Interdisciplinary Research Among Tourism, Public Health, and Global Health: A Promising Stream Focusing on Populations With Suboptimal Health Status

Abstract

Research suggests that approximately 75% of the world's population suffers from suboptimal health status, meaning these individuals often feel unwell but have no clearly diagnosable conditions. Suboptimal health status, originating from traditional Chinese medicine, signifies an intermediate state between health and disease. Tourism has been deemed beneficial for personal health and general well-being. More recently, it has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with dementia, given its potential contributions to health promotion and disease prevention/treatment. Yet, the tourism literature has paid scarce attention to populations with suboptimal health status, even as an aging society becomes inevitable. This paper critically discusses research and knowledge gaps in the tourism and health literature. It also outlines opportunities to enhance personal health through the lens of tourism, ideally with objective evidence collected via interdisciplinary studies.