Mapping Wellness Tourism Opportunities in Indonesia: A Scoping Overview of Nutrition, Culinary, Nature, and Spa

Abstract

Background: The 23.3% increase in tourist arrivals to Indonesia in 2024 presents significant opportunities for the development of wellness tourism focused on health and fitness. Currently, health tourism in Indonesia has mainly emphasized curative aspects, while the potential of wellness tourism remains underdeveloped.

Objective: This study aims to map existing academic discussions and identify development opportunities for wellness tourism in Indonesia through a scoping overview of selected literature.

Materials and Methods: An exploratory search was conducted using Google Scholar to identify English-language publications from 2018–2024 relevant to wellness, culinary, nutrition, and health-related tourism in Indonesia. Fifteen studies were included and thematically mapped according to geographic focus, methodological approach, and core wellness dimensions.

Results: The mapped literature highlights three dominant opportunity areas: cultural spiritual wellness (notably in Bali and Ubud), nature-based wellness (e.g., Gunung Mas, Bogor), and culinary based wellness rooted in local food traditions (e.g., Padang, Medan, and Perean). However, nutrition specific indicators, evaluative study designs, and integrated destination frameworks remain limited.

Conclusion: This scoping overview identifies key gaps and proposes a focused research and development agenda to support more coherent, nutrition-sensitive, and community-based wellness tourism in Indonesia.