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Tourism Management 42 (2014) 305e306

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Tourism Management

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Book Review

Wellness Tourism: A Destination Perspective, Edited C. Voigt,C. Pforr (Eds.). Routledge, London (2014). (Hbk) ISBN: 978 0 41564467 9, £85

The importance of wellbeing is being increasingly recognisedas a crucial aspect of tourism, both nationally and internationally.However, wellbeing per se is a complex phenomenon concerningan objective element at a destination level and subjective elementin terms of health effect and other personal goals. In the lastdecade, there has been a proliferation of wellbeing research yetthe debate about how it should be defined remains unresolvedgiving rise to the development and use of broad and blurry defini-tions. This is further confused by the term ‘wellness’which is oftenused interchangeably with wellbeing and is a mishmash of thewords ‘fitness’ and ‘wellbeing’. Notwithstanding the terminology,the underpinning conceptualisation is clear, a state of ‘being’ asan alternative to illness and where a more eudaimonic existenceis being advocated. We are encouraged to be less of a ‘throwaway’ society and increasingly more reusable, recycled and ‘planetaware’. This eudaimonic approach, which focuses on meaning andself-realisation also reflects the principles of Bhutan’s gross na-tional happiness (GNH) where the spiritual, physical, social andenvironmental health of citizens is measured. The wellness “in-dustry” is estimated to be worth in excess of US $2 trillion with289 million wellness consumers in existence (SRI International,2013), and is clearly an area of strategic growth for tourism pro-viders. There is a global movement recognising that the healthof the population is not merely the responsibility of the health ser-vices but is a wide multi-sectoral social issue. This is enshrinedwithin the World Health Organisation (WHO) Healthy Cities initia-tive which engages local governments in health developmentthrough a process of political commitment, institutional change,capacity-building, partnership-based planning and innovative pro-jects. Although the issues of public health and tourism develop-ment are clearly interrelated, the potential for cooperation hasnot been fully examined. In recent years, there has been a broadconsensus in UK and international health policy that disease pre-vention is not only better than cure, but very often a more efficientinvestment in the long run. ‘Wellness Tourism, a destinationperspective’ by Voigt and Pforr, therefore comes at an opportunetime to enlighten today’s students and focuses on wellness desti-nation development including the importance of authenticity anduniqueness. International case studies and examples from estab-lished and emerging wellness tourism destinations are integratedthroughout. The text is organised into five parts and expands onboth theory and practice. The introduction (Chapters 1e3) defines,describes and characterises wellness tourism and lays the founda-tion for a better understanding of the issue in a destinationcontext. An overarching theoretical framework is offered andexploration of competitive and comparative advantages given,

0261-5177/$ e see front matterhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.01.004

demonstrating how ‘wellness’ can provide a competitive edgefor destinations. Such a perspective is a novel contribution andthe three models presented which illustrate how competitivenesscan be maintained a useful addition to any wellness debate. In thesecond part (Chapters 4e8) stakeholder collaboration is high-lighted as a crucial role in product supply and Australia introducedas the geographic focus. Resources and processes used to developand enhance wellness tourism are discussed in terms of regionalsustainability, a refreshing contribution within a text that so farhas had a focus on product and financial viability. Next the ideaof health regions is debated and case studies of areas in Germanythat have adopted such an approach are reviewed. This section iscompleted by a discourse on the role of human resource manage-ment within a wellness tourism business. The contribution of peo-ple to the sector is under researched in terms of both theoreticalanalysis and practical management. Set against a background ofincreasing tourism employment growth, this text misses an oppor-tunity to offer insight into an area that has not received researchattention to date, that is the health of the tourism workforce itself.

Chapters 9 to 12 in part 3 focuses specifically on the position na-ture and environment take as contribution to developing awellnesstourism destination. In detail it considers both the mental andphysical benefits of resources such as parks and nature reservesas well as destinations where natural resources help people toachieve higher levels of wellbeing. Lastly the reader is introducedto Part 4 (Chapters 13e17) which has a particular internationalfocus and discusses how major driving forces such as economicand demographic factors have shaped destination developmentand it is here where a cultural context is given.

The final chapter (18) in part 5 concludes and synthesises thekey points while suggesting further opportunities and prioritiesfor research. As the editors state, ‘trend researchers consistently pre-dict health and wellness to be crucial, if not the most important driversfor successful business growth and major innovations in the future’.Reviewing the book’s case studies from wellness tourism destina-tions around the world, Voigt and Pforr bring together an array oftheoretical and practical insights into the development and man-agement of wellness tourism destinations. In so doing they high-light a contribution to a better understanding of an emergingform of tourism product. So, the aim of this publication to presentan overview and discussion of key trends of wellness tourism iscertainly achieved. They ably argue that it makes sense for a desti-nation to market itself thus while acknowledging the fundamentaldifference between wellness and medical tourism as aspects ofhealth tourism.

Voigt and Pforr are experts in their field and this book is an edi-ted text from research presented at The Business of Health Tourismsymposium held in Perth, 2012. It comes as no surprise thereforethat it presents as easy to read and packed with useful, up-to-date information delivered in a very accessible format. References

H. Hartwell / Tourism Management 42 (2014) 305e306306

are found at the end of each chapter allowing the reader to expandtheir knowledge if so required.

A successful destination strategy should have the ability to in-crease tourism expenditure, increase visitor numbers, and providesatisfying, memorable experiences. This should be done in combi-nation with enhancing the wellbeing of the destination’s residentsand preserving the natural capital. With much debate on aspects ofwellbeing, social tourism and inclusion prevalent at international,national and local levels, there is momentum building in thisarea. However, this type of innovative development will require dy-namic leadership and evaluation to convert such an approach tocreate a competitive edge, based on the wellbeing destination.While both public health and tourism strategy can focus on pro-moting sustainability and reducing inequalities, evidence of suchan approach is much stronger in the domain of public health. How-ever, consistent with the values of sustainable tourism, these can bemapped onto a range of tourism policy determinants at the locallevel to aid a conceptualisation of fusion between the twodisciplines.

The sequence of the text is orderly, giving the reader a clearsense of direction through the complexity of wellness tourismconsiderations. The inclusion of case studies and relevant practical

examples provides issues for discussion, an invaluable addition inany learning situation. However, such a book has its limitationsand to a certain extent due to the relative newness of the subjecta certain naivety prevails. Contribution from the public health ac-ademic body is lacking making a rather cursory look at issuesinevitable. It is hoped that the committed academic or studentwould be encouraged to take the topic further. In the future, inno-vative tourism courses and company policy may well incorporatewellness issues and this text will then come into its own. Therationale for co-locating wellness and tourism is based on therecognition that creating a community culture where a touristdestination is seen to enhance and promote physical and mentalhealth for both locals and tourists is desirable. A communitythat supports ‘salutogenesis’ or health creation can be a re-branding opportunity within a destination management approach,dovetailing health and wellbeing alongside a marketing and eco-nomic positioning.

Heather HartwellSchool of Tourism, Bournemouth University, UKE-mail address: hhartwell@bournemouth.ac.uk