Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

listed reasons in more general level, why people are travelling and going to spas and wellness
centres. For instance, one of the main motives is stress relief. They also highlight that fitness
and exercise have a very important role in wellbeing and wellness too. Smith and Puczkó
(2009) emphasize as well that trends and reasons of individuals of participating wellbeing and
wellness activities vary considerably, and these trends are connected closely to leisure
patterns. Konu and Laukkanen (2009) identified in their study that motivation factors
connected to health and physical activity and self-development were affecting the most to
intention to make a wellbeing trip. Based on the studies presented above, it can be stated that
the main push factors in wellbeing tourism sector seem to be things such as relaxation,
rejuvenation, pursuing multiple activities, experiencing nature, escape, health and beauty.
Many studies are highlighting the importance of environment in wellbeing tourism (Kelly &
Smith 2009, Smith & Puzckó 2009). Some of the wellbeing tourism concepts, such as Alpine
Wellness (Pechlaner & Fisher 2006) and Lake Wellness which is under development (Konu et
al. 2010) base strongly on the natural resources of the destination. In addition, some of the
wellbeing and wellness services are depend on natural resources. Good examples are hot
springs and mineral waters that are believed to have healing powers (Erfurt-Cooper & Cooper
2009). However, it is very difficult to find studies that have actually empirically tested the
importance of pull factors of wellbeing tourism.
In this study more general motivation factors (push and pull) are used as the questionnaire is
directed to potential wellbeing tourists, and as the aim is to find out the motivational
differences between tourists who are interested in wellbeing holidays, and tourists who are
unsure/not interested in wellbeing holidays.
Demographic Variables, Travel Experience, and Past Wellbeing and Wellness Tourism
Experiences
Some studies have concentrated on describing demographic profiles of wellbeing and
wellness tourists. Studies have shown that most of the wellbeing and wellness tourists are
female (Koh et al. 2010, Lehto et al. 2006, Smith & Puzckó 2009), approximately over 30years-old
(Koh et al. 2010, Lehto et al. 2006, Smith & Puzckó 2009), and highly educated
(Koh et al. 2010, Lehto et al. 2006). In addition, studies that have examined different subsectors
of wellbeing and wellness tourism highlight, for instance, that spa-goers (Koh et al.
2010) as well as yoga tourists (Lehto et al. 2006) have high average income.
Pearce (2005, see also Pearce & Lee 2005) has discussed the relationship between past
experience and tourist motivation when he developed travel career patterns (TCP) concept.
Pearce argues that all travellers are influenced by the most important travel motives (e.g.
escape/relax and novelty) as well as less important motives (e.g. social status and isolation).
He also claims that when tourist’s travel career level develops (tourists grow older, pass
certain stage in life-cycle and gain more experience) the moderately important travel motives
will change from internally-oriented needs to externally-oriented needs. Mak et al. (2009)
studied the relationship between past spa experience and tourist motivations. They found out
that spa-goers who had visited spa two to five times during last two years were more
motivated by attributes connected to escape than spa-goers that had visited a spa only once.
Thus, it can be assumed that demographical factors, travelling habits (travel experience) and
past wellbeing tourism experiences can have roles as explaining factors of wellbeing holidays.