Forest-based wellness (FBW) has become an important issue in national strategic development and is receiving increasing academic attention. FBW originated in Germany. In the 1840s, the world’s first forest bathing base was established in the town of Bad Willishorn. Initially in Europe and America, FBW was called a “nature experience” or “interacting with nature” (Hartig and Evans, 1993). In Japan, forest health is called “Shinrin-yoku”, which means “forest bathing”, which comes from hot spring baths and sun bathing, and is also called “green shower”, “forest bath” or “forest therapy”. The terms combine therapy and science and originated in developed countries (Cong and Zhang, 2016).

Many countries have carried out research into FBW. The United States and Germany were the pioneers before 1980, whereas the initial development stage is represented by Japan and South Korea from 1980 to 2005. Since 2005 there has been world-wide interest, including facility construction and systemic research (Yang et al., 2018), focusing mainly upon empirical analyses of the health effects of FBW, types of development and evaluation research of FBW facilities (Liu and Wang, 2017). Research on FBW in China started late and the content lacks cohesion, being scattered across the meaning of concepts, convalescence and business models. However, through the emergence of advocacy and policies, such as promotion of healthy China, as well as forestry reforms that have influenced supply (Xin, 2019), FBW has become a significant way to promote the nation’s health. After more than 20 years of development, Beijing’s forest health and wellness industry and associated tourism have matured. Since 2010, the concept of forest health and wellness in Beijing has received foreign inputs through books, and invited experts from Japan, South Korea and other areas with more mature FBW development, to give training and lectures (Nan et al., 2019). “Technical Guidelines for the Construction of Forest Rehabilitation Bases” and “Certification Standards and Audit Guidelines for Forest Rehabilitation” have been issued to guide the construction of facilities in Beijing (Nan et al., 2019), taking Badaling National Forest Park and Songshan Nature Reserve as examples. Beijing has opened four batches of pilot applications for forest rehabilitation facilities, focusing on the encouragement of new FBW formats and environments, rehabilitation of individuals in forests, and the opening of leisure facilities and other products, in response to the 13th Five-Year Development Plan of the State Forestry Administration. The gradual improvement of road traffic conditions in Beijing has improved access to forested scenic spots.

According to the findings of the Chinese Health Association, Beijing has the highest proportion of less than healthy people among China’s 16 cities with a population of over one million. In the big cities, such as Beijing, work and living conditions impose greater pressures on residents, both physically and emotionally, and the stresses often have not been released appropriately. Residents also often suffer from cervical spine diseases, weakened immunity, and breathing problems. The positive effects of forest environments on human physical and mental health, including chronic diseases, have been confirmed. Forest tourism in Beijing is developing but the level of demand, the characteristics of participants, the benefits to residents, and related aspects of FBW facilities have yet to be determined. Therefore, it is necessary to survey residents concerning their uses of forested areas and FBW facilities, to determine future needs, and provide direction for the development of FBW products and facilities, in order to help to achieve the sustainable development of FBW. These are the objectives for this paper.

This paper has explored Beijing residents’ physical and mental health needs and their demand for FBW products and destinations. More than 80% of respondents expressed an interest in FBW opportunities, which is consistent with Xu Chunxiao’s conclusion that most urban residents have a demand for accessible ecotourism products (Xu, 2003). However, the research sample are the attributes of those who tend to be most active as tourists and, as such, probably include those who are among the most frequent uses of forest parks. Nevertheless, the results should be treated with caution, regarded as suggestive rather than definitive.

In terms of physical and mental health needs, middle-aged and younger people expressed interest in forest rehabilitation to “relieve visual fatigue, and enhance aesthetic experience”, “relieve stress, and soothe their mood”, and “improve immunity, and strengthen physical fitness”. In contrast, middle-aged and elderly people wished to improve immunity and sleep quality, as well as to treat chronic diseases. This is concurs with Kasetani’s (2009) conclusions that forest leisure and recreational activities can be effective in relaxing the body and mind, and Park et al.’s (2011) conclusion that forested environments are pleasant and relaxing. The results verify that demand for FBW is conducive to participants’ physical and mental health. The demand is centered upon the experience of being in the forest itself, rather than on the provision of specific medical facilities, although provision of easy access and a minimum level of facility provision (trails, washrooms) are required. Deng suggested that it is useful to differentiate the clientele: for example, activities with “movement” and “quiet” should be provided for the young and the elderly respectively (Deng, 2016). Xu pointed out that, nowadays, tourism products are commonly directed at the needs of specific user groups, but tourists have multi-faceted needs and appreciate variety (Xu, 2015). Thus, for example, the forest environment can be used and appreciated in many different ways by the same person, and it can also cater to a diverse audience. Therefore, the provision of a breadth of experiences, while catering to the needs of different groups, is a challenge that must be faced by managers. In addition, suburban residents have higher demand for FWB than urban residents. Also, no significant differences in demand for forest products were found in association with age and gender, but there is a significant positive correlation between physical and mental health, and FWB products and destination needs.

The current health tourism market, especially that for forest-based wellness (FBW) tourism, lacks segmentation and differentiation. For example, forest tourism products such as summer tourism, hot spring tourism, and ecotourism lack innovation in health and wellness characteristics, and are not significantly different from traditional products (Deng et al., 2022). Affected by factors such as gender, age, personality, cultural background, and physical and mental state, there will be individual differences in recuperation. Past research has paid more attention to the effects of forest environments and forest recuperation effects (Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau, 2018) and only a few scholars have paid attention to differences in the needs of varied target groups. The clientele should be segmented according to activities and experiences sought. Deng (2016) believed that different health care activities based on “movement” and “quietness” should be carried out for the young and the elderly respectively. There is a lack of research into differences based on health needs, product preferences, and variations in forest environments.

Based on the above research results and the current situation of FBW development in Beijing, some suggestions are put forward for the development of FBW tourism:

(1) Since needs are not homogeneous, innovative concepts and a diversity of products and delivery systems are required to satisfy the diverse clientele. Forest health care can be personalized so as to meet varied needs by designing diverse products with clear functions and distinctive features, making use of varied resources and environments. For example, offerings could be designed for family groups to support child growth and the maintenance of parent-child relationships, for middle-aged and young groups to relieve stress and anxiety, and for middle-aged and elderly groups with mobility problems. In addition, FBW and culture can be combined to provide participants with new experiences while promoting philosophy, history and traditions.

(2) Publicity should be strengthened through targeted marketing. Although expressing general interest, the public does not currently know much about forest health opportunities, so effective marketing is required. Guidance is required so that government departments and community institutions may better understand and appreciate the positive roles of FBW in natural resources management, the health and wellness industry, and healthy lifestyles Mainstream news media and the internet can be used to carry out a variety of publicity activities targeting citizens to spread awareness of the FBW concept, perhaps employing celebrity endorsements. As FBW is at an early stage of development, promotional activities should be held regularly at forest health care facilities to create awareness and publicity, such as free experiential activities on short forest trips, and parent-child forest adventure experiences. The greater use of social media platforms, such as Mafengwo, is highly recommended.

(3) Multi-departmental and cross-industry cooperation should be encouraged, starting with pilot projects to introduce industry standards. The 19th CPC National Congress proposed the building of an ecological civilization, and the forest health industry is in line with this objective. For it to thrive, governments need to provide the necessary policy support as a basis for its operation and management. Mechanisms for the further development of scenic spots, strengthening of leadership, departmental responsibilities, and work obligations should be established through policies, regulations and systems that will accelerate the development of product offerings. Further attention is also required to the environmental protection of forested areas, regional ecological - economic development, the protection of intellectual property, and education in popular sciences. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the interpretation system and service delivery through the development of service standards, and to achieve scale efficiencies and areas of specialization. The certification of FBW products, projects and facilities, and the training of forest therapists to specified standards are all required.

(4) Coordination between protection and development is required, especially for tourism, and regarding infrastructure. The forests in scenic spots are already under great pressure and some have experienced serious environmental damage. The environmental impacts caused by human activities bring development and protection into conflict. In the development of FBW tourism, attention must be paid to the protection and development of forests and, in order to achieve sustainable development, the integrity of local forestry must be vigorously maintained. In addition, infrastructure enhancement is required to improve access, and provide attractive and comfortable conditions for participants.

Empirical research supports the conclusion that sub-healthy populations in Beijing have considerable demand for forest health products and destinations. Middle-aged and younger people in Beijing often experience emotional pressures, and chronic diseases are common among older groups. There is a significant positive correlation among physical and mental health conditions, interest in FBW products and demand for FBW destinations. Nevertheless, more than half of interviewees said that they had not participated in forest health activities, although most expressed their willingness to participate. In terms of physical and mental health, young and middle-aged people have more obvious needs for physical fitness and stress reduction opportunities, whereas older people mainly focus on the improvement of immunity, sleep quality and the alleviation of cervical and lumbar diseases. Forest-oriented and experiential products are the core of product demand, rather than medical facilities per se, and there are significant differences in product demand for those in different occupations and living in suburban areas rather than the city center. Willingness to spend is positively correlated with product demand. Opportunity to be in and experience quality forested environments is key and more important than the facilities and services available, although destinations that can offer a broad array of FBW offerings are likely to be preferred. The destination environment is most important, but attractive locations with facilities and services have the highest demand. Populations with different characteristics have significant differences in the destination demand. There are significant differences in the demand for FBW destinations by gender, occupation and education. However, breadth of product offerings and destination attributes is widely appreciated, making it likely that well-developed FBW destinations will be attractive to a diverse tourism clientele.