Pa akkal, Anju Kandan; Thazha he hil, Bindu Vazhakka e; Geo ge, Babu
A icle
The physical, men al, spi i ual, and en i onmen al (PMSE) amewo k
o enhancing wellness ou ism expe iences and i s alida ion in he
con ex o Ke ala, India
Adminis a i e Sciences
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Sugges ed Ci a ion: Pa akkal, Anju Kandan; Thazha he hil, Bindu Vazhakka e; Geo ge, Babu (2024) :
The physical, men al, spi i ual, and en i onmen al (PMSE) amewo k o enhancing wellness
ou ism expe iences and i s alida ion in he con ex o Ke ala, India, Adminis a i e Sciences, ISSN
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Ci a ion: Kandan Pa akkal, Anju,
Bindu Vazhakka e Thazha he hil, and
Babu Geo ge. 2024. The Physical,
Men al, Spi i ual, and En i onmen al
(PMSE) F amewo k o Enhancing
Wellness Tou ism Expe iences and I s
Valida ion in he Con ex o Ke ala,
India. Adminis a i e Sciences 14: 140.
h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/
admsci14070140
Recei ed: 21 May 2024
Re ised: 26 June 2024
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Published: 2 July 2024
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adminis a i e
sciences
A icle
The Physical, Men al, Spi i ual, and En i onmen al (PMSE)
F amewo k o Enhancing Wellness Tou ism Expe iences and I s
Valida ion in he Con ex o Ke ala, India
Anju Kandan Pa akkal 1, Bindu Vazhakka e Thazha he hil 1and Babu Geo ge 2,*
1Depa men o Tou ism Managemen , A inashilingam Ins i u e o Home Science and Highe Educa ion o
Women, Coimba o e, Tamil Nadu 641043, India; 20ph o 001@a inu y.ac.in (A.K.P.);
bindu_ m@a inu y.ac.in (B.V.T.)
2School o Business, Alco n S a e Uni e si y, Lo man, MS 39096, USA
*Co espondence: bgeo [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac : Wellness ou ism has eme ged as a h i ing sec o in Ke ala, India, enowned o i s
Ayu eda ea men s, yoga, and holis ic well-being o e ings. Howe e , a comp ehensi e amewo k
cap u ing he key dimensions o wellness ou ism expe iences emains unde explo ed. This s udy
aims o alida e he physical, men al, spi i ual, and en i onmen al (PMSE) amewo k wi hin he
con ex o Ke ala’s wellness ou ism indus y. A quan i a i e esea ch design was employed, u i-
lizing da a collec ed om wellness ou is s who pa icipa ed in a ious wellness se ices in Ke ala.
Con i ma o y ac o analysis (CFA) was conduc ed o assess he i ness o he PMSE amewo k. The
indings e eal ha men al expe ience and physical expe ience, wi h hei espec i e sub-a ibu es,
con ibu e signi ican ly o he o e all wellness ou ism expe ience. The alida ed PMSE amewo k
p o ides aluable insigh s o s akeholde s, enabling hem o enhance he quali y and compe i i eness
o wellness ou ism se ices in Ke ala. By p io i izing he men al and physical dimensions o well-
ness expe iences, Ke ala can s eng hen i s posi ion as a leading wellness ou ism des ina ion. This
s udy ad ances he heo e ical unde s anding o wellness ou ism expe iences and o e s p ac ical
implica ions o des ina ion managemen and se ice p o ide s in Ke ala’s wellness ou ism indus y.
Keywo ds: wellness ou ism; PMSE amewo k; ou ism expe ience; con i ma o y ac o analysis;
Ke ala
1. In oduc ion
Wellness ou ism has eme ged as a h i ing sec o wi hin he global a el indus y
(Geo ge and Hen ho ne 2009;Zhong e al. 2021). This niche ma ke has wi nessed apid
expansion and is poised o con inued g ow h, ou pacing he b oade ou ism landscape
(Thal e al. 2021). P ojec ions om he Global Wellness Ins i u e (2018) indica e ha well-
ness ou ism will sus ain i s upwa d pa h, wi h expec a ions o e en highe g ow h a es
compa ed o he o e all ou ism sec o . To mee he escala ing demand o wellness ex-
pe iences, a ious s akeholde s, including ho els, eso s, wellness ea men cen e s, and
specialized a el packages, a e inc easingly inco po a ing heal h and wellness se ices
in o hei o e ings (Dille e e al. 2021;Pa askou and Geo ge 2017).
The global wellness economy, a signi ican d i e o his indus y, has demons a ed
imp essi e g ow h, su ging a a a e o 6.6% annually. F om USD 4.3 illion in 2017,
i eached USD 4.9 illion in 2019, a su passing he 4.0% g ow h a e o he o e all
global economy (Global Wellness Ins i u e 2021). Fo ecas s sugges ha he wellness
ou ism ma ke will con inue o h i e, wi h an an icipa ed Compound Annual G ow h
Ra e (CAGR) o 10.17% om 2023 o 2031 (Wellness Tou ism Ma ke 2023). Howe e , i is
c ucial o acknowledge he challenges posed by ex e nal ac o s, pa icula ly he p o ound
impac o he COVID-19 pandemic, which has signi ican ly dis up ed he ope a ions o
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci14070140 h ps://www.mdpi.com/jou nal/admsci
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140 2 o 16
key playe s in bo h he ou ism and wellness indus ies (Chee 2020;S anko e al. 2020;
Si anandamoo hy 2021).
The onse o he COVID-19 pandemic has p omp ed a p o ound shi in people’s
p io i ies, placing a heigh ened emphasis on heal h and well-being (Ma kose e al. 2023;
S hapi e al. 2023). This shi has no ably expanded he po en ial o he wellness a el
ma ke (Chen e al. 2023). Recen s udies p edic ha he socio-cul u al changes igge ed
by he pandemic will ha e a las ing impac on consume beha io and p e e ences (Eichel-
be ge e al. 2021). In esponse o he challenges posed by he pandemic, he e is a g owing
ecogni ion o he need o di e si y ou ism- ela ed ac i i ies and o e ings, p omo ing
explo a ion o dis an and un apped loca ions, a pe spec i e long ad oca ed by schola s
and planne s alike (Chugh 2021).
Schola ly insigh s sugges ha he pandemic will play a pi o al ole in shaping con-
sume beha io , os e ing a posi i e in luence on wellness ou ism (Chugh 2021;Kong-
a eesawas e al. 2022). This an icipa ion unde sco es he po en ial o a ans o ma i e
pe iod in he wellness a el sec o as indi iduals seek sa e and mo e heal h-conscious
a el op ions. India, wi h i s ich his o y o wellness p ac ices, s ands o bene i om his
shi in consume p e e ences.
Wellness ou ism s ands as a co ne s one in India’s di e se ou ism p oduc mix,
p ominen ly ea u ing ecognized elemen s such as yoga, medi a ion, and Ayu eda (Du
2022). The es ablishmen o he Ayush Minis y by he Indian go e nmen plays a pi o al
ole, p o iding a solid legal and ins i u ional ounda ion o p omo ing al e na i e medical
p ac ices, including he lou ishing ield o wellness a el. Ke ala, in pa icula , has ca ed
ou a niche o i sel as a p emie Ayu eda des ina ion, a ac ing bo h domes ic and
in e na ional a ele s seeking di e se ea men op ions (Bandyopadhyay and Nai 2019).
To u he asse Ke ala’s posi ion and compe e globally in he wellness ou ism
ma ke , i is essen ial o mo e p ecisely de ine he cha ac e is ics ha dis inguish i s wellness
ou ism expe ience. Despi e he abundance and quali y o wellness- ela ed esou ces and
se ices o e ed by nume ous s akeholde s, he e is a need o a comp ehensi e amewo k
ha cap u es he speci ic ac o s equi ed o a obus wellness ou ism expe ience in Ke ala.
This s udy aims o in es iga e hese ac o s, explo ing hei applicabili y in he con ex o
Ke ala. Le e aging exis ing heo ies, wellness a ibu es, and models, he goal is o shed
ligh on how Ke ala can enhance i s pe o mance and compe e wi hin he dynamic global
wellness ou ism ma ke .
2. Theo e ical F amewo k
2.1. Concep o Wellness Tou ism
O e he pas ew decades, he e has been a no able pa adigm shi in he heo e ical
and me hodological ocus o ou ism esea ch, wi h a g owing emphasis on well-being
(Geo ge and Nedelea 2009;Kay Smi h and Diekmann 2017). This ansi ion has been
ma ked by a di e se a ay o e minologies, including “quali y o li e”, “li e sa is ac ion”,
and “wellness” (Smi h and Puczkó2016). Despi e his e olu ion, wellness ou ism esea ch
emains in i s in ancy. The Wo ld Tou ism O ganiza ion and Eu opean T a el Commission
de ine “heal h ou ism” as a el p ima ily mo i a ed by a desi e o con ibu e o physical,
men al, o spi i ual heal h h ough medical and wellness ac i i ies. Howe e , he Global
Wellness Ins i u e (GWI) no es ha he umb ella e m “heal h ou ism” encompasses
modali ies anging om medical p ocedu es o yoga e ea s. In essence, “heal h ou ism”
is a b oad concep encompassing a el o medical and wellness pu poses o enhance
o e all well-being (Global Wellness Ins i u e 2018). Wellness, as concep ualized by Smi h,
ep esen s holis ic heal h wi h mul iple ace s—physical, men al, en i onmen al, spi i ual,
emo ional, and social—all wo king in ha mony o p omo e well-being (Kay Smi h and
Diekmann 2017). The in ica e na u e o his de ini ion unde sco es he complexi y o
comp ehending well-being and wellness. Beyond indi idual bene i s, wellness con ibu es
o economic g ow h, empowe s women, suppo s egional p oduc s, and p ese es cul u al
he i age. The posi i e impac o wellness ex ends beyond he indi idual, connec ing o
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140 3 o 16
b oade socie al aspec s. I aids in e i ing ancien wellness p ac ices, add essing men al
heal h issues, suppo ing en i onmen al conse a ion, p omo ing sus ainable ou ism, and
p ese ing na u al and cul u al esou ces (Global Wellness Ins i u e 2019). Fu he mo e,
wellness is linked o inc eased social capi al and an enhanced quali y o li e. Wellness
a ele s, d i en by a holis ic app oach o heal h and well-being, expec a di e se ange o
medical ca e, encompassing bo h adi ional and complemen a y he apies. Thei heal h
and well-being, as well as hei beha io al in en ions, a e in luenced by he pe cei ed
posi i e ade-o be ween hei expec a ions and he ac ual expe iences encoun e ed in
wellness ou ism (Majeed and Kim 2022).
2.2. Wellness Tou ism F amewo ks
Wellness ou ism has ga ne ed signi ican a en ion in ecen yea s, wi h esea che s
explo ing a ious models and amewo ks o comp ehend i s dynamics and impac on
ou is s’ well-being. The di e se a ay o wellness ou ism models and amewo ks dis-
cussed in he li e a u e sheds ligh on he mul i ace ed na u e o wellness ou ism and i s
implica ions o ou is expe iences and well-being. Resea che s a e con inuously s i ing
o un a el he complexi ies o wellness ou ism by in eg a ing concep s o sus ainabili y,
echnology, and local well-being in o hese models, aiming o pa e he way o a mo e
holis ic and en iching wellness ou ism expe ience ha bene i s ou is s and des ina ions
alike. Majeed and Kim (2022) p esen a wellness ou ism concep ual model ha in ica ely
wea es oge he con en ional medical ea men s, al e na i e heal h ea men s, and ou is
a ac ions o in luence wellness ou is s’ expec a ions, pe cep ions o pe o mance, heal h
and well-being (HWB), and beha io al in en ions (Majeed and Kim 2022).
Vale iani e al. (2022) ocus on a wellness ou ism model in he eco e y sec o du ing
he new no mal pe iod, emphasizing indica o s like a high s anda d o sani a ion, secu i y,
s ayca ions, niche ou ism, p i a e a el ou s, and i ual ou ism as key componen s in-
luencing he wellness ou ism expe ience. He e al. (2023) model how he wellness ou ism
expe ience inspi es ou is engagemen , cons uc ing pa hways ha link wellness ou ism
expe ience, inspi a ion, and engagemen . Chen e al. (2023) in oduce a chain media ion
model ha inco po a es he s imulus–o ganism– esponse (SOR) model o in es iga e how
he wellness ou ism expe iencescape in luences ou is s’ beha io , pa icula ly ocusing
on au hen ici y, memo abili y, o ganiza ional iden i ica ion, and e isi in en ion.
Aluculesei and A am (2020) discuss he po en ial o de eloping u al well-being
ou ism in he Puglia egion o I aly, emphasizing he egion’s wellness adi ion and he
epu a ion o i s he mal cen e s. Pa e son and Balde as-Cejudo highligh he impo ance
o ou ism in p omo ing heal hy li es yles and well-being among olde adul s, aligning wi h
he goals o Agenda 2030 (Schube and Schamel 2021). In he con ex o sus ainable ou ism
de elopmen , Schube and Schamel (2021) p opose a dynamic model ha conside s
esiden spillo e s, aiming o balance he well-being o locals wi h he impac s o ou ism
(Li e al. 2021). Puig-Cab e a e al. (2023) explo e ou ism’s ole in enhancing he well-
being o Small Island De eloping S a es, aligning wi h he objec i es o Agenda 2030
(Houge Mackenzie e al. 2021).
The e ol ing landscape o wellness ou ism is also in luenced by echnological ad-
ancemen s and changing consume beha io s. Li e al. (2021) in es iga e he e ec s o
i ual eali y ou ism on subjec i e well-being du ing he COVID-19 pandemic, high-
ligh ing how i ual expe iences can enhance indi iduals’ well-being and con ibu e o
des ina ion eco e y. Addi ionally, Houge Mackenzie e al. (2021) p opose a concep ual
model ha explo es how ad en u e spo ou ism can enhance well-being, emphasizing
he psychological p ocesses ha unde lie well-being ou comes o ad en u e spo ou is s.
2.3. Cha ac e is ics o Wellness Tou ism in India
In 2017, India secu ed se en h posi ion on he wellness des ina ion lis , in es ing a
subs an ial USD 16.3 billion in wellness a el, consequen ly suppo ing 3.8 million jobs
(Global Wellness Ins i u e 2018). This ema kable in es men aligns wi h India’s consis en
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140 4 o 16
g ow h in he ou ism sec o o e he pas decade. No ably, he eme gence o heal h
ou ism has con ibu ed signi ican ly o his upwa d pa h. India holds second posi ion
in Asia o heal h ou ism, ailing behind Thailand. Pa ien s lock o India o a di e se
ange o ea men s, encompassing adi ional Ayu edic and spa he apies along wi h
con empo a y medical p ocedu es (Choudha y and Qadi 2022;Suba h a e al. 2019). India
has been ans o med in o a globally sough -a e des ina ion o wellness and medical
ca e, spu ed on by he g owing accep ance o al e na i e medicine and adi ional healing
me hods. The na ion’s appeal as a wellness a el ho spo is s eng hened by i s di e se
a ay o adi ional medical p ac ices, such as na u opa hy, yoga, homeopa hy, Unani, and
Ayu eda. This ich healing adi ion, combined wi h India’s obus ou ism po en ial
and ich cul u al he i age, posi ions he coun y as an ideal loca ion o wellness seeke s
om a ound he wo ld (Mish a and Panda 2021). Da a (2022) highligh s ha India, o en
conside ed a “land o all seasons and pu poses”, boas s a cul u al he i age whe e yoga,
p ac iced o abou 5000 yea s, holds a signi ican place. The Minis y o Tou ism (2020)
unde sco es he d ama ic bene i s India has de i ed om a ac ing a subs an ial numbe
o ou is s h ough wellness e ea s. Despi e India’s success in he medical and wellness
ou ism sec o , he e emains a need o s a egic measu es o inc ease i s sha e in he
global wellness ou ism ma ke (Bhowmick 2018). Unde s anding he dis inc i e aspec s o
wellness ou ism in a ious cul u al con ex s is c ucial o posi ioning India e ec i ely on
he in e na ional s age.
2.4. Cha ac e is ics o Wellness Tou ism in Ke ala
India boas s excep ional a el des ina ions o wellness seeke s, wi h Ke ala s anding
ou p ominen ly, enowned o i s Ayu eda p ac ices (Romão e al. 2022), yoga, medi a-
ion, and backwa e ou ism. Recognizing he subs an ial po en ial, he e is a signi ican
oppo uni y o posi ion Ke ala as a p emie wellness a el des ina ion (Manhas e al. 2019).
No ably, Ke ala has success ully c a ed a dis inc i e, loca ion-based wellness b and and
p oduc , making i a s andou s a e in his ega d. A ound wo decades ago, Ke ala iden i-
ied i sel as he “land o Ayu eda” (Kannan and F enz 2019). Since hen, he s a e has been
p og essi ely solidi ying i s s a us as a leading wellness ou is des ina ion. Le e aging
ancien medical ea men s like eju ena ion he apies and panchaka ma, which a e among
he oldes me hods o medical ea men (Da a 2022), Ke ala has become he p e e ed
choice o o eigne s seeking Ayu edic expe iences (Kannan and F enz 2019). I p o ides
se ices h ough acc edi ed Ayu edic wellness cen e s ac oss he s a e (Table 1). The
Wes e n wo ld has long pe cei ed India as a hub o enligh enmen and spi i uali y, and
Ke ala’s cu en ou ism ini ia i es align wi h ma ke ing campaigns o e ing isi o s no
jus physical elaxa ion bu also spi i ual enewal and ans o ma ion (Bandyopadhyay and
Nai 2019). Rema kably, despi e acing na u al and man-made disas e s in 2018, Ke ala
wi nessed a 6% inc ease in isi o a i als. This posi i e end con inued in 2019, wi h
a ema kable 8.58% ise in o eign isi o a i als, acco ding o he s a e’s ou ism da a
(Ke ala Tou ism S a is ics 2019).
Key miles ones in Ke ala’s ou ism indus y ha e been achie ed h ough s a egic
p oduc de elopmen e o s, no ably d i en by he su ging demand o Ayu edic eju-
ena ion aca ions and he i age a ac ions, bo h domes ically and in e na ionally. The
expanding ange o lodging op ions, including bou ique eso s and he i age ho els, has
u he en iched he ou is expe ience. Go e nmen ini ia i es ha e played a c ucial ole
in ans o ming his o ic s uc u es in o wellness cen e s, p ese ing a adi ional ambiance.
Ke ala’s wellness ou ism has success ully aligned i sel wi h con empo a y ma ke de-
mands, ocusing on eju ena ion, spi i uali y, and cul u e, a ac ing leisu e a ele s om
a ious ca ego ies (Nai and Dileep 2021).
The la es ma ke shi s in Ke ala unde line a delibe a e in eg a ion o wellness, medi-
cal, and cul u al ou ism componen s, aiming o p o ide gues s wi h a unique and holis ic
expe ience. No ewo hy aspec s o he indus y include a di e se a ay o o e ings, cus-
omized in e ac ion zones, obus social media-d i en ma ke ing pla o ms, and easily
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140 5 o 16
accessible specialized ameni ies. Recen ea men s a e designed a ound he p inciples
o “escapism”, o e ing comp ehensi e packages o eju ena ion and e i aliza ion ha
ha monize he mind, body, and spi i . Ke ala has pionee ed he in eg a ion o wellness,
hospi ali y, and ou ism in unp eceden ed ways, solidi ying i s posi ion as a dis inguished
des ina ion o wellness a el (Dileep and Nai 2021).
Table 1. Acc edi ed Ayu eda wellness cen e s in Ke ala.
No. Dis ic s Numbe o Acc edi ed
Wellness Cen e s
1 Thi u anan hapu am 19
3 Kollam 4
4 Idukki 3
5 Ko ayam 10
6 Alappuzha 8
7 E nakulam 10
8 Th issu 17
9 Malappu am 3
10 Palakkad 1
11 Kozhikode 3
12 Wayanad 3
13 Kannu 1
Sou ce: Ke ala Tou ism (2018).
2.5. Dimensions o Wellness Tou ism Expe ience Theo e ical F amewo k
The e m “wellness” is holis ic; many esea che s emphasizing i s mul i ace ed aspec ,
which includes “physical and men al heal h, as well as social and en i onmen al” ac o s. I
is de ined as a s a e o “expe iencing ha mony in men al, Physical, spi i ual, and biological
heal h” (Ko u 2022;Liao e al. 2023). Wellness ou ism has e ol ed om a na ow emphasis
on physical heal h and well-being o a b oade concep o holis ic heal h (Dini and Penca elli
2022). Rapid economic p og ess, combined wi h g ea e social p essu e and compe i ion,
has has ened he pace o li e, esul ing in widesp ead bu nou . This bu nou eme ges
in he body, mind, and in e pe sonal communica ion, leading o an inc ease in pe sons
displaying sub-heal h ea u es. Wellness ou ism has g own as a way o li e and is a
p e e ed choice o indi iduals seeking mo e han jus leisu e; i also o e s oppo uni ies
o sel -explo a ion (Dini and Penca elli 2022;Joseph Si gy 2019;Liao e al. 2023). P e iously,
wellness ou ism expe iences emphasized “ elaxa ion, senso y pleasu es, enjoymen , and
he na u al en i onmen ”. Howe e , ecen ends ha e seen wellness ou ism e ol e o
o e mo e imme si e and au hen ic expe iences ha p io i ize pe sonal g ow h. Wellness
ou ism expe iences now ac i ely o passi ely p o ec people’s heal h by me ging hei
“cul u al, spi i ual, nu i ional, physical, and en i onmen al demands” (Global Wellness
Summi 2020).
This s udy aims o alida e he PMSE amewo k o he wellness ou ism expe ience
wi hin Ke ala’s wellness ou ism indus y, d awing on he Push and Pull Mo i a ional
Theo y o p o ide a comp ehensi e unde s anding o wellness ou ism expe ience dimen-
sions. The Push and Pull Mo i a ional Theo y explains he mo i a ions behind wellness
ou ism by iden i ying in e nal desi es (push ac o s) and ex e nal a ac ions (pull ac o s)
(Mai and Nguyen 2023). In he con ex o he PMSE amewo k, he physical dimension
add esses push ac o s such as he desi e o heal h imp o emen , elaxa ion, and physical
eju ena ion, while pull ac o s include Ke ala’s enowned wellness acili ies, such as
spas, i ness cen e s, and na u al healing en i onmen s. The men al dimension cap u es
push ac o s like he need o s ess elie and psychological well-being, wi h pull ac o s
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140 6 o 16
being des ina ions ha o e men al wellness p og ams such as medi a ion, mind ulness
wo kshops, and men al heal h e ea s. Fo he spi i ual dimension, push ac o s in ol e
he ques o spi i ual g ow h, inne peace, and li e pu pose, whe eas pull ac o s include
spi i ual a ac ions like ash ams, spi i ual e ea s, and cul u al expe iences. The en i-
onmen al dimension aligns wi h push ac o s d i en by a desi e o escape u ban li e and
econnec wi h na u e, and pull ac o s ep esen ed by Ke ala’s na u al beau y, eco- iendly
accommoda ions, and ac i i ies p omo ing en i onmen al conse a ion. By in eg a ing
hese dimensions, he PMSE amewo k, suppo ed by he Push and Pull Mo i a ional
Theo y, o e s a holis ic app oach o unde s anding he mul i ace ed mo i a ions and ex-
pe iences o wellness ou is s, he eby enhancing he o e all appeal and e ec i eness o
Ke ala’s wellness ou ism indus y.
The p esen s udy was conduc ed in Ke ala, India, a egion enowned o i s e-
ma kable g ow h in wellness ou ism, pa icula ly in he domain o Ayu eda ea men s,
ando en e e ed o as “God’s own coun y” (Romão e al. 2022). The ac o s shaping well-
ness ou ism expe ience a y place o place, and comp ehensi e amewo ks add essing
hese a ibu es emain unexplo ed, especially in Ke ala. Fu he mo e, he e is a lack o a
alida ed PMSE amewo k ailo ed speci ically o he de elopmen and planning o well-
ness ou ism in Ke ala. Thus, we ha e unde aken he adap a ion o he PMSE amewo k
om p io s udies (Kong a eesawas e al. 2022) o assess i s sui abili y and applicabili y
wi hin he con ex o Ke ala. The aim o his s udy is o au hen ica e he PMSE amewo k
wi hin Ke ala, while pinpoin ing he dominan a ibu e ha signi ican ly con ibu es o
he o e all wellness ou ism expe ience. The s udy ocuses on wellness ou is s isi ing
Ke ala, speci ically hose seeking wellness ea men s and answe s he ques ion abou he
key ac o s ha con ibu e owa ds he o e all wellness ou ism expe ience.
The esea ch con ibu es o he unde s anding o wellness ou ism in Ke ala, shedding
ligh on he ac o s ha a ac isi o s seeking Ayu eda ea men s. I also explo es he
unique posi ioning o Ke ala as a wellness des ina ion, emphasizing he e m “wellness
ou ism” o dis inguish i sel om he con en ional ou ism image o India (Bandyopad-
hyay and Nai 2019).
3. Resea ch Me hods
This s udy employed a quan i a i e esea ch design o alida e he PMSE amewo k
wi hin he con ex o Ke ala’s wellness ou ism indus y. Quan i a i e me hods, speci ically
con i ma o y ac o analysis (CFA), we e chosen as he igh app oach o se e al easons,
as ollows:
1.
Objec i e Measu emen : Quan i a i e app oaches allow o objec i e measu emen
and s a is ical analysis, p o iding s ong e idence o es ablish he amewo k’s alid-
i y in a new cul u al con ex .
2.
Gene alizabili y: The abili y o collec da a om a la ge sample size inc eases he
gene alizabili y o he esul s, making hem mo e applicable o he b oade wellness
ou ism indus y in Ke ala.
3.
F amewo k Valida ion: CFA is ideally sui ed o alida ing exis ing heo e ical ame-
wo ks, allowing us o es whe he he da a i he hypo hesized PMSE model.
While quan i a i e me hods we e deemed mos app op ia e, we did conside al e na-
i e app oaches. In-dep h in e iews o ocus g oups could ha e p o ided ich, de ailed
insigh s bu would ha e limi ed ou abili y o s a is ically alida e he PMSE amewo k
and gene alize he indings. A mixed-me hod app oach was conside ed o i s po en ial o
p o ide bo h b ead h and dep h o unde s anding. Howe e , gi en ou p ima y aim o
alida ing an exis ing amewo k, a pu ely quan i a i e app oach was mo e e icien and
di ec ly add essed ou esea ch objec i es. While EFA could ha e been used o explo e
he unde lying s uc u e o he da a, we chose CFA because we we e wo king wi h an
es ablished heo e ical amewo k (PMSE) and wan ed o con i m i s applicabili y in he
Ke ala con ex a he han explo e new ac o s uc u es.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140 7 o 16
The s udy u ilized a ques ionnai e adap ed om Kong a eesawas e al. (2022), consis -
ing o 26 a ibu es ac oss he ou PMSE dimensions. The ques ionnai e included sec ions
co e ing pa icipan demog aphics, ou ism beha io s, and he impo ance o expec a ion
le els o wellness ou ism expe ience dimensions. Bo h online and o line ques ionnai es
we e employed o ensu e p i acy and p omp esponses. The su ey was conduc ed om
1 Ap il 2023 o 31 May 2023. We employed pu posi e sampling o ensu e ha pa icipan s
had ele an expe ience wi h wellness se ices in Ke ala. This app oach was c ucial o
ob aining in o med esponses ha accu a ely e lec he wellness ou ism expe ience ac oss
all PMSE dimensions. Responden s we e chosen om a pool o indi iduals wi h p e ious
expe ience in wellness se ices in Ke ala.
The ini ial sample size o 320 was de e mined based on he popula ion o wellness
ou is s in Ke ala, using Yamane’s o mula (Naja e al. 2020) o ensu e s a is ical signi i-
cance. Following ield edi ing and da a sc eening p ocedu es, he inal sample size was
educed o 286. This sample size emains s a is ically obus o CFA, adhe ing o he gen-
e al guideline o ha ing a leas 10 esponden s pe obse ed a iable in he model (Hai
e al. 2010). AMOS so wa e was used o goodness-o - i assessmen and modi ica ion o
he measu emen model. CFA was employed o assess he i ness o he PMSE amewo k,
p o iding igo ous e idence suppo ing he cons uc alidi y o he amewo k and ensu -
ing ha he iden i ied dimensions accu a ely ep esen he wellness ou ism expe ience.
The PMSE a ibu e amewo k alida ion ins umen exhibi ed a good le el o eliabili y,
wi h a C onbach’s alpha o 0.73.
This s udy adhe ed o e hical guidelines, ensu ing pa icipan con iden iali y, in o med
consen , and espec ul ep esen a ion o cul u al p ac ices. Pa icipan s we e p o ided
wi h clea in o ma ion abou he esea ch pu pose and had he op ion o wi hd aw a any
s age wi hou consequences.
4. Findings and Discussion
A o al o 286 esponses we e ga he ed h ough online and o line ques ionnai es
om wellness a ele s in Ke ala be ween Ma ch and May 2023, employing pu posi e
sampling echniques. The da a se unde wen desc ip i e s a is ical analysis using IBM
SPSS e sion 23.0 o explo e i s key cha ac e is ics. Following da a collec ion, con i ma o y
ac o analysis (CFA) was conduc ed using AMOS o alida e he ac o s in luencing he
wellness ou ism expe ience in Ke ala.
4.1. Responden s’ P o ile
Among he 286 esponden s, he majo i y (61%) iden i ied as male. The highes
ep esen a ion ell wi hin he 26–35 age g oup. No ably, a signi ican po ion (51.4%) a ed
hei heal h as excellen . A conside able numbe o esponden s had engaged in wellness
se ices o he las wo yea s. Du ing wellness ips, a majo i y (57%) p e e ed s ays o
3-4 nigh s. Independen a el was he choice o 35% o he esponden s. Leisu e ac i i ies
we e he p e e ed wellness ac i i ies o he majo i y (35%), while 23.1% op ed o heal h
and wellness ac i i ies. No ewo hy selec ions included na u al sigh seeing (14.7%) and spa
expe iences (11.5%). Rega ding wellness ou ism des ina ions in Ke ala, Ko alama ac ed
he highes a en ion among esponden s (25.2%). The a e age daily spending o ou is s
du ing hei wellness ip ypically anged be ween 3001 and 5000. Mos esponden s
p o ided posi i e a ings on he PMSE (wellness ou ism expe ience) amewo k wi hin
he con ex o Ke ala.
4.2. Desc ip i e S a is ics
Wi hin he amewo k o he wellness ou ism expe ience unde he PMSE model,
his a icle aims o assess a ious dimensions including physical, men al, spi i ual, and
en i onmen al expe iences. The s udy adap ed 26 a ibu es (Kong a eesawas e al. 2022)
applicable o wellness ou ism expe iences in Ke ala: 10 associa ed wi h physical expe-
ience, 5 wi h men al expe ience, 5 wi h spi i ual expe ience, and 6 wi h en i onmen al
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 140 8 o 16
expe ience. Desc ip i e s a is ics o hese 26 a ibu es a e p esen ed in Table 2, de ailing
hei espec i e means.
Table 2. Mean and s anda d de ia ion alues o wellness ou ism expe ience (N = 286).
Code I em Mean
Physical Expe ience
1 P_ex1 A ailabili y o passi e wellness ou ism ac i i ies 4.26
2 P_ex2 A ailabili y o ac i e wellness ou ism ac i i ies 4.26
3 P_ex3 The de oxi ica ion p og ams 4.11
4 P_ex4 The ood quali y and/o ood se ice 4.20
5 P_ex5 The des ina ion’s isual a s 4.08
6 P_ex6 Reasonable p ice o wellness se ice 4.01
7 P_ex7 Wellness ameni ies, p oduc s, and sou eni s 4.17
8 P_ex8 Supply ypology 4.16
9 P_ex9 Hygiene policy o he des ina ion 4.09
10 P_ex10 Accessibili y o he wellness cen e 4.35
Men al Expe ience
1 M_ex1 Li e p og ess and/o posi i e change 4.27
2 M_ex2 Escape om daily li e and ecupe a ion 4.19
3 M_ex3 Se ice ca e and empa hy o employees 4.17
4 M_ex4 Being pa o communi y 4.15
5 M_ex5 Unde s anding new hings om hos communi y 4.09
Spi i ual Expe ience
1 S_ex1 Spi i /soul upli men 4.19
2 S_ex2 Sha ing you wellbeing a el expe ience wi h
des ina ion communi ies, s akeholde s, and o he s 4.20
3 S_ex3 High le el o engagemen o in e es in des ina ion’s
ac i i ies 4.17
4 S_ex4 The a ibu ions o knowledge, memo ies, pe cep ions,
emo ions, and sel -iden i y 4.18
5 S_ex5 To be able o ecall he expe ience any ime you like 4.26
En i onmen al Expe ience
1 E_ex1 Wellness se ice, knowledgeable s a , and
s akeholde s. 4.29
2 E_ex2 En i onmen al conce n and sus ainable su oundings 4.27
3 E_ex2 U ili y o local p oduc s and cuisines 4.21
4 E_ex3 Peace ul des ina ion 4.23
5 E_ex4 Au hen ic des ina ion 4.24
6 E_ex5 The link be ween wellbeing and sus ainable
de elopmen 4.20
Sou ce: P ima y da a.
In he ealm o physical expe ience, he a ibu e wi h he highes mean alue is
accessibili y o he wellness cen e (4.35), indica ing a s ong inclina ion owa ds ease
o access. Following closely a e wo a ibu es: a ailabili y o passi e wellness ou ism
ac i i ies (4.26) and a ailabili y o ac i e wellness ou ism ac i i ies (4.26), e lec ing a
posi i e a i ude owa ds engaging in a ious wellness- ela ed ac i i ies. T ansi ioning o
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au ho (s) and con ibu o (s) and no o MDPI and/o he edi o (s). MDPI and/o he edi o (s) disclaim esponsibili y o any inju y o
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