This study provides a profile of the health resort sector in Australia. The
study was based on resort directories, an analysis of promotional materials
produced by each of the resorts within the population and discussions with
representatives of Australia’s various state tourism organisations. It
was found that most properties in the health resort category may be described as
being mainstream and offering a tourism focus. The smallest number are found in
the alternative and medical treatment focus categories, though these components
of the health resort sector do appear to be dynamic and innovative. The
development of a dynamic and innovative health resort sector may owe something
to the absence of a strong tradition of spas in Australia.
Hall, C. M.
(1992) ‘Adventure, sport and health
tourism’, in
Weiler, B.
and
Hall, C. M.
(eds) ‘Special Interest Tourism’,
Bellhaven Press, London
, pp. 141-158.
2.
Lowenthal, D.
(1962)
‘Tourists and thermalists’
, Geographic Review, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp.
124-127
.
3.
Cooper, C. P.
,
Fletcher, J.
,
Noble, A.
and
Westlake, J. N.
(1995)
‘Changing tourism demand in central Europe: The case of Romanian
tourism spas’
, Journal of Tourism Studies, Vol. 6, No.
2, pp.
30-44
.
4.
Goodrich, J. N.
(1993)
‘Socialist Cuba: A study of health tourism’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 32, No.
1, pp.
36-41
.
5.
Webster, S.
(1990)
‘Austria’
, International Tourism Reports, No. 1, pp.
5-18
.
6.
Sebastian, I.
(2002)
‘Health & Spa Tourism’
, Spa Australasia, Vol. 13, pp.
36-43
.
7.
Grell, G. A. C.
(1994)
‘Ecotourism and health tourism in the Caribbean’
, Bulletin of Eastern Caribbean Affairs, Vol. 19,
No. 1, pp.
39-45
.
8.
Goodrich, ref. 4 above.
9.
Jenner, M.
(1981)
‘Arab tourism: An inside look at an outward movement’
, British Travel News, No. 72, pp.
32-34
.
10.
Fukasz, G.
(1989)
‘Leisure and thermal tourism in Hungary’
, in ‘Proceedings of the European Leisure and Recreation
Association Congress’, Vol. 2b, Rotterdam, The
Netherlands, June.
11.
Sugataghy, A.
(1989)
‘The planning of tourism in Hungary’
, Acta Turistica, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp.
200-204
.
12.
World Tourism Organization
(1979)
‘Hungary: Outlines of the long-term programme to develop thermal
water resources for tourism and recreational purposes’
, WTO Technical Bulletin, pp.
1-4
.
13.
Niv, A.
(1989)
‘Health tourism in Israel: A developing industry’
, Revue de Tourisme, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp.
30-32
.
14.
Becheri, E.
(1989)
‘From thermalism to health tourism’
, Revue de Tourisme, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp.
15-19
.
15.
Cooper et al., ref. 3 above.
16.
Jenner, ref. 9 above.
17.
Sebastian, ref. 6 above.
18.
Scholz, K.
(2002)
‘Spa study shows growth in locations, sales’
, Travel Weekly, Vol. 61, No. 41, p.
58
.
19.
Grell, ref. 7 above.
20.
Elliot, J.
and
Johns, N.
(1993)
‘The influence of international tourism trends on the design of
leisure resorts’
, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,
Vol. 5, No. 2, pp.
6-9
.
21.
Tarlow, P. E.
and
Muehsam, M. J.
(1992)
‘Wide horizons: Travel and tourism in the coming decades’
, The Futurist, Vol. 26, No. 5, pp.
28-32
.
22.
Murray, M. T.
(1995) ‘Foreword: Alternative
medicine’s role in the emerging medical paradigm’,
in
Marti, J. E.
(ed.) ‘The Alternative Health and Medicine
Encyclopaedia’,
Gale Research, New York
, pp. xi-xii.
23.
Winett, R. A.
,
King, A. C.
and
Altman, D. G.
(1989) ‘Health Psychology and Public
Health’,
Pergamon Press, New York
.
24.
Pollock, A.
(1993) ‘Information technology and the emergence of
a new tourism’, PATA Occasional Papers Series No.
9,
Pacific Asia Travel Association, San Francisco
.
25.
Goodrich, J. N.
and
Goodrich, G. E.
(1987)
‘Health-care Tourism: An exploratory study’
, Tourism Management, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp.
217-222
.
26.
Hall, ref. 1 above.
27.
Goodrich, ref. 4 above.
28.
Ibid.
29.
Bradley, R.
and
Kim, E.
(1994)
‘Loosening the reins: Autonomy boosts Cuban medical industry’
, Harvard International Review, Vol. 16, No.
4, pp.
66-67
.
30.
Goodrich, ref. 4 above.
31.
Kertesz, L.
(1995)
‘Hawaii governor woos Mayo Clinic’
, Modern Healthcare, Vol. 25, No. 36,
September, p.
54
.
32.
Kertesz, L.
(1995)
‘Hawaiian lure could be a lei and a stethoscope’
, Modern Healthcare, Vol. 25, No. 13, p.
23
.
33.
Cockerell, N.
(1996)
‘Market segments: Spas and health resorts in Europe’
, Travel and Tourism Analyst, No. 1, pp.
53-77
.
34.
Tarlow and Muehsam, ref. 21 above.
35.
Hall, ref. 1 above.
36.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
(1989) ‘Standard Classification of Visitor
Accommodation’,
ABS, Melbourne
.
37.
Stein, T. J.
,
Dev, C. S.
and
Tabacchi, M. H.
(1990)
‘Spas: Redefining the market’
, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly,
February, pp.
46-52
.
38.
Cockerell, ref. 33 above.
39.
Cooper et al., ref. 3 above.
40.
Goodrich, ref. 4 above.
41.
Hall, ref. 1 above.
42.
Goodrich, ref. 4 above.
43.
Becheri, ref. 14 above.
44.
Niv, ref. 13 above.
45.
Sebastian, ref. 6 above.
46.
Goodrich and Goodrich, ref. 25 above.
47.
Cooper et al., ref. 3 above.
48.
Williams, P. W.
,
Andestad, G.
,
Pollock, A.
and
Dossa, K. B.
(1996)
‘Health spa travel markets: Mexican long-haul pleasure travellers’
, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 3, No.
1, pp.
11-31
.
49.
Cockerell, ref. 33 above.
50.
Williams et al., ref. 48 above.
51.
Howat, P.
,
Howat, G.
,
Fisher, J.
and
Earle, L.
(1986)
‘The relationship between the holistic concept of leisure and
health promotion’
, ACHPER National Journal, No. 114, December, pp.
4-9
.
52.
Williams et al., ref. 48 above.
53.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, ref. 36 above.
54.
Australian Automobile Association
(1996) ‘Accommodation Guide’,
1996-1997 edition,
AAA, Melbourne
.
55.
Stein et al., ref. 37 above.
56.
Goodrich and Goodrich, ref. 25 above.
57.
Ontos
(1996) ‘A holiday that heals’,
advertisement in The Age, 17th August.
58.
Cooper et al., ref. 3 above.
59.
Atherton, K.
(2003)
‘Bubbling success prompts spa expansion’
, Travel Week AustraliaSupplement, issue 1039, p.
3
.
