The relationships between happiness, wellness tourist motivation, and tourism destination among Finnish wellness travellers: insights from the world’s “happiest nation”

Figures & data

Table 1. Research themes, questions, operationalisation, and analysis.

Themes	Questions	Operationalisation and analysis
Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being	In a few words or sentences, name three things that make you happy.	Open-ended question; thematic content analysis and quantifications, bivariate and multivariate linear regression analysis
Wellness tourist motivation	Please answer the following statements describing your motivation to travel. Why do you want to go on a wellness trip? “So that I can … ”	Closed ended questions with a 5-point Likert scale: 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree (adapted from Kessler et al., 2020); descriptive statistics, factor analysis, bivariate and multivariate linear regression analysis
Wellness tourist destinations	What kind of tourist destination do you ideally holiday in? Put items in order from one to nine. In addition, name the three main reasons why you are preferably vacationing in that destination.	Closed-ended questions with a 9-point Likert scale: 1 = most popular to 9 = least popular. Frequency distribution, bivariate and multivariate linear regression analysis Open-ended question; thematic content analysis and quantifications.

Table 2. Demographic statistics of Finnish wellness travellers.

Gender	N	%
Male	103	19.8%
Female	414	79.6%
I do not want to tell/other	3	0.6%
Age group
18–24	3	0.6%
25–34	12	2.3%
35–44	44	8.5%
45–54	115	22.2%
55–64	197	38.1%
65–75	115	22.6%
Over 75	29	5.6%
Educational background (according to the Finnish education system)
Basic education	31	6.1%
Matriculation examination	28	5.5%
Vocational qualifications	188	37%
Bachelor degree	165	32.5%
Master degree	90	17.7%
Doctoral/Licentiate degree	6	1.2%
Gross income/year
20 000€ - 34 999€	136	26.3%
35 000€ - 49 999€	96	18%
50 000€ - 74 999€	96	18.6%
Over 75 000€	72	13.9%
I do not know/
I do not want to tell	120	23.2%

Table 3. Sources of happiness of Finnish wellness travellers in relation to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being.

Main category	Main category	Example citations
Hedonic well-being (305 references, 21%)
Rest and relaxation (166 references)	Calmness, no rush, rest, no stress, quietness, sleep	“Good, unscented, relaxation treatments, yoga on the beach or in the forest, peaceful music and good food.” “Peace, nature and balance”, “A good night’s sleep”,
Food & Wine (89 references)		“Good food and drink after a walk and sauna”, “Good and affordable food”, “Good wine”
Escaping from everyday life (50 references)	Travelling, “getting away”, room, services, different environment,	“Getting away from the normal environment”, “New travel experiences”, “Travelling with your own family”, “Clean rooms”, “A small break”,
Eudaimonic well-being (1119 references, 79%) Relationships (454 references)	Pets, family, children, friends, intimacy, love	“Family, my dog, beautiful weather” “What makes me happy is my children’s care for their families, and my grandchildren’s contentment and happiness, my spouse’s well-being and happiness, and my own happiness” “Friends to whom I can vent my troubles. My “talking cat”, to whom I am the most important thing in the world.”, “I have a wonderful wife, I have wonderful children”
Nature (174 references)	Nature, outdoors, season, good weather	“Nature trip with camping, spring weather, beautiful domestic landscapes” “Walking in the woods, especially in the crisp air. In the summer, the gentle, unhurried suds of the beach sauna and the repeated dips in the lake. In winter, the frosty blue twilight, gazing at the stars and moon, as the snow crunches under the shoes.” “The peace of nature, where you can sit around a campfire or by the water and watch the sun set or rise. Good, unscented, relaxation treatments, yoga on the beach or in the forest, peaceful music and good food.”
Health & Well-being (165 references)		“That my loved ones stay healthy or don't get sick again and that I get myself fit and healthy”,“I feel happy when I feel loved, needed, comfortable in my own body”
Active life (129 references)	Activities, sports, creativity, culture, experiences	“Swimming in cold water, a book that takes you away, a successful apple pie”, “Listening to music”, “Yoga”,
Balanced mind (70 references)	Authenticity, beauty, purity, balance, awareness, atmosphere, faith	“Spirituality, awareness of one's place”, “I give my worktime to others but balance it with nature and photography, finding my own inner peace”, “Landscapes that nurture the soul”, “Forgiveness and love”
Everyday life and security created by home, work and the economy (65 references)	Work, education, home, summer cottage, good everyday life, financial security	“Balance between work and leisure”, “An economic situation that allows you to live without stress”
Independence and safety (41 references) “security”, “Freedom”	Independence, freedom of choice and security, lawfulness, Finland	“The freedom to be, to live and to move”, “Sense of Security, Freedom”
Finnish Sauna (19 references)		Hot sauna; Swimming/ Ice-swimming & sauna

Table 4. Means and standard deviations of the Finnish wellness travellers’ motivations.

Statement	M	SD
To return to everyday life feeling energised	4.03	1.00
To experience activities in nature	3.90	1.03
To give myself time and peace	3.87	1.10
To enjoy a variety of foods that suit my diet	3.85	1.01
To look and feel better	3.83	0.92
To escape the demands of everyday life	3.79	1.16
To lower my stress levels	3.68	1.13
To focus on my own needs	3.65	1.06
To feel the connection with nature	3.64	1.09
To improve my mobility and increase my fitness	3.60	1.07
To sleep better	3.60	1.19
To become more physically fit	3.54	0.98
To be at peace with myself	3.45	1.20
To eat healthier	3.44	1.05
To feel part of nature	3.43	1.16
To find peace and quiet	3.39	1.14
To learn ways to improve my health	3.35	1.14
To think about what is most important to me	3.08	1.21
To learn to manage stressful situations	3.07	1.18
To achieve and/or maintain target weight	3.04	1.18
To challenge myself physically	3.03	1.13
To learn to overcome my health problems	2.98	1.19
To be completely disconnected from technology	2.93	1.18
To find my “inner self”	2.86	1.23
To get over my negative life situation	2.84	1.26
To learn about nutrition so I can make better choices	2.81	1.18
To practice cooking and/or get healthy recipes to take home	2.52	1.17
To learn to meditate	2.26	1.16

Table 5. An exploratory factor analysis of the motivational scale items of Finnish wellness travellers.

Factors	Factor loadings	Eigen- value	% of	Cronbach’s Alpha
Learning about wellness		6.383	42.551	0.890
To learn about nutrition so I can make better choices	0.855
To practise cooking and/or get healthy recipes to take home	0.769
To learn ways to improve my health	0.753
To learn to manage stressful situations	0.745
To learn to overcome my health problems	0.741
Inner peace and relaxation		2.140	14.272	0.807
To escape the demands of everyday life	0.851
To return to everyday life feeling energised	0.745
To lower my stress levels	0.740
To give myself time and peace	0.706
Nature connection		1.523	10.156	0.892
To feel the connection with nature	0.893
To feel part of nature	0.863
To experience activities in nature	0.760
Physical well-being		1.074	7.16	0.868
To become more physically fit	0.856
To improve my mobility and increase my fitness	0.820
To challenge myself physically	0.798

Notes: Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis; Rotation Method: Varimax; Loadings higher than 0.7 are reported; Bartlett test of sphericity p < 0.000. Percent of variance explained 74.14; KMO = 0.871.

Table 6. Means and standard deviations of the favourite destinations.

Destination	M	SD
Spa	4.2	2.70
Urban destination	4.3	2.50
National part & outdoor recreational area	4.40	2.50
Waterfront	4.46	2.72
Archipelago	4.57	2.42
Nature destination with activities	4.82	2.31
Cruise	5.10	2.48
Ski resort	5.67	2.69
Amusement and theme parks	6.05	2.69

Table 7. Means and standard deviations of the motivational dimensions and destinations by background and happiness variables.

		Learning about wellness		Inner peace and relaxation		Connection with nature		Physical well-being		Spa		Urban		National park and recreational area		Waterfront
	N	Mean	Std. Dev.	Mean	Std. Dev.	Mean	Std. Dev.	Mean	Std. Dev.	Mean	Std. Dev.	Mean	Std. Dev.	Mean	Std. Dev.	Mean	Std. Dev.
Gender
Male	103	2.78	0.93	3.48	0.91	3.47	0.93	3.30	0.96	6,20	2,57	5,74	2,46	5,59	2,49	5,58	2,72
Female	414	2.99	0.99	3.71	0.84	3.71	1.01	3.41	0.94	5,76	2,74	5,66	2,49	5,62	2,44	5,50	2,69
Age group
Adult	174	2.86	0.99	4.20	0.71	3.70	1.07	3.31	0.99	5.32	2.74	5.76	2.43	5.39	2.33	5.37	2.66
Elderly	343	2.99	0.97	3.67	0.90	3.64	0.95	3.43	0.92	6.12	2.66	5.63	2.51	5.73	2.50	5.60	2.71
Educational background
Upper secondary education	247	3.13	0.96	3.86	0.87	3.67	0.97	3.49	0.90	5.92	2.40	5.68	2.40	5.79	2.54	5.68	2.6
Higher education	261	2.76	0.97	3.84	0.88	3.65	1.02	3.28	0.98	5.83	2.68	5.67	2.55	5.45	2.35	5.35	2.72
Gross income/year
Low/middle gross income	229	3.03	0.94	3.85	0.89	3.77	0.95	3.43	0.92	5.85	2.81	5.77	2.47	5.70	2.56	5.52	2.71
High gross income	168	2.77	1.01	3.90	0.83	3.56	0.97	3.30	0.99	5.71	2.67	5.46	2.56	5.65	2.38	5.46	2.70
Happiness
Nature,	157	2.90	1.06	3.91	0.86	3.70	1.02	3.37	0.94	5.86	2.65	5.55	2.39	6.11	2.61	5.65	2.63
Nature, not contributing	360	2.96	0.94	3.81	0.88	3.64	0.99	3.40	0.95	5.85	2.74	5.73	2.53	5.40	2.34	5.46	2.73
Health and wellbeing,	159	2.95	0.98	3.82	0.87	3.60	0.94	3.37	0.92	6.13	2.71	5.69	2.52	5.51	2.32	5.70	2.58
Health and wellbeing, not contributing	358	2.94	0.98	3.85	0.89	3.69	1.02	3.40	0.96	5.73	2.70	5.66	2.47	5.66	2.50	5.43	2.75
Rest and relaxation,	137	3.012	0.99	3.81	0.89	3.59	1.03	3.39	0.89	6.17	2.66	5.61	2.47	5.41	2.50	5.71	2.70
Rest and relaxation, not contributing	380	2.92	0.97	3.86	0.87	3.69	0.98	3.38	0.96	5.74	2.72	5.70	2.50	5.69	2.43	5.45	2.70
Relationships,	175	2.94	0.97	3.82	0.88	3.66	0.99	3.44	0.95	5.81	2.72	5.34	2.60	5.53	2.44	5.59	2.59
Relationships, not contributing	342	2.96	0.99	3.89	0.88	3.66	1.01	3.48	0.92	5.87	2.70	5.85	2.41	5.66	2.45	5.48	2.75

Notes: The scale for motivation 1–5, and for destination 1–9.

Table 8. Summary of linear regression analysis and regression coefficients.

Wellness tourist motivation		Learning about wellness	Inner peace and relaxation	Connection with nature	Physical well-being	Spa	Urban destination	National park & outdoor recreational area	Waterfront destination
Learning about wellness	Beta					0.007	−0.021	0.032	0.112**
	Std. error					2.710	.497	2.448	2.683
	Adj. R2					−0.022	−0.001	−0.001	0.011
Inner peace and relaxation	Beta					−0.072	−0.050	−0.034	0.031
	Std. error					2.703	0.496	2.448	2.699
	Adj. R2					0.003	0.001	−0.001	−0.001
Nature connection	Beta					−0.086*	−0.056	−0.043	0.045
	Std. error					2.670	0.496	2.447	2.698
	Adj. R2					0.006	0.001	0.000	0.000
Physical well-being	Beta					−0.037	−0.019	−0.051	0.050
	Std. error					2.798	0.497	2.446	2.697
	Adj. R2					−0.001	−0.002	0.001	0.001
Relationships, happiness	Beta	−0.011	−0.038	0.002	−0.070	0.012	0.097*	0.025	−0.019
	Std. error	0.979	0.877	0.995	0.943	2.710	2.474	2.449	2.670
	Adj. R2	−0.002	−0.001	−0.002	0.003	−0.002	0.007	−0.001	−0.002
Nature, happiness	Beta	−0.028	0.049	.0029	−0.017	0.002	−0.033	0.133**	−0.033
	Std. error	0.978	0.876	0.995	0.945	2.710	2.710	2.428	2.700
	Adj. R2	−0.001	0.000	−0.001	−0.002	−0.002	−0.002	0.016	−0.001
Rest and Relaxation, happiness	Beta	0.049	−0.022	−0.044	0.003	0.070	−0.016	−0.051	0.043
	Std. error	0.977	0.877	0.994	0.946	2.703	2.485	2.446	2.700
	Adj. R2	0.000	−0.001	0.000	−0.002	0.003	−0.002	0.001	0.000
Health and wellbeing, happiness	Beta	0.005	−0.016	−0.039	−0.013	0.069	0.007	−0.029	0.046
	Std. error	0.979	0.877	0.994	0.946	2.703	2.703	2.449	2.700
	Adj. R2	−0.002	−0.002	0.000	−0.002	.003	0.003	−0.001	0.000
Gender, female a	Beta	0.086*	0.208***	0.096*	0.002	−0.065	−0.013	0.005	−0.012
	Std. error	0.975	0.858	0.990	0.945	2.704	2.485	2.450	2.700
	Adj. R2	0.005	0.042	0.007	0.048	0.002	−0.002	−0.002	−0.002
Age group, adult b	Beta	−0.064	0.286***	0.028	−0.067	−0.139**	0.024	−0.066	−0.019
	Std. error	0.977	0.841	0.995	0.943	2.680	2.485	2.484	2.698
	Adj. R2	0.002	0.080	−0.001	0.003	0.018	0.002	−0.001	−0.039
Education, higher Education c	Beta	−0.187***	−0.010	−0.008	−0.108*	−0.018	−0.010	−0.069	−0.060
	Std. error	0.963	0.879	0.998	0.941	2.711	2.488	2.445	2.699
	Adj. R2	0.033	−0.002	−0.002	0.010	−0.002	−0.002	0.003	0.002
Gross income, high Income d	Beta	−0.129**	0.025	−0.109*	−0.018	−0.024	−0.061	0.005	−0.011
	Std. error	0.970	0.862	0.959	2.711	2.748	2.510	2.450	2.710
	Adj. R2	0.014	−0.002	0.009	−0.002	−0.002	0.001	−0.002	−0.002

Notes: * p < .050 ** p < .010 ***p < .001.

a (1 = female, 0 = male), b (1 = adult, 0 = elderly), c (1 = higher education, 0 = upper secondary education), d (1 = high income, 0 = low/middle gross income).

Table 9. Summary of multivariate linear regression analysis and regression coefficients explaining Spa and National park & outdoor recreational area.

	Beta	p	r ^2	Adj. r ^2	F	Std.Error	Constant	Obs.
Spa a		<0.001	0.059	0.053	8.761	2.446	5.263	455
Age group elderly	0.211	<0.001
Relationships, happiness	0.080	0.086
Rest and Relaxation, happiness	0.122	0.009
National park & outdoor recreational area b		<0.001	0.049	0.043	8.195	2.266	5.417	481
Nature, happiness	0.155	<0.001
Age Group elderly	0.125	0.005
Higher education	−0.101	0.024

^a Notes: Std. Residual Min = −2.178, Std. Residual Max = 1.528. Age group elderly, Tolerance = .994, VIF = 1.006; Relationships, Tolerance = .955, VIF = 1.007: Rest and Relaxation, Tolerance = .960, VIF = 1.047. The charts of standardised residuals indicated that the data contained approximately normally distributed errors.

^b Notes: Std. Residual Min = −2.358, Std. Residual Max = 1.788. Nature, Tolerance = .998, VIF = 1.04; Age group elderly, Tolerance = .996, VIF = 1.004: Higher education, Tolerance = .995, VIF = 1.005. The charts of standardised residuals indicated that the data contained approximately normally distributed errors.

Kessler, D., Lee, J. H., & Whittingham, N. (2020). The wellness tourist motivation scale: A new statistical tool for measuring wellness tourist motivation. International Journal of Spa and Wellness, 3(1), 24–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/24721735.2020.1849930

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