Development of pomelo peel massage oil and its associations with tourist wellbeing: a structural equation model analysis

This study investigates the development of a massage oil derived from pomelo (Citrus maxima) peel and examines how the massage experience is associated with tourist wellbeing using structural equation modeling. A mixed-methods approach was employed: the oil’s physicochemical properties were evaluated in accordance with THAI SMEs STANDARD 36-2561, and a cross-sectional quasi-experimental design was implemented with 400 older tourists in Nakhon Pathom who received the pomelo peel massage. Data were analyzed in JASP, and the oil fully complied with all quality criteria. The structural equation model demonstrated good fit (χ²/df = 2.84; CFI = .979; TLI = .970; GFI = .962; RMSEA = .068; SRMR = .028), revealing that the holistic massage experience was strongly positively associated with tourist wellbeing (β = .877, p <.001), accounting for 77% of its variance. Among the experiential dimensions, spiritual and environmental elements had the highest factor loadings, whereas physical, social, and hedonic wellbeing dimensions were the most influential indicators of overall tourist wellbeing. These results underscore the viability of transforming pomelo peel – an agricultural by-product – into a high-quality, efficacious massage oil that is associated with higher self-reported wellbeing among visitors and supports the cultivation of distinctive health tourism in Nakhon Pathom.