Smith and Puczkó argue that "health tourism" serves as an overarching that encompasses two primary sub-sectors: medical tourism (focused on surgical or curative treatments) and wellness tourism (focused on preventive and lifestyle-enhancing activities).
: They define wellness as a subjective and perceptual state that is inherently multidimensional. Health and Wellness Tourism Melanie Smith LГЎszl...
: Unlike medical tourism, which is often reactive to illness, wellness tourism is proactive, involving activities like yoga, meditation, healthy nutrition, and pampering. Tourist Motivations and Trends Smith and Puczkó argue that "health tourism" serves
: They utilize a holistic model comprising six key components that travelers seek to balance: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, and vocational wellness. Tourist Motivations and Trends : They utilize a
Melanie Smith and László Puczkó are widely recognized as pioneering authorities in the study of health and wellness tourism. Their collaborative work, most notably their seminal book (first published in 2008) and its subsequent expanded edition, "Health, Tourism and Hospitality: Spas, Wellness and Medical Travel" (2014), provides a comprehensive academic and managerial framework for this rapidly evolving sector. Core Definitions and Concepts
The authors identify complex "push" and "pull" factors driving the growth of this industry: [PDF] Health, Tourism and Hospitality by Melanie Smith