How virtual wellness retreat experiences may influence psychological well-being

Research on the link between tourist experience and psychological well-being has mainly focused on holiday contexts that are (1) physically remote from tourists’ everyday lives, and (b) in which wellness enhancement is not the primary focus. Accordingly, there are gaps in the literature regarding the psychological well-being impacts of virtual wellness travel, wherein tourists do not physically leave their homes, and wellness is a primary focus of the experience. Given the increasing rates of mental ill-being and growing recognition of the need to support psychological well-being across diverse populations, this conceptual study explored how virtual wellness retreat experiences may influence psychological well-being. This conceptual paper suggests new directions for tourist well-being research by exploring wellbeing in relation to the emerging phenomenon of virtual wellness retreats. The authors propose that retreating online may enhance psychological well-being by: engaging people in simultaneous experiences of relaxation and adventure; offering a wide range of alternative wellness services; fostering environmentally sustainable practices; affording a sense of community; and facilitating meaningful co-created experiences that are more likely to endure due to the home context. The paper concludes with a conceptual model to guide future research, and a discussion of future avenues to investigate the nexus between technology, sustainable wellness tourism, and psychological well-being.