Wellness Tourism: an Application of Positive Psychological Theory to Overall Quality of Life
Wellness Tourism: An Application of Positive Psychological Theory to Overall Quality of Life by Alana Kathryn Dillette A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Auburn, Alabama August 6, 2016 Keywords: wellness, tourism, quality of life, positive psychological well-being Copyright 2016 by Alana Kathryn Dillette Approved by Alecia C. Douglas, Associate Professor Nutrition, Dietetics & Hospitality Management Carey Andrzejewski, Associate Professor Educational Foundations, Leadership, & Technology David Martin, Associate Professor Nutrition, Dietetics & Hospitality Management Muzzaffer Uysal, Professor Tourism and Hospitality Management Abstract This goal of this dissertation was to ascertain the characteristics of and relationships between wellness, positive psychological well-being, transformative experiences and overall quality of life within a tourism context. In order to accomplish this, three independent articles addressed eight research questions using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The first article explored holistic wellness through the qualitative analysis of 1216 TripAdvisor reviews. Utilizing the netnographic method in combination with exploratory inductive framework analysis, four dimensions of wellness were revealed: body, mind, spirit and environment (Dunn 1959). Results from the study were diverse, highlighting both barriers and pathways towards wellness. Findings revealed the possibility of wellness
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