Prescribing Tourism: Cultivating Positive Travel Experiences for Individuals With Health Conditions

Clinical evidence of tourism's health-related benefits for people with health conditions is notably scarce. Prescribing tourism, wherein medical professionals recommend engaging in tourism activities to enhance overall health and well-being, could offer unique insights into the tourism–health nexus. This paper adopted a conceptual approach, underpinned by a state-of-the-art literature review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA framework to identify knowledge gaps in the existing literature. This paper proposed prescribing tourism as a novel research agenda at the intersection of tourism and health, and further introduced it as a promising approach for people with health conditions, aiming to potentially minimise adverse effects and maximise positive outcomes. Grounded in positive psychology, the notion of ‘positive travel experiences’ was elaborated. Taking people with dementia as a focal case, we discussed the selection of appropriate destinations, activities, and transportation modes, illustrating how prescribing tourism could facilitate positive travel experiences.