Leisure Industry and Hotels: The Importance of Wellness Services …
129
mental activity, education, sensitivity for the environment, and social relationships,
which represent the main elements of wellness. However, the clarification and definition of the term ‘wellness’ is difficult and demanding even nowadays, due to its
subjective nature. It can be noticed that the definitions of wellness vary depending
on who promotes it. Wellness, as an alternative concept, generally means more than
the absence of illness—it represents an optimal state of health. The supporters of
these programs believe that numerous factors contribute to wellness: life in a clean
environment, organic food consumption, regular physical activities, balance in the
career and family, and good interpersonal relations (Ranˇ ci´ c et al. 2016).
2.2 Wellness Tourism—The Significant Aspect of the Travel
Industry
Due to the fact that our perception of health and wellness has changed, this inevitably
led to the concept of wellness tourism, which was able to satisfy people’s expectations
and needs all over the world (Pan et al. 2019). There are various classifications and
definitions of health and wellness tourism. It can be said that health tourism in
its widest sense comprises healing, medical, and wellness tourism. Healing tourism
refers to prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. Medical tourism refers to travelling
to another country in order to undergo some medical procedure. Wellness tourism,
however, represents the preservation of good health through preventive activities,
such as a balanced diet, recreation, relaxation, etc. (Mueller and Kaufmann 2001).
Health tourism consists of five components: sun, sand, and sea activities, choosing
certain activities (sports tourism, hiking, cycling, etc.), travelling for medical reasons,
travelling for saunas, massage, swimming and other activities in spa centres, and
travelling exclusively for medical treatments (Smith and Puczko 2009). There are
numerous explanations and definitions of wellness tourism, and one of the bestknown was provided by Mueller and Kaufmann (2001), who considered wellness
tourism as a set of all the relationships and phenomena which result from people’s
travelling and stay, the main motive of which is the preservation and promotion of
health.
One of the significant differences between health and wellness tourism products
is that health tourism refers to clients who travel because of health problems, while
wellness tourism comprises travel by tourists of good health in order to use the
treatments which will enable them to maintain their current state. Nowadays, both
health and wellness tourists search for similar motives, such as weight reduction,
slowing aging, overcoming stress, etc. What is characteristic for this type of tourism
is that the demand is constant throughout the whole year (Unkovi´ c and Zeˇ cevi´ c 2000).
129
mental activity, education, sensitivity for the environment, and social relationships,
which represent the main elements of wellness. However, the clarification and definition of the term ‘wellness’ is difficult and demanding even nowadays, due to its
subjective nature. It can be noticed that the definitions of wellness vary depending
on who promotes it. Wellness, as an alternative concept, generally means more than
the absence of illness—it represents an optimal state of health. The supporters of
these programs believe that numerous factors contribute to wellness: life in a clean
environment, organic food consumption, regular physical activities, balance in the
career and family, and good interpersonal relations (Ranˇ ci´ c et al. 2016).
2.2 Wellness Tourism—The Significant Aspect of the Travel
Industry
Due to the fact that our perception of health and wellness has changed, this inevitably
led to the concept of wellness tourism, which was able to satisfy people’s expectations
and needs all over the world (Pan et al. 2019). There are various classifications and
definitions of health and wellness tourism. It can be said that health tourism in
its widest sense comprises healing, medical, and wellness tourism. Healing tourism
refers to prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. Medical tourism refers to travelling
to another country in order to undergo some medical procedure. Wellness tourism,
however, represents the preservation of good health through preventive activities,
such as a balanced diet, recreation, relaxation, etc. (Mueller and Kaufmann 2001).
Health tourism consists of five components: sun, sand, and sea activities, choosing
certain activities (sports tourism, hiking, cycling, etc.), travelling for medical reasons,
travelling for saunas, massage, swimming and other activities in spa centres, and
travelling exclusively for medical treatments (Smith and Puczko 2009). There are
numerous explanations and definitions of wellness tourism, and one of the bestknown was provided by Mueller and Kaufmann (2001), who considered wellness
tourism as a set of all the relationships and phenomena which result from people’s
travelling and stay, the main motive of which is the preservation and promotion of
health.
One of the significant differences between health and wellness tourism products
is that health tourism refers to clients who travel because of health problems, while
wellness tourism comprises travel by tourists of good health in order to use the
treatments which will enable them to maintain their current state. Nowadays, both
health and wellness tourists search for similar motives, such as weight reduction,
slowing aging, overcoming stress, etc. What is characteristic for this type of tourism
is that the demand is constant throughout the whole year (Unkovi´ c and Zeˇ cevi´ c 2000).