Abstract
This study explores a service design model for elderly wellness tourism in Taiwan through the lens of well-being. Amidst rapid population aging in Asia, particularly in Chinese societies, wellness tourism is gaining relevance for promoting seniors’ physical and mental health. Beyond providing relaxation, such experiences can alleviate chronic conditions and serve as a means for intergenerational bonding and expressions of filial piety. While previous research has examined the link between wellness tourism and well-being, gaps remain in understanding elderly users’ perspectives within specific cultural contexts. To address this gap, the study adopts a well-being framework—integrating both hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions—to identify unmet needs and service touch points along the elderly wellness tourism journey. The research includes a contextual analysis of Taiwan’s aging society and a case study of current wellness tourism provider. Findings highlight key design elements such as anticipation planning, surprise, artistic integration, and co-creation that contribute to elderly well-being. The study proposes a user-centered service design model and guideline tailored to elderly tourists in Taiwan, offering insights for future wellness tourism development in aging societies.
Keywords
Elderly Wellness Tourism; Hedonic Well-being; Eudaimonic Well-being; Service Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1042
Citation
Low, S.,and Yang, C.(2025) Wellbeing-based Service Design Pattern for Elderly Wellness Tourism in Taiwan's Aging Society, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1042
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 10 - Design Practices & Impacts
Wellbeing-based Service Design Pattern for Elderly Wellness Tourism in Taiwan's Aging Society
This study explores a service design model for elderly wellness tourism in Taiwan through the lens of well-being. Amidst rapid population aging in Asia, particularly in Chinese societies, wellness tourism is gaining relevance for promoting seniors’ physical and mental health. Beyond providing relaxation, such experiences can alleviate chronic conditions and serve as a means for intergenerational bonding and expressions of filial piety. While previous research has examined the link between wellness tourism and well-being, gaps remain in understanding elderly users’ perspectives within specific cultural contexts. To address this gap, the study adopts a well-being framework—integrating both hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions—to identify unmet needs and service touch points along the elderly wellness tourism journey. The research includes a contextual analysis of Taiwan’s aging society and a case study of current wellness tourism provider. Findings highlight key design elements such as anticipation planning, surprise, artistic integration, and co-creation that contribute to elderly well-being. The study proposes a user-centered service design model and guideline tailored to elderly tourists in Taiwan, offering insights for future wellness tourism development in aging societies.