IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i17p7824-d1738143.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Determinants of Wellness Tourism and Behavioral Intentions: An SEM-Based Study of Holistic Health

Author

Listed:
  • Kestsirin Theerathitichaipa

    (School of Transportation Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Manlika Seefong

    (School of Transportation Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Pattarawadee Prasomsab

    (School of Transportation Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Panuwat Wisutwattanasak

    (Institute of Research and Development, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Chinnakrit Banyong

    (School of Industrial and Logistics Management Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Vatanavongs Ratanavaraha

    (School of Transportation Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Nanthana Jansirisuk

    (Suranaree University of Technology Hospital, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Atthaphon Ariyarit

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

  • Rattanaporn Kasemsri

    (School of Civil Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand)

Abstract

Amid globalization, tourism has increasingly emphasized health and well-being through sustainable, wellness-oriented services. Thailand has been recognized as having strong potential to become a regional hub for wellness tourism, supported by its efficient healthcare system and diverse attractions. This study aims to identify key indicators of wellness tourism based on holistic health principles and to examine their relationships with tourists’ intentions to use wellness services. Data were collected from 1200 wellness tourists in Thailand through stratified random sampling and analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results revealed six significant wellness factors, with Environmental Wellness being the most influential. In addition, gender, income, and occupation were found to positively affect wellness tourism behavior. Attitude and subjective norms also significantly influenced tourists’ intentions to engage in wellness services. This study provides policy recommendations to assist tourism and public health agencies in promoting wellness tourism and enhancing health-focused travel experiences.

Suggested Citation

  • Kestsirin Theerathitichaipa & Manlika Seefong & Pattarawadee Prasomsab & Panuwat Wisutwattanasak & Chinnakrit Banyong & Vatanavongs Ratanavaraha & Nanthana Jansirisuk & Atthaphon Ariyarit & Rattanapor, 2025. "Exploring Determinants of Wellness Tourism and Behavioral Intentions: An SEM-Based Study of Holistic Health," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-27, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7824-:d:1738143
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/17/7824/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/17/7824/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7824-:d:1738143. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.