Purpose Recently, wellness tourism has gained popularity in alternative medicinal practices. Alternative medicinal practices are mostly endemic and have evolved through generations, transmitted and propagated through formal and informal modes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of developing alternative medicinal practices in the wellness tourism market in the context of Kalari practices – oldest martial art system of the world based at Kerala, India. Design/methodology/approach Study employed an exploratory sequential method consisting of in-depth interviews with practitioners and questionnaire survey with 356 tourists. Confirmatory factor analysis has been done to confirm the latent variables of attitude towards alternative medicinal practices in wellness market. Findings Study results indicate that there are five latent constructs consisting of physical, psychological, emotional, social and personal evolved around 26 indicators. Practical implications This study will introduce an innovative product line for customers as it will provide enhanced opportunities for wellness and will result in indigenous knowledge protection and marketing. Social implications The present study gives immense scope for appreciation of effectiveness of martial art practices across world and promotion of wellness tourism through alternative medicinal practices, which could be slightly modified and replicated by considering local specific medicinal practices. Originality/value This study makes the first attempt to investigate attitude towards alternative medicinal practices, especially martial art practices, in the context of wellness market.

Kalari is the Malayalam (language spoken in Kerala) word for a special kind of gymnasium, where the martial art known as Kalaripayattu is practised based on the idea of a sound mind in the sound body. It is one of the most ancient and comprehensive art form of India rather the world, because it has an excellent system of physical training, effective self-defence techniques, both armed and unarmed, training for excellent flexibility for physical and mental strength and is based on the Dravidian culture of India. Kalaripayattu is considered as the basis for all martial arts. This martial art has been practised on the basis of a scientific system of medicine called Kalarichikilsa (Kalari-related treatment). This article investigates the potential of cultural heritage resources from a supply and demand perspective, as cultural resource management is the need of the hour to preserve and commercialize cultural and heritage resources. The study reveals that cultural heritage resources like Kalaripayattu could become a unique selling proposition of Indian tourism market, provided these resources are protected, preserved and encouraged through effective promotion strategies in various target markets.

This article intends to the validate measurement model for integrated community intervention strategies (ICIS) and explore the entrepreneurial orientation of community members in ecotourism destinations through ICIS. The study adopted the exploratory sequential method. The study employed focused groups, interviews and structured questionnaires for primary data collection. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and percentage analysis were conducted for testing the hypothesis. Data were gathered from four protected area based ecotourism destinations of Kerala, India, namely, Thenmala, Periyar, Parambikulam and Wayanad. The result indicates that there are three latent constructs for ICIS that is governance intervention strategies, eco-development intervention strategies and commercial intervention strategies. As far as entrepreneurial orientation is concerned, local community members are able to orient themselves in three levels of entrepreneurial requirements positively, namely, exploration, initiation and sustenance. The study gives a pragmatic model of community intervention in tourism and entrepreneurial orientation resulting from such interventions, which can be further explored to establish a standard model to enhance more inclusive and sustainable resource management practices through enterprise development. Accordingly, the results of the study can influence policymakers, stakeholders and tourism practioners.

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This chapter investigates the potential of Kalaripayattu as a tourism product. The study adopted interview method both personal and telephonic to extract primary data from practitioners and tourists. The study result shows that various facets of Kalaripayattu practices provide scope for visual engagement, psychological engagement, spiritual/wellbeing engagement, therapeutic engagement, engagement in specialized treatment, and engagement in combat and self-defense applications. These engagement are found to be appropriate to develop tourism products which could meet the general, wellness, cultural, as well as health tourism sectors. Study further investigates the impeding factors, while developing Kalaripayattu as a tourism product and suggested strategies to overcome the same. The study also suggests that the contemporary marketing practice can create a vibrant market for Kalaripayattu, and thereby, this ancient martial art could become a unique selling proposition (USP) in the tourism market.