Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res., 33(2), July – August 2015; Article No. 55, Pages: 274-280 ISSN 0976 – 044X International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net © Copyright protected. Unauthorised republication, reproduction, distribution, dissemination and copying of this document in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. © Copyright pro 274 * Subathra Krishnamoorthy 1 , Shanthi Venkatesh 2 1 Research scholar and Assistant Professor, School of Management, SRM University, Chennai, India. 2 Associate Professor- Marketing, Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Loyola College, Chennai, India. * Corresponding author’s E-mail: radhikaanand2006@gmail.com Accepted on: 10-07-2015; Finalized on: 31-07-2015. ABSTRACT Wellness tourism has increasingly become an important economic and marketing strategy for tourist destinations attracting tourist visitations. The study on “investigation of profiles and motivational factors of international tourists to India” is an exploration to analyze the original reasons for international tourists selecting India as a wellness tourism destination. It is attempting to explore that a deep knowledge of tourist profile and their key motivations within this context is essential in order to withstand the growth of wellness tourism business. This study was conducted through a structured questionnaire and responses received from international wellness tourists in India. This study sought to understand the wellness motivation that are grasped in their own experiences during their visits to wellness service centers in India. It revealed the empirical findings of wellness tourists’ motivation by expanding the push-pull motivation theory that focused on the individual psychological factors (motivation, perception and attitude towards wellness) and the destination’s wellness attributes. A total of 350 tourists were interviewed amongst which only 150 were found to suit to the present study. Holiday packages offered by wellness tourism operators play a very important pull motivational factor, the presence of a partner or spouse played very important role in choosing to visit Indian tourist sites and information sources and the right educational background, wellness tourists could easily sieve through all competing tourist destinations to choose the best country to travel to for their relaxation needs and rejuvenation purpose. The findings benefit the wellness service providers in term of developing appropriate marketing strategies and improved tourist enlightenment. The scope of this study and the type of respondent limit to make a common implication of the research findings. Keywords: Wellness tourism, push-pull strategy, Motivational factors INTRODUCTION he wellness movement was first initiated by American Public Health Service physician, Dr Halbert Dunn during the mid-20 th Century, and is best considered multi-dimensional both in its scope and benefits. Wellness tourism involves people who travel to a different place to proactively practice activities that maintain or enhance their personal health and well being. Tourists are seeking unique, authentic, location based experiences and therapies not available in the home country. Wellness tourists are generally seeking integrated wellness and prevention approach to improve their health and quality of life. The enormous potential of the wellness tourism sector to act as a catalyst of economic and social improvement has been recognized in national and international forums. Wellness may be defined as “positively impact the assorted dimensions of the individual's well-being as a process, in which an individual makes choices that leads to health-promoting lifestyle behaviors”. This study aims to enhance the knowledge on wellbeing tourism by providing information about the push and pull factors that can enlighten the interest towards wellbeing tourism holidays. Wellness Tourism in India Spas and other rejuvenating centers become popular as people with sedentary lifestyles are forced to spend on physical and mental well being. This creates an opportunity in many sectors. The concept of travel for wellness is not new. It has been a centuries-old ritual. Take for instance, Greek pilgrims travelling to meet healing gods, or people travelling to the Himalayas for yoga and spiritual healing purposes were probably one of the first among wellness seekers. Today, holistic healing may be just a phone call away, but people are certainly catching on to the benefits, both physical and mental, that such visits can bring. As per the most recent report by global hospitality consultant HVS, India was ranked in the top 20 list of top spa countries worldwide, with 2,359 operational spas. The industry is estimated to have generated around $384 million annually and employs about 22,175 people. Jaideep Anand, General manager, Ista Hotel, Hyderabad explains, "India is associated with its rich culture and tradition of wellness therapies and spiritual practices. It is therefore only natural for globetrotters to see our country as a leading destination for spa and rejuvenation." (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, 2014) M ATERIALS AND M ETHODS Tourist Travel M otives The present globalization demands health care, in order to adopt global integration and interaction between Wellness Tourism: Investigation of Tourists' Profiles and M otivational Factors T Research Article