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Abstract

Mental health challenges, including stress and anxiety, are prevalent among university students, necessitating innovative approaches to enhance their psychological well-being. Healing tourism, which integrates restorative travel experiences with mental health benefits, has emerged as a promising intervention. However, most existing studies focus on Western contexts and have emphasized general wellness outcomes rather than direct psychological effects, leaving a gap in understanding the impact of wellness on stress and anxiety in non-Western settings such as Vietnam. This study is the first quantitative analysis of healing tourism’s psychological impact on Vietnamese university students, offering novel insights into its cultural relevance. Using validated scales, we examined 308 students engaged in tourism activities and found that distance and fascination significantly reduced anxiety, while compatibility was the strongest predictor of stress reduction and self-efficacy, emphasizing the role of culturally resonant tourism experiences. In contrast, extension was weaker associated with mental health outcomes, possibly reflecting cultural differences in perceptions of expansive environments. By addressing these gaps, this study extends theoretical frameworks on healing tourism and provides actionable insights for tourism operators and mental health practitioners in Southeast Asia. Future research should employ longitudinal methods to explore causal relationships and expand the scope to diverse populations and cultural settings‎.

Keywords: Psychological well-being, Restorative environments, University students, Cultural contexts, Mental health interventions

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