{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T06:31:06Z","timestamp":1788849066355,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784678400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Tour. Hosp.","Tourism and Hospitality"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Guided forest bathing is increasingly incorporated into resort wellness portfolios, yet tourism evaluations often report average programme outcomes without examining how guests differ at entry or what the findings imply for product and service design. This prospective one-group pre\u2013post field study examined a three-day guided forest bathing programme delivered as part of the organised wellness offer of a forest-rich Northern Adriatic resort. Of 150 enrolled adults, 132 provided matched questionnaires. Six study-specific experiential and relational dimensions were assessed before and after the programme: nature connectedness, restorative perception, sensory awareness, environmental-ethical sensitivity, planetary health orientation, and intention to continue nature-based self-care. All six post-programme scores were higher after Holm adjustment. The largest standardised differences were observed for sensory awareness (mean difference = 0.91, Cohen\u2019s dz = 1.42), restorative perception (mean difference = 0.61, Cohen\u2019s dz = 1.17), and future nature-based self-care (mean difference = 0.59, Cohen\u2019s dz = 1.04). Change in sensory awareness correlated with change in restorative perception (r = 0.62) and nature connectedness (r = 0.58). Previous nature contact, nature-related hobbies, and spiritual-existential orientation predicted baseline nature connectedness, whereas integrative health orientation, wellness self-care, spirituality, and expectations predicted baseline future self-care. In baseline-adjusted models, lower previous forest contact was associated with higher post-programme sensory awareness. Because the study had no control group, these differences cannot be attributed specifically to guided forest bathing rather than to the wider resort stay, time away from routine, recreation, social interaction, expectancy, or repeated measurement. Co-created restorative value is proposed only as an interpretive framework and was not measured as a construct. For tourism and hospitality management, the findings generate testable decisions concerning guest onboarding, adaptive facilitation, guide training, expectation management, and the development of low-infrastructure nature-based wellness products.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tourhosp7070212","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T13:25:46Z","timestamp":1784726746000},"page":"212","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Guided Forest Bathing as a Wellness Resort Experience: Immediate Outcomes, Guest Heterogeneity, and Implications for Service Design"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3118-2623","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aleksandar","family":"Racz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"FoRRestMind Institute,10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Studies, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0267-3167","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ljerka","family":"Armano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FoRRestMind Institute,10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Studies, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Hospital Infections, University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"789","DOI":"10.1080\/13683500.2022.2039100","article-title":"Engaging with restorative environments in wellness tourism","volume":"26","author":"Backman","year":"2023","journal-title":"Current Issues in Tourism"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"668","DOI":"10.1080\/02508281.2021.1948719","article-title":"Co-creative tourism experiences\u2014A conceptual framework and its application to food and wine tourism","volume":"48","author":"Carvalho","year":"2023","journal-title":"Tourism Recreation Research"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2636","DOI":"10.1002\/jtr.2636","article-title":"Natural landscape performance: Environmental restorativeness and its influence on tourist behavior","volume":"26","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"International Journal of Tourism Research"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.26493\/2335-4194.15.25-41","article-title":"Forest therapy and well-being tourism literature review\u2014With assessment of potential for Slovenia","volume":"15","author":"Cvikl","year":"2022","journal-title":"Academica Turistica"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cvikl, D. (2025). The development of a forest tourism attractiveness model and a foundational framework for forest climatic spa resorts: An attributive theory approach. Forests, 16.","DOI":"10.3390\/f16071149"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cvikl, D., Velenik, V., Torkar, G., Vidrih, B., Cimperman, M., Gorenak, M., Zrim\u0161ek, P., and Pri\u0161enk, J. (2022). The physiological and psychological effects and benefits of forest therapy on tourists in the Kranjska Gora destination. Forests, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/f13101670"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100028","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annale.2021.100028","article-title":"Forest bathing as a mindful tourism practice","volume":"2","author":"Isailovic","year":"2021","journal-title":"Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.5751\/ES-16001-300219","article-title":"Novel pathways to value nature: How guided forest bathing promotes new relationships with nature","volume":"30","author":"Giusti","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ecology and Society"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1080\/02815739708730435","article-title":"A measure of restorative quality in environments","volume":"14","author":"Hartig","year":"1997","journal-title":"Scandinavian Housing and Planning Research"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tourman.2009.08.012","article-title":"A review of innovation research in tourism","volume":"31","author":"Hjalager","year":"2010","journal-title":"Tourism Management"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2765","DOI":"10.1002\/jtr.2765","article-title":"Relationship between tourists\u2019 perceived restorative environment and wellness tourism destinations","volume":"26","author":"Jeong","year":"2024","journal-title":"International Journal of Tourism Research"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhtm.2023.11.008","article-title":"Value co-creation research in tourism and hospitality management: A systematic literature review","volume":"58","author":"John","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1016\/0272-4944(95)90001-2","article-title":"The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework","volume":"15","author":"Kaplan","year":"1995","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Psychology"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tourman.2015.02.006","article-title":"Developing a forest-based wellbeing tourism product together with customers\u2014An ethnographic approach","volume":"49","author":"Konu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Tourism Management"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1080\/10548408.2022.2061676","article-title":"Inspiration and wellness tourism: The role of cognitive appraisal","volume":"39","author":"Liu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvp.2004.10.001","article-title":"The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals\u2019 feeling in community with nature","volume":"24","author":"Mayer","year":"2004","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Psychology"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mazzoleni, E., Donelli, D., Zabini, F., Meneguzzo, F., and Antonelli, M. (2024). Forest therapy research in Europe: A scoping review of the scientific literature. Forests, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/f15050848"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2860","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)32846-5","article-title":"Planetary health: Protecting human health on a rapidly changing planet","volume":"390","author":"Myers","year":"2017","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1080\/21711976.2019.1643662","article-title":"Connectedness to nature and its relationship with spirituality, wellbeing and sustainable behaviour","volume":"11","author":"Navarro","year":"2020","journal-title":"PsyEcology"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"715","DOI":"10.1177\/0013916508318748","article-title":"The nature relatedness scale: Linking individuals\u2019 connection with nature to environmental concern and behavior","volume":"41","author":"Nisbet","year":"2009","journal-title":"Environment and Behavior"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"322","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tourman.2017.04.010","article-title":"Evaluating the relaxation effects of emerging forest-therapy tourism: A multidisciplinary approach","volume":"62","author":"Ohe","year":"2017","journal-title":"Tourism Management"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"537","DOI":"10.1080\/17439760.2016.1221126","article-title":"Noticing nature: Individual and social benefits of a two-week intervention","volume":"12","author":"Passmore","year":"2017","journal-title":"The Journal of Positive Psychology"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"501","DOI":"10.1177\/14673584241304294","article-title":"Forest bathing and tourism: A bibliometric analysis","volume":"26","year":"2026","journal-title":"Tourism and Hospitality Research"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1860","DOI":"10.1108\/JHTI-05-2022-0186","article-title":"Wellness tourism scholarship: A research agenda","volume":"6","author":"Polat","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1089\/eco.2021.0023","article-title":"Actively noticing nature (not just time in nature) helps promote nature connectedness","volume":"14","author":"Richardson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ecopsychology"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1108\/16605371111127206","article-title":"Wellness tourists: In search of transformation","volume":"66","author":"Voigt","year":"2011","journal-title":"Tourism Review"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1111\/cobi.13381","article-title":"Meta-analysis of human connection to nature and pro-environmental behavior","volume":"34","author":"Whitburn","year":"2020","journal-title":"Conservation Biology"},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"197","article-title":"Experience co-creation: Attention and involvement","volume":"Vol. 27","author":"Scott","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cognitive psychology and tourism"}],"container-title":["Tourism and Hospitality"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2673-5768\/7\/7\/212\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T04:14:10Z","timestamp":1784866450000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2673-5768\/7\/7\/212"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["tourhosp7070212"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/tourhosp7070212","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-5768"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-5768","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]}}}