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- Title
Self-oriented consumption: Exploring participation in wellness tourism as an identity marker among urban Indian women in the Klang Valley.
- Authors
PARAM, SALLY ANNE
- Abstract
In recent years, wellness tourism has begun to take priority in the lives of those living in contemporary cities. Individuals' well-being is becoming an important determinant in the rush of urban development, as components of 'leisure' and 'work-life balance' are increasingly incorporated within urban employment structures. In this paper, tendencies of working adults in finding solace through wellness tourism is explored, within the locale of the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A sample within a minority community will be studied, Indian women who are involved in professional employment, and who are also mothers. No detailed study on wellness tourism has been done on this community. Using a gendered and ethnographic lens, this paper is an exploratory attempt to capture the underlying values and attitudes of these women's decisions to either indulge, or not, in wellness tourism. Gendered, socio-economic or ethnic interpretations are sometimes glossed over in tourist narratives, highlighting only escalating types of travel or strategies to enhance tourism. The inter-disciplinary approach of this paper draws on historical, cultural and sociological factors to postulate the factors that shape wellness-based holiday motivations among this community. Underlying this discussion is the contested nature of identity construct among this group of women. The findings could be used to enlighten academics or practitioners of the tourism industry on nuanced elements that could be considered in the development of wellness tourism.
- Subjects
URBAN residence of Native Americans; TOURISM; WELL-being; EMPLOYMENT; URBAN planning
- Publication
Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, 2021, Vol 7, Issue 1, p5
- ISSN
1823-8521
- Publication type
Article