Getting out and about over the summer holidays will be good for you, writes ECU researcher Dr Jun Wen.
Sedentary lifestyles with improper nutrition, an ageing population, increased obesity and declining mental health – the world’s population is facing a multitude of health risks that are both emotionally and financially costly.
Scientists and policymakers are seeking ways to address these risks, with innovative approaches providing valuable tools to address the health of our society.
The positive effects of travel and tourism have been researched and understood for decades. However, researchers are now becoming more creative in applying these known positive effects to health and wellbeing.
The World Health Organization reported that the global life expectancy has increased by six years since 2000, and the proportion of people aged 65 years and older is projected to double by 2050.
The list of health problems associated with ageing is long – diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, while mental health is considered a global health concern for all ages.
People with mental health conditions die prematurely, suffer discrimination and can have challenging relationships. The WHO estimates that the global cost of anxiety and depression, two common mental health conditions, is equivalent to US $1 trillion annually.
Obesity, which contributes to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers, has been identified by the World Health Statistics 2022 bulletin as increasingly affecting children, adolescents and adults.
But how can tourism make an actual difference to these complex health conditions?
It is helpful to understand some of the known positive effects of tourism. For one, most tourism experiences require some level of physical activity to access and enjoy a destination. Increased physical activity can improve brain activity and lower risks for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression and obesity.
On another level, tourism activities elicit positive emotions including joy, gratitude, serenity and love. When positive emotions dominate, negative emotions, including anxiety, sadness, and despair, tend to be quieter.
Social interactions are an inevitable part of tourism experiences, and positive social interactions stimulate the brain and are good for overall mental health. The sights, sounds, smells and tactile experiences of a new location all provide mental stimulation, known to reduce the risk of dementia-related diseases.
The act of “tourism” can be as simple as a museum tour or as elaborate as a week-long beach vacation. Exploring a new park is another way to experience the benefits of tourism.
Our multidisciplinary team of ECU researchers from both tourism, marketing and medical sciences proposed that tourism could be included as a treatment intervention for dementia patients. Mental stimulation, sensory experiences and increased activity are all known interventions for dementia – why not use tourism to deliver these benefits?
Unfortunately, physical and mental disabilities, along with world health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can be barriers to travel. Tourism researchers have been exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) tourism to bring destinations to travellers. VR tourism could enable nursing home residents with dementia, or those who may have mobility issues, to enjoy some of the benefits of tourism without
the need to physically travel.
These virtual tourism experiences would still provide mental stimulation, positive emotions, and allow for social interactions with caregivers following the experience.
It will take a pioneering spirit to provide solutions to the growing list of global health concerns. Multidisciplinary research has great potential to propose creative applications of known theories to benefit the population.
In spite of the concerning state of global health, we are at an exciting time where researchers are coming together in the name of a shared passion for the greater good. Let’s keep an open mind and see where these pioneers might take us.
ED: Dr Jun Wen is a lecturer in tourism and service marketing at the School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University. He researches global health, tourism marketing and travel medicine.
Dr Danni Zheng, Fudan University, China; Professor Haifeng Hou, Shandong First Medical University, China; Professor Ian Phau, Curtin University; and Professor Wei Wang, Edith Cowan University, contributed to this article.