Building the future of rural-based wellness tourism: Infrastructure and policy considerations for rural Thailand

Parichat Suntararak ,Watsida Boonyanmethaporn

doi:10.24294/jipd9387

Home - JIPD - Volume 8 - Issue 14

Submit to JIPD

Journal Browser

Volume | Year

Issue

• Current lssue

View All

News and Announcements

View All

Building the future of rural-based wellness tourism: Infrastructure and policy considerations for rural Thailand

Parichat Suntararak

Watsida Boonyanmethaporn

Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Development 2024, 8(14), 9387; https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd9387

Submitted：29 Sept 2024

Accepted：29 Sept 2024

Published：20 Nov 2024

Download PDF(531.21KB)

XML

Abstract

Rural-based wellness tourism presents a unique opportunity for sustainable economic development in Thailand, particularly in regions rich with natural and cultural resources. The significance of this study lies in its focus on addressing the gap in understanding how rural-based wellness tourism can be supported through infrastructure development and policy frameworks. While wellness tourism has been extensively studied in urban settings, there is a clear need for research that examines the unique attributes of rural wellness destinations, particularly in Thailand, where rich cultural heritage and natural landscapes provide a strong foundation for wellness tourism development. This study examines the key attributes of rural-based wellness tourism destinations, emphasizing how infrastructure development and policy frameworks can support their sustainable growth. Quantitative method using structured questionnaire is the primary research tool. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), six core attributes—Uniqueness, Facilities, Activities, Attractions, Natural Setting, and Wellness Therapy—were identified as critical components that shape tourist experiences and drive destination success and validates them using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The article highlights the vital role of infrastructure, such as transportation and wellness facilities, in enhancing the accessibility and appeal of rural destinations. Additionally, policy considerations are explored, focusing on environmental protection, community-based tourism, and investment incentives that encourage the sustainable development of wellness tourism in rural Thailand. A proposed model integrates these attributes with infrastructure and policy measures, offering practical recommendations for stakeholders to promote rural-based wellness tourism that fosters local economic growth while preserving natural and cultural heritage. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of how rural wellness tourism destinations can be developed to meet the evolving needs of modern travelers and support long-term sustainable tourism strategies.

Keywords

References

Ardhala, M., Santoso, T. A., & Sulistyarso, H. (2016). Factor analysis on tourism destination attributes using principal component analysis and varimax rotation. Journal of Tourism Research, 18(2), 115-130.

Ariyani, N., & Fauzi, A. (2024). Unlocking sustainable rural tourism to support rural development: A Bayesian approach to managing water-based destinations in Indonesia. Sustainability, 16(13), 5506.

Barclay, D., Thompson, R., & Higgins, C. (1995). The partial least squares (PLS) approach to causal modeling: Personal computer adoption and use as an illustration. Technology Studies, 2(2), 285-309.

Beirman, D. (2021). Tourism crises and destination recovery. CABI.

Chan, J., Cheng, L., & Kim, J. (2022). Destination resilience in the face of COVID-19: Wellness tourism in rural regions. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 21, 100628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2022.100628

Connell, J. (2011). Medical tourism. CABI.

Connell, J. (2023). Rethinking rural tourism development. Routledge.

Didaskalou, E., Lagos, D., & Nastos, P. (2009). Wellness tourism: The case of Greece. Tourism Review, 64(3), 28-36.

Didaskalou, E., Lagos, D., & Nastos, P. (2019). The role of climate in wellness tourism in Greece. Journal of Tourism Studies, 45(3), 112-125.

Dunn, H. L. (1959). High-level wellness for man and society. American Journal of Public Health and the Nation's Health, 49(6), 786-792. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.49.6.786

Fabrigar, L. R., & Wegener, D. T. (2011). Exploratory factor analysis. Oxford University Press.

Fink, A. (2015). How to conduct surveys: A step-by-step guide (5th ed.). Sage Publications.

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

Glen, S. (2016). Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test for sampling adequacy. Statistics How To. https://www.statisticshowto.com/kaiser-meyer-olkin/

Global Wellness Institute. (2023). Global wellness economy report 2022.

Goodrich, J. N., & Goodrich, G. E. (1987). Health-care tourism: An exploratory study. Tourism Management, 8(3), 217-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/0261-5177(87)90019-4

Gössling, S. (2017). Tourism, resilience and sustainability: Adapting to social, political and economic change. Routledge.

Gössling, S., & Scott, D. (2022). Tourism, transformation and the climate crisis: A system perspective. Tourism Geographies, 24(3), 474-494. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2021.1965951

Hair, J. F. (2006). Multivariate data analysis (6th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.

Hall, C. M. (1992). Adventure, sport and health tourism. In B. Weiler & C. M. Hall (Eds.), Special interest tourism (pp. 141-158). Belhaven Press.

Hall, C. M. (2011). A typology of governance and its implications for tourism policy analysis. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(4-5), 437-457. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2011.570346

Hall, C. M. (2021). The necessity of transformational tourism policies in response to the pandemic. Tourism Management, 87, 104395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104395

Hall, C. M., Gössling, S., & Scott, D. (2021). The Routledge handbook of tourism and sustainability. Routledge.

Han, H., Lee, S., & Lee, C. K. (2017). Thai spa's service quality and performance: A customer-centered approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(3), 893-911.

Heung, V. C. S., & Kucukusta, D. (2012). Wellness tourism in China: Resources, development and marketing. International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(4), 346-359. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.1880

Heung, V. C. S., & Kucukusta, D. (2013). Traditional Chinese medicine in the modern world: Science and wellness. Journal of China Tourism Research.

Huang, J., & Xu, H. (2018). A cultural perspective of health and wellness tourism in China. Journal of China Tourism Research, 14(4), 364-384. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388160.2018.1516584

Hurma, H., Turksoy, H. G., & Inan, O. (2016). Rural tourism and the importance of tourism in rural development. International Journal of Social Sciences and Education Research, 2(3), 1075-1082. https://doi.org/10.24289/ijsser.279621

Kelly, C. (2012). Wellness tourism: Retreats from the daily grind. Tourism Recreation Research, 37(2), 205-209.

Kelly, C. (2020). Wellness tourism: A new era in health travel. Routledge.

Kiatkawsin, K., Kim, J. J., & Han, H. (2021). Wellness tourism and its impact on tourists’ well-being. Sustainability, 13(7), 3796. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073796

Končul, J. (2012). Wellness: A new mode of tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 18(1), 55-69.

Koskinen, S., & Wilska, T. A. (2018). Spa tourists’ preferences for wellness services and attributes. Tourism Management, 65, 92-103.

Kucukusta, D., & Heung, V. C. S. (2012). The brand management practices of wellness resorts in Asia. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 21(3), 288-310. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2012.624293

Lam, L. W. (2012). Impact of competitiveness on business performance: A conceptual framework and empirical validation. Journal of Marketing and Management, 23(3), 183-204.

Lane, B. (1994). What is rural tourism?. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2(1-2), 7-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669589409510680

Lee, C., Ou, W. M., & Huang, H. (2020). Hot springs and wellness: Key attributes in Taiwan's wellness tourism. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(2), 176-189.

Lee, T. H., Paek, J. S., Yang, H. H., & Kim, H. B. (2009). Wellness tourism in Taiwan: Hot spring attributes and tourist preferences. Journal of China Tourism Research, 5(4), 429-444.

Loureiro, S. M. C., & Kastenholz, E. (2022). Wellness tourism in rural areas: Exploring the connection between wellness, nature, and culture. Tourism Management Perspectives, 44, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2022.101080

Luo, J. M., & Lam, C. F. (2021). The impact of rural wellness tourism on mental health: A study in the context of COVID-19. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 430-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.04.012

Medina-Muñoz, D. R., & Medina-Muñoz, R. D. (2014). The attractiveness of wellness destinations: An importance–performance–satisfaction approach. International Journal of Tourism Research, 16(5), 521-533. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.1959

Medina-Muñoz, D., & Medina-Muñoz, R. (2021). The rise of wellness tourism: Market drivers and dynamics in post-pandemic times. Tourism Economics, 27(3), 529-545. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816620967746

Miller, T. S. (2005). The birth of the hospital in the Byzantine Empire. Johns Hopkins University Press.

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

Nair, V., Munikrishnan, U., Rajaratnam, S. D., & King, N. (2015). Redefining rural tourism in Malaysia: A conceptual perspective. Asia-Pacific Journal of Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism, 4(1), 1-16.

Narayanaswamy, V. (1981). Foundations of Ayurveda. Ancient Science of Life, 1(1), 4-7. https://doi.org/10.4103/0257-7941.113750

OECD. (1994). Tourism strategies and rural development. OECD Publishing.

OECD. (2020). Tourism trends and policies: Rural tourism and sustainable development. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Pesonen, J., & Komppula, R. (2010). Rural wellbeing tourism: Motivations and expectations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 17(1), 150-158.

Pesonen, J. A., Komppula, R., & Loureiro, S. (2023). Rural wellness tourism: A multi-dimensional perspective. Annals of Tourism Research, 97, 103409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2022.103409

Ravichandran, K., & Suresh, M. (2010). Wellness services in India: Insights and implications. Tourism Management, 31(6), 896-904.

Romão, J., Machino, A., & Nijkamp, P. (2018). Impact of culture on tourism: A study of Southern European countries. International Journal of Tourism Policy, 8(3), 1-20.

Silva, M., & Kastenholz, E. (2021). Hiking as a wellness activity in Portugal: Attributes and benefits. Tourism & Hospitality Research, 21(4), 327-341.

Smith, M., & Diekmann, A. (2017). Tourism and wellbeing: An introduction. Annals of Tourism Research, 66, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2017.05.006

Smith, M., & Kelly, C. (2006). Wellness tourism. Tourism Recreation Research, 31(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2006.11081241

Smith, M., & Kelly, C. (2014). Wellness tourism: Mind, body, spirit, place. Routledge.

Smith, M., & Puczkó, L. (2014). Health, tourism and hospitality: Spas, wellness and medical travel (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Smith, M., & Puczkó, L. (2021). Wellness tourism: A destination perspective. CABI.

Smith, M., Puczkó, L., & Michopoulou, E. (2020). Wellness tourism: A destination perspective. CABI.

Tang, M., & Xu, H. (2023). Cultural integration and rural tourism development: A scoping literature review. Tourism & Hospitality, 4(1), 75-90.

Tharakan, J. (2014). Health and wellness tourism in India: A study of select destinations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Indian Institute of Management.

Travis, J. W. (2018). Wellness workbook: How to achieve enduring health and vitality (3rd ed.). Celestial Arts.

UNWTO. (2021). Rural tourism: Unlocking opportunities. World Tourism Organization.

Voigt, C., & Pforr, C. (Eds.). (2013). Wellness tourism: A destination perspective. Routledge.

Wang, Y., et al. (2020). Traditional Chinese medicine: Development and application in the health industry. Frontiers in Pharmacology.

Wellness Tourism Magazine. (2024a). The science of wellness tourism: Understanding the benefits for your health. Retrieved from WELLNESSTOURISM.COM.

Wellness Tourism Magazine. (2024b). Holistic wellness retreats: A comprehensive approach to health and well-being. Retrieved from WELLNESSTOURISM.COM.

Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). Harper and Row.

Yoshino, S. (2021). Thermal springs and healing traditions in Japan. Journal of Asian Health.

Previous
article in this issue

Next
article in this issue