Managing the heterogeneity in resort guests’ wellness needs

Abstract

This exploratory study gathers insights about the heterogeneity in guest interest in wellness activities at leading wellness resorts in Southeast Asia. Specific objectives are to investigate the efficacy of theoretically derived strategies for dealing with wellness guest heterogeneity and to explore how wellness resorts manage positive and negative operational aspects. The significance of the study derives from (a) the booming nature of the global wellness resort sector, (b) confusion about who is a wellness guest, and (c) the lack of a management perspective in previous related studies. The multi-method qualitative study obtained data from three different sources and revealed five themes. The findings illustrate the innovative tactics used by resorts to manage negative trigger points. However, the incongruence of the traditional strategic approach for the recruitment of wellness guests with wellness principles suggests that a more adaptive style of management would be beneficial.