Wellbeing tourism in Finland - A wide perspective
Nyckelord:
wellbeing tourism, health tourism, wellness tourism, destination developmentAbstract
The aim of this paper is to discuss wellbeing tourism in Finland with reference to destination development, and to contribute to the ongoing discussion of how to conceptualize wellbeing tourism. Wellbeing tourism has been identified by the Finnish Tourism Board as a potential resource area for future tourism development in Finland, a strategic decision to be operationalized in different parts of the country. Findings from three laboratory areas in Finland are presented and analyzed in this article. In light of face-to-face interviews with key tourism actors in the regions of Jyväskylä, Kainuu and Vuokatti, and Vaasa, we conclude that the destinations’ host resources, such as nature, culture, knowledge and technology are of importance for wellbeing tourism, and that destination-specific service packages are in the making. Wellbeing tourism policies and development plans, two central dimensions in the wellbeing tourism destination management model presented are still to be developed. Wellbeing tourism may assume different forms and be practiced differently in different parts of Finland. It is therefore suggested that wellbeing tourism in Finland is discussed in a wide, non-exclusive way at this early phase of development.
