Page 174 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Analyzing MHTW tourism for sustainable development

supports environmental sustainability, and enhances the (Pessot et al., 2021). For example, studies have explored
social fabric of communities (Zhong et al., 2021). This the sustainable development of thermal tourism and forest
outcome entails creating policies that support sustainable therapy tourism, attending to their environmental impact
practices and encourage community participation in and their benefits to visitors and locals. These practices
wellness tourism initiatives (Coghlan, 2015; Weaver et al., do not concern merely providing therapeutic benefits
2022). Wellness tourism can catalyze local economic to tourists; they also ensure that the said benefits are
development, particularly in rural or underdeveloped delivered in a manner that can be sustained over the long
regions (Zhong et al., 2021). Wellness tourism can tap term without degrading natural resources or local cultures
into local natural resources and cultural heritage, generate (Shahzalal & Elgammal, 2023; Stavroula & Vasiliki, 2020).
income, create jobs, and stimulate local businesses. The application of models such as strengths, weaknesses,
However, this result requires careful planning to ensure opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis and analytic
that tourism development does not overburden local hierarchy process (AHP) is crucial. For instance, the
ecosystems or cultural practices. SWOT-AHP combination can facilitate assessments of the
Studies from Northwest Iran and Tobago have sustainability of therapy tourism ventures by identifying
investigated how wellness tourism can align with sustainable strong facets, drawbacks, possibilities, and risks and
development goals to integrate wellness activities with consequently enabling stakeholders to prioritize actions
environmental conservation efforts and community based on the performed assessment (Büyüközkan et al.,
engagement and illustrate how destinations can balance 2021). To cite one example, a study conducted in Enshi on
tourist needs with resource sustainability (Alexis-Thomas, forest therapy tourism utilized such models to strategically
2020; Verharen et al., 2021). Despite its potential, wellness plan and increase the sustainability of tourism practices
tourism faces challenges such as the need for consistent and assure that tourism contributes constructively to both
quality of service, sustainable supply chain management, environmental conservation and local development (Rai,
and continued balance between tourist influx and local 2019). Community involvement and the benefits introduced
capacity. Future research must address these challenges by by therapy tourism to local populations are vital components
developing more robust models for sustainable wellness of mutual sustainability. The attitudes of local communities
tourism to ensure that this strategy remains viable for toward therapy tourism can significantly influence the
promoting health, well-being, and economic development success and sustainability of such initiatives. Engaging local
in harmony with environmental and cultural preservation. communities and ensuring that they benefit from therapy
Hence, wellness tourism for sustainable development tourism projects can result in more sustainable and accepted
emphasizes the role of governance, economic impact, and practices, which are vital to the long-term success of such
practical models and overviews the ongoing challenges tourism initiatives (Zamani-Farahani, 2016).
and opportunities in the field. Despite its potential, therapy tourism confronts

2.4. Therapy tourism and sustainable development challenges such as guaranteeing that therapeutic practices
do not exploit natural resources and managing the influx
Therapy tourism is often focused on therapeutic activities of tourists in a manner that does not disrupt local lives.
linked to physical and mental health benefits and involves Future research and practices related to therapy tourism
travel to destinations offering medical and wellness must focus on devising and implementing robust
treatments such as thermal baths, forest healing, and sustainable praxes that address such issues and affirm
other natural restorative environments (Ohe et al., 2017). therapy tourism as a viable tool that promotes sustainable
When aligned with sustainable development, therapy development in host communities and simultaneously
tourism emphasizes ecologically sustainable, economically delivers genuine therapeutic benefits to tourists (Jabbar &
viable, and socially equitable practices and ensures that Dani, 2020; Ohe, 2021). Therapy tourism for sustainable
tourism activities contribute to the health of individuals development underlines sustainable practices, utilizes
as well as the environments with which they interact model applications, secures community engagement, and
(Ohe et al., 2017). This integration aims to equally foster surpasses the challenges facing this sector. Table 1 presents
long-term well-being for local communities and tourists details of the relevant studies referenced in this literature
while preserving natural resources (Jabbar & Dani, 2020; review including their authors, publication years, and titles.
Kristjánsdóttir et al., 2018).
3. Research methodology
Effective sustainable practices in therapy tourism
require the natural and cultural environments that support Bibliometric analysis is a method of quantitative analysis
therapeutic activities to be maintained and enhanced based on mathematics and statistics. It is employed primarily

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 166 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4149