International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Wellness Tourism Experiences in Post Pandemic Travel: A Netnographic study

    ,

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Tourism Management, Avinashilingam Institute for Home science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 2Department of Tourism Management, Avinashilingam Institute for Home science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Res. J. Management Sci., Volume 12, Issue (3), Pages 1-9, September,6 (2023)

Abstract

Wellness is a broad term that refers to a healthy mental, physical, and spiritual balance that leads to total well-being. A wellness vacation is founded on Ayurveda concepts; meditation, yoga, physical activity, and a healthy diet are all good ways to start. As a renowned wellness location, Kerala provides various traditional and modern wellness products and services that have long drawn visitors from around the world. Health has been at the forefront of our societal consciousness for over three years due to COVID-19. In the post-pandemic times, the wellness consumer mindset has evolved dramatically toward different demands. The tourism sector is rapidly adapting to meet this new demand from tourists. Research has been conducted to determine the Determinants of wellness tourism experience and destination preparedness for post-pandemic travel in Kerala wellness centers. Four dimensions of the wellness tourism experience have been identified and explored: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Environmental, which have a good influence on wellness tourism. Researchers adopted a netnographic study using 200 comments published in Trip Advisor from January 2021 to January 2022. The findings of the survey reveal that visitors are impressed by the Physical, mental, and environmental components, in particular, “food,” “employee’s behavior,” and “atmosphere,” place an excellent role in creating positive wellness experience. This paper ends with identifying new motivational factors, and suggestions have been made to revitalize the wellness tourism industry of Kerala.

References

  1. Dillette, A. K., Douglas, A. C., & Andrzejewski, C. (2021)., Dimensions of holistic wellness as a result of international wellness tourism experiences., Current Issues in Tourism, 24(6), 794–810. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1746247.
  2. Kozinets, R. V. (2002)., The field behind the screen: Using netnography for marketing research in online communities., Journal of Marketing Research, 39(1), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.39.1.61.18935.
  3. Roy, N., Gretzel, U., Waitt, G., Yanamandram, V. K., & Yanamandram, V. (2015)., Reflecting on Ethics in Netnographic Research., Innovation and Growth Strategies in Marketing, 347–353. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331318707.
  4. Jiang, Q., Chan, C. S., Eichelberger, S., Ma, H., & Pikkemaat, B. (2021)., Sentiment analysis of online destination image of Hong Kong held by mainland Chinese tourists., Current Issues in Tourism, 24(17), 2501–2522. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1874312.
  5. Lam, J. M. S., Ismail, H., & Lee, S. (2020)., From desktop to destination: User-generated content platforms, co-created online experiences, destination image and satisfaction., Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 18(September), 100490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2020.100490.
  6. Kim, H., & Chen, J. S. (2016). Destination image formation process: A holistic model. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 22(2), 154–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766715591870., undefined, undefined
  7. Xiang, Z., & Gretzel, U. (2010)., Role of social media in online travel information search., Tourism Management, 31(2), 179–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.02.016
  8. Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2020a). Pandemics, tourism and global change: a rapid assessment of COVID-19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(1), 1–20., undefined, undefined
  9. Hall, C. M., Scott, D., & Gössling, S. (2020)., Pandemics, transformations and tourism: be careful what you wish for., Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 577–598. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1759131.
  10. Csirmaz, É., & Pető, K. (2015)., International Trends in Recreational and Wellness Tourism., Procedia Economics and Finance, 32(15), 755–762. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)01458-6.
  11. Andreu, M. G. N. L., Font-Barnet, A., & Roca, M. E. (2021)., Wellness tourism—New challenges and opportunities for tourism in Salou., Sustainability, 13(15), 8246. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158246.
  12. Koncul, N. (2012)., Wellness: A new mode of tourism., Ekonomska Istrazivanja, 25(2), 525–534. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2012.11517521.
  13. Kuqi, B., Elezaj, E., Millaku, B., Dreshaj, A., & Hung, N. T. (2021)., The impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in tourism industry: evidence of Kosovo during Q1, Q2 and Q3 period of 2020., Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment, 0(0), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2021.1883986.
  14. Vasudevan, S. (2021)., Advances in Managing Tourism Across Continents., Advances in Managing Tourism Across Continents, July. https://doi.org/10.5038/9781955833004.
  15. Goffman, E. (2020)., In the wake of COVID-19, is glocalization our sustainability future?, Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy, 16(1), 48–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2020.1765678.
  16. Wen, J., Kozak, M., Yang, S., & Liu, F. (2021). COVID-19: potential effects on Chinese citizens’ lifestyle and travel. Tourism Review, 76(1), 74–87. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-03-2020-0110., undefined, undefined
  17. Samarathunga, W. H. M. S., & Gamage, D. (2020)., Alternative tourism as an alternate to mass tourism during the Post-COVID-19 recovery phase: The case of Sri Lanka. SageSubmissions., Preprint. https://doi. org/10.31124/ advance, 12361301, v1. https://doi.org/10.31124/advance. 12361301.
  18. Kim, J. H. (2010)., Determining the factors affecting the memorable nature of travel experiences., Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 27(8), 780–796. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2010.526897.
  19. Quadri-Felitti, D., & Fiore, A. M. (2012)., Experience economy constructs as a framework for understanding wine tourism., Journal of Vacation Marketing, 18(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766711432222.
  20. Thanh, T. V., & Kirova, V. (2018)., Wine tourism experience: A netnography study., Journal of Business Research, 83, 30-37.
  21. GWI (2018)., Global wellness economy monitor., https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/2018-global-wellness-economy-monitor/. Accessed on 28/June/2023.
  22. Mueller, H., & Kaufmann, E. L. (2001)., Wellness tourism: Market analysis of a special health tourism segment and implications for the hotel industry., Journal of Vacation Marketing, 7(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/135676670100700101.
  23. Damijanić, A. T., & Šergo, Z. (2013). Determining Travel Motivations of Wellness Tourism. Ekonomska Misao i Praksa, 1, 3–20., undefined, undefined
  24. Nair, B. B. (2019)., Emerging trends in Wellness Tourism in Kerala., Global Developments in Healthcare and Medical Tourism, February, 220–235. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-9787-2.ch012.
  25. Romão, J., Seal, P. P., Hansen, P., Joseph, S., & Piramanayagam, S. (2022)., Stakeholder-based conjoint analysis for branding wellness tourism in Kerala, India., Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, 6(1), 91–111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-021-00218-3.
  26. UNWTO (2020)., COVID-19 and Tourism 2020., https://www.unwto.org/covid-19-and-tourism-2020. Accessed on 30/June/2023
  27. Cheer, J. M. (2020)., Human flourishing, tourism transformation and COVID-19: A conceptual touchstone., Tourism Geographies, 0(0), 514–524. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1765016.
  28. Sivanandamoorthy, S. (2021)., Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the wellness tourism in Sri Lanka., International Journal of Spa and Wellness, 4(2–3), 160–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/24721735.2021.1987001.
  29. Smith, M., & Kelly, C. (2006)., Wellness tourism., Tourism recreation research, 31(1), 1-4.
  30. Ivanova, M., Ivanov, I. K., & Ivanov, S. (2021)., Travel behaviour after the pandemic: the case of Bulgaria., Anatolia, 32(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2020.1818267.
  31. Lim, Y. J., Kim, H. K., & Lee, T. J. (2016)., Visitor Motivational Factors and Level of Satisfaction in Wellness Tourism: Comparison Between First-Time Visitors and Repeat Visitors., Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 21(2), 137–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2015.1029952.
  32. Rageh, A., Melewar, T. C., & Woodside, A. (2013)., Using netnography research method to reveal the underlying dimensions of the customer/tourist experience., Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 16(2), 126–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522751311317558.
  33. Wang, C. Y., & Hsu, M. K. (2010)., The relationships of destination image, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions: An integrated model., Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 27(8), 829–843. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2010.527249.
  34. Lehto, X. Y., & Lehto, M. R. (2019)., Vacation as a Public Health Resource: Toward a Wellness-Centered Tourism Design Approach., Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 43(7), 935–960.
  35. Voigt, C., Brown, G., & Howat, G. (2011)., Wellness tourists: In search of transformation., Tourism Review, 66, 16–30. https://doi.org/10.1108/16605371111127206.
  36. Forlani, F., Dini, M., & Pencarelli, T. (2022)., The importance of food and beverages in wellness experiences: a cross-continental analysis of tourists’ perceptions., British Food Journal, 124(13), 520–540. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-05-2022-0430.
  37. Chen, K. H., Chang, F. H., & Liu, F. Y. (2015)., Wellness tourism among seniors in Taiwan: Previous experience, service encounter expectations, organizational characteristics, employee characteristics, and customer satisfaction., Sustainability (Switzerland), 7(8), 10576–10601. https://doi.org/10.3390/su70810576.
  38. Abbas, J., Mubeen, R., Iorember, P. T., Raza, S., & Mamirkulova, G. (2021)., Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on tourism: transformational potential and implications for a sustainable recovery of the travel and leisure industry., Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 2(February), 100033.