Measuring and assessing the socio-cultural, environmental and economic impacts of hot springs: case study hot springs in regional Australia

The tourism industry has seen a significant increase in the wellness segment, which has become an area of interest for both academics and practitioners. Wellness is defined by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) (2018) as ‘’the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health’’. This trend is a response to the growing importance of well-being in our world. People are now more aware of the need to feel healthy and happy, and thus, the concept of well-being has gained significance. It is a state of being that emphasises improving one's physical and emotional life, including aspects such as happiness, financial stability, health, and spirituality. The rapid growth of hot springs in the wellness tourism industry has prompted this research. With a number of hot springs developments in the pipeline in Australia and worldwide, the industry is set to grow significantly in the next decade. Despite this, little academic investigation has been conducted to explore the industry’s impacts or its significance as a tourism phenomenon. This research investigates the socio-cultural, environmental, and economic impacts of Hot Springs in regional destinations and identifies how these impacts can be measured. The study examined the emergence of the hot springs industry in Australia to create a set of indicators for assessing its impacts. Through case studies, the research evaluated the experiences of selected hot springs sites to elucidate common trends, best practices and unique challenges faced by different communities. This thesis presents a methodology combining the Delphi technique with a visitor survey to comprehensively assess the impacts of hot springs in regional Australia. In Phase one, a panel of 33 international experts from 16 countries (Australia, England, Germany, Morocco, New Zealand, United States, Poland, China, Japan Italy, Vietnam, Switzerland and Austria) was consulted using the Delphi technique (Dalkey & Helmer 1963) to refine a universal set of indicators that could be applied to any hot springs site, resulting in 26 indicators after consensus was reached. In Phase two, a visitor survey was conducted at four hot springs facilities in regional Australia, which were Peninsula Hot Springs, a well-established facility, Metung Hot Springs, a new opened hot spring facility, Cunnamulla Hot Springs, which opened in February 2024and Phillip Island Hot springs, which is expected to open in 2025. By integrating the findings from the Delphi technique and visitor survey, this thesis offers a holistic understanding of the impacts of hot springs in regional Australia. A survey was conducted at Peninsula Hot Springs and Metung Hot Springs, resulting in over 3000 and 63 responses respectively. As Cunnamulla Hot Springs and Phillip Island Hot Springs were not yet open during this research, secondary data was prioritised. The primary and secondary data indicate that the development of hot springs has been beneficial to the economy, environment and well-being of the visitors and communities in the hot spring destinations. By engaging stakeholders and monitoring impacts, this research aims to inform evidence-based decision-making processes to maximise positive effects while minimising negative consequences. The aim of this research was to provide a baseline for a future longitudinal measurement of hot springs operations in Australia and globally that would enable a collaborative best practice focused industry.