Abstract
It could be argued that wellness tourism is as old as tourism itself, with early travelers voyaging to sites in ancient Greece and Rome for purposes of physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. With the increase in international tourism since World War Two to over one billion international tourists in 2013, wellness tourism too has gained momentum. While there is not one agreed upon definition of wellness in general, let alone wellness tourism, research has shown several key characteristics. In particular that wellness tourism is about seeking and creating, it is hence active and not passive (Smith & Kelly, 2006). While all tourism by definition involves travel outside of one’s usual place of residence, wellness tourism is mainly defined by domestic travel to enhance or maintain health, while medical tourism involves increasingly international travel for purposes of seeking treatment for a medical condition (Voigt et al , 2010).
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