Healing tourism: an interdisciplinary review of progress, methods and healthy ageing implications

Purpose This paper provides an in-depth review of healing tourism as a contributor to public health and healthy ageing, emphasising its interdisciplinary nature that connects tourism with health sciences. The study addresses conceptual gaps and proposes a framework for understanding healing tourism’s therapeutic potential across various populations. Design/methodology/approach The study systematically reviews 101 empirical articles from various disciplines, including tourism, public health, psychology and medicine. Using bibliometric and content analysis, the paper explores the evolution of healing tourism, key research themes and methodologies while proposing a conceptual framework for future empirical research. Findings The review highlights four key themes in healing tourism: tourism and disease prevention, tourism and mental health, wellness tourism experience and leisure physical activity and health. The findings highlight a significant interdisciplinary shift in research focus since 2019, emphasising the therapeutic potential of tourism for vulnerable populations, including individuals with chronic illnesses and mental health challenges. Research limitations/implications This paper offers a conceptual framework for future research at the intersection of tourism and global public health, particularly in the context of ageing populations and the design of therapeutic tourism interventions. Insights are offered to tourism and healthcare practitioners to collaboratively create health-oriented tourism experiences that integrate cultural, natural and therapeutic dimensions. Originality/value By integrating knowledge from tourism, psychology and public health, the paper initially clarifies the concept and scope of healing tourism by integrating wellness and medical paradigms, offering a conceptual framework and practical implications for enhancing population health through tourism.