Sensory therapeutic assemblages in tourism: Qi and the health of snowbirds in China

Individuals can cultivate novel sensory connections with places through tourism mobility, thereby obtaining health benefits. However, there is limited research on how the senses interact with other socio-material elements to enhance tourists' health. This study draws on assemblage theory to examine the health of snowbirds (Houniao) who regularly travel to Sanya city from north China in winter. The findings reveal that Qi is a vital component that associate senses (vision, touch and smell), destination elements (air, climate, landscape, people), body organs, and emotions to constitute sensory therapeutic assemblages to heal and restore snowbird tourists. This study demonstrates the dynamics, relationality and materiality of obtaining health through tourism. Tourism practitioners are suggested to adopt a relational approach to developing health tourism destinations. (c) 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.