Intelligent Digital Ecosystems for Safe and Sustainable Wellness Tourism

Abstract

The rapid growth in wellness tourism increases the need to ensure the safety of visitors and the quality of service while promoting sustainability. This study proposes an intelligent digital ecosystem unifying emergency medical systems, standardized wellness services and smart tourism technologies, artificial intelligence, internet of things devices, data platforms, geographic information systems, and mobile applications for enhancing safe and sustainable wellness tourism in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with global applicability. A mixed methods approach to designing a Safe & Sustainable Wellness Tourism Ecosystem using geospatial analysis of wellness infrastructure, surveys, and stakeholder interviews. Results indicated that multilingual notifications, health surveillance, and geographical mapping have a positive impact on emergency response time, coordination, quality, and tourist confidence in Chiang Mai's emergency response. While it is shown that rural providers were supported in implementing safety planning based on evidence, the gap in certification and quality of services between urban and rural providers suggest policy interventions, capacity development and partnerships are needed. Theoretically, it contributes to the integration of digital infrastructure, tourism management, and public health for the resilience of destinations after the pandemic. It provides a replicable template for the use of internet-enabled ecosystems for safe and sustainable wellness tourism. Future research needs to be tested for transfer across contexts, the long-term impact needs to be studied, and emerging technologies should be explored.