Tourism Management Studies

Motivation-based Segmentation of Guilan’s Potential Health-Wellbeing Tourists

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Azadeh Kazeminia

Assistant Professor- Faculty of Literature and Humanities- University of Guilan

https://doi.org/10.22054/tms.2025.87623.3100
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to identify potential segments of health-wellbeing tourists visiting Guilan based on their motivations, and to find out if there are statistically significant differences between the segments concerning factors related to interests in various wellness attractions/attributes. A sample of 227 tourists visiting Guilan was surveyed over a period of 3 months. Data analysis included two distinct phases. First, by conducting a two-stage cluster analysis (hierarchical clustering using the Ward algorithm - non-hierarchical k-means clustering), three segments have been recognized: 1) social escapers, 2) escaper learners, and 3) social learners. Next, the profiles of the identified segments have been defined using logistic regression analysis. The three groups exhibited significant differences in terms of how much importance they attributed to various wellness attractions/activities, superstructure components, and infrastructure elements They also differed from each other in terms of the demographic and information search characteristics. Managerial implications are discussed.

Keywords

Health-wellness tourism
Travel motivation
Importance of Wellness attractions and activities
Market segmentation
Guilan province
Subjects
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Tourism Management Studies
Volume 20, Issue 72
Autumn 2026
Pages 345-375

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