Department of Management, Faculty of Business & Economics, Universitas Surabaya
Abstract
Travel and tourism industry plays an important role in business development. The 2012
statistics from World Travel and Tourism Council reports that tourism generated 9.8 % of global
GDP (Global Domestic Product) and supported 284 million jobs, equal to 4 in 11 jobs in global
economy. The report also states that travel and tourism industry continues to make vital
contribution to the economic strength and social development of the world.
In Indonesia tourism industry is growing and has recently attracted more and more people
- not only business people but also tourists. People travel for various objectives and reasons, one
of which is for health. In many other countries, health and wellness tourism is one of the fastest
growing segments of the global tourism market. According to the Global Wellness Tourism
Congress (GWTC), health tourism is a near half-trillion dollar market, representing 14% of total
global tourism revenues ($3.2 trillion) overall (New Study Reveals Wellness Tourism, 2013).
Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and India are the most popular destinations for health and
wellness tourism in Asia. Surprisingly, many of the tourists visiting those countries come from
Indonesia. Health and wellness tourism is a potential opportunity for developing tourism
entrepreneurship in Indonesia. It is ironical that, despite the fabulous nature, Indonesia is not
ready for developing the health and wellness tourism. Apart from that, very limited research has
been done in this area.
This paper focuses on identifying factors which suppress the development of health and
wellness tourism in Indonesia and seeks to suggest opportunities for improvement. The paper
aims to raise the awareness of the power of health and wellness tourism for economic growth or
of the potential opportunities it offers and to elaborate strategic plan for nurturing tourism
entrepreneurship in Indonesia through health and wellness tourism
