Active lifestyle health tourism: conceptual framework for a growing sector

The tourism industry has experienced consistent growth and has increasingly contributed to global and regional value creation. Health tourism is one of the most significant developments, having experienced a resurgence at the beginning of the twenty-first century. In recent years, a distinct trend has emerged, especially since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic: travellers prioritising an active, healthy lifestyle and seeking health-oriented holidays with an active focus. This demand is driven by inactivity, work-related stress and limited contact with nature, as well as by increased leisure time, rising health awareness and a greater willingness to invest in well-being. Given that trends influence today's consumers, it is valid to question whether the past definitions take changes in demand and consumer behaviour fully into account. To address this gap, we propose to reconceptualise health tourism for consumers of active lifestyles within the continuum of medical and wellness tourism, and to develop a conceptual framework that captures the new trend by implementing its core elements. This framework would provide a basis for understanding the trend ‘active lifestyle health tourism’ and its implications for demand and supply by conceptualising the target group. It would also support future empirical research.