré et le profane: une typologie de touristes. Beaucoup de littérature traite le touriste comme un genre unitaire, enfermé dans une bulle touristique. On a essayé de subdiviser le touriste en développant différentes typologies. Ces approches ne tiennent pas compte de la voix des touristes. Par contraste, l'étude de cas de Chalkidiki (Grèce) de cet article indique que différents types de touristes font l'expérience de la même communauté d'accueil de façon différente. Une analyse des données qualitatives de 86 vacanciers britanniques a mené à l'identification de cinq microtypes. Chacun se caractérise par le motif principal qu'ils identifient pour leur choix de vacances, les sortes d'activités et leur perception de la communauté d'accueil.
Select Committee Report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Available at http://www.publications.parliament.uk-Accessed on 20
- House
- Lords
The Spiritual Tourist
- M Brown
International Spa Association's Membership Survey Available at www.spas.about.com/library/weekly/aa012702c.htm-Accessed on 12
- International Spa
Health and Spa Tourism in the UK-The Potential. Tourism Insights (online)
- N Cockerell
- J Trew
The Latest Trends and Developments in the Health and Spa Market. Tourism Insights
- S Harmsworth
Directory of Retreats Homepage
- Retreats Online