Baby boomers and their growing interest in spa and wellness tourism

ABSTRACT

Wellness tourism services are usually provided in hotels and health resorts with day spas that use natural therapy packages consisting of different fitness and beauty treatments. This paper will focus on the growing importance of wellness tourism to baby boomers (who were born between 1946 and 1964), because these types of services are beneficial from a medical, wellness and social perspective. Many older travellers are seeking out alternative forms of treatment at spa resorts in an attempt to help them fulfil their desire for “youthfulness,” and as a means of providing physical and spiritual balance for their bodies. For others, it may depend on the types of treatments and natural remedies which are specifically available at European destination spa resorts to help treat specific types of chronic diseases and illnesses. Social tourism also has a positive impact on older people’s subjective wellbeing, and their level of social engagement has helped to increase self-esteem and confidence levels. Emotional and psychological wellbeing were found to be vital for “ageing well” and for baby boomers in particular, wellness tourism provides opportunities for increased social interaction and companionship that have a positive impact on their wellbeing.

KEYWORDS:

• Tourism
• wellness
• spas
• baby boomers
• healthy aging

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ian Patterson

Dr Ian Patterson completed his PhD at the University of Oregon, USA in 1992. He has worked at Griffith University (1991–2000) and the University of Queensland Business School (Tourism) (2000–2015). In 2020 he was appointed a Visiting Professor and Head of Department, Tourism Management at Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Dr Patterson was an Editor of the Scopus journal: Annals of Leisure Research between 2004 and 2011. He has published over 100 academic articles including more than 80 peer reviewed journal articles; 3 textbooks; and 24 book chapters.

Adela Balderas-Cejudo

Adela Balderas-Cejudo is a Doctor (International Mention) in Business Administration and Management from Deusto University (Spain). Research Fellow from Oxford University (UK), Adela has an MBA Executive and a Master’s Degree in Marketing, and a Master’s in Professional Coaching. Adela completed executive training programmes in Professional Coaching and Leadership Coaching at New York University, Stanford University and Harvard University (USA) and studied Creativity and Innovation at St. Martin’s College, London (UK). Adela is an associate professor at Deusto Business School, University of Deusto (Spain) and lecturer at Basque Culinary Center, Mondragon University (San Sebastian, Spain). In addition to being a visiting lecturer at various international and national universities (including Oxford University, Cornell University in USA and the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland), Adela is a consultant and conference speaker on communication skills, leadership coaching, motivation, and pitch training, working with international and national companies in the hotel industry and the world of hospitality. Adela is also a communication mentor at Imagine Creativity Center in Silicon Valley (USA).