Wellness tourism: through the lens of millennials' attitude : An exploratory qualitative study

Abstract Background: In recent years a rising concern towards health enhancement activities has been prominent across populations, leading to the emergence of a multi-dollar industry, namely the wellness industry, which spans across a wide spectrum of sectors, ranging from organic food to tourism. In fact, wellness tourism has been growing at an exponential rate, generating high revenues, forecast to rise. Given that millennials have been gradually replacing former generations, in volume size, it becomes evident why this age cohort has garnered massive media attention worldwide. Purpose: Nevertheless, although wellness tourism industry has sparked the attention of academic scholars and industry professionals, scant academic research has been conducted on the wellness travel attitude of this age cohort. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the attitude of millennials’ towards wellness travelling. Method: For the purpose of this study, a qualitative research comprised of 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews was conducted within a sample of individual’s aged 23-35. Conclusion: The results of this research indicated that this generational segment displayed a particular travel attitude towards wellness tourism, which can be understood from a cognitive, affective, and conative angle. Overall, the main cognitive associations and thoughts with wellness tourism entailed the notion of relaxation, and health-enhancement, whilst the core emotions experienced ranged from inner fulfillment, and happiness to nostalgia and serenity. The main benefits sought involved, escape from daily life and stress relief, which are consistent with prior studies. It was clear from this study that millennials are price-sensitive, and they cherish the variety of activities along with the novelty of experiences when travelling for wellness. This research also sheds light on the most frequently employed travel platforms and channels of communication, which can provide tourism marketing specialists and industry professionals with constructive recommendations in terms of advertising and communication of wellness travel offerings. However, due to time constraints, this study was subject to certain limitations, which hinder the generalizability of results across broader populations and diverse wellness travelers. Future research is thus much anticipated and needed to dig deeper into this lucrative market