Therapeutic architecture and tourism: exploring potential cross-disciplinary synergies: a Horizon 2050 paper

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to strengthen the connection between therapeutic built environments and tourism research and practice. While there is evidence in the importance of the Built Environment (BE) of cities, workspaces and health-care facilities to health, the BE of facilities for tourism in relation to health remains relatively unexplored. Design/methodology/approach The paper conducts an exploratory search on architecture and tourism BE and narrowed it down to a scoping review on wellness tourism and architectural health impacts from 2010 to 2024. This would highlight lessons learned from the field of medical architecture, i.e. a cross-disciplinary field combining BE research, public health and health-care services research, to explore potential synergies of cross-pollination with the field of hospitality and medical architecture. Findings Principles and theories of medical architecture can be incorporated into the BE of wellness hospitality, tourism for ageing and pandemic preparedness. Originality/value The paper sets the basis of a novel cross-disciplinary collaboration between therapeutic architecture and hospitality for increasing the societal impact of the latter. This is particularly important in a post-Covid and an ageing society.