This study aims to reexamine the healing, contemplative, and nature-based values of Templestay from the perspective of wellness tourism and to explore strategic directions for its development as a representative wellness tourism resource in Korea. In ...
This study aims to reexamine the healing, contemplative, and nature-based values of Templestay from the perspective of wellness tourism and to explore strategic directions for its development as a representative wellness tourism resource in Korea. In the post-pandemic era, wellness tourism—emphasizing mental recovery and self-care—has emerged as a major global trend, and Templestay, which integrates natural environments with traditional Buddhist practices, has gained increasing attention for its potential in this context. However, previous studies have largely relied on surveys or small-scale qualitative approaches, which have limited their ability to systematically examine the large-scale online discourses produced by actual users and to capture differences in perception across cultural and linguistic contexts. To address these limitations, this study applies text mining techniques to compare and analyze Korean- and English-language online discourses related to Templestay and to derive practical development strategies based on empirical findings. For the analysis, Templestay-related textual data were collected from domestic and international portals and social media platforms between January 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025. After data pre-processing, a multi-step analytical framework was employed, including term frequency and TF–IDF analysis, network analysis (degree centrality, CONCOR), and topic modeling using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). To identify differences in perception and meaning structures, Korean- and English-language datasets were analyzed separately. The results reveal that perceptions of Templestay are structured differently depending on linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In Korean-language discourse, keywords such as ‘travel’, ‘restaurants’, ‘accommodation’ and ‘reviews’ appeared prominently, indicating that Templestay is often understood not primarily as a space for religious practice but as a stay-type healing experience embedded within broader travel itineraries. In particular, the frequent appearance of the keyword ‘alone’ in conjunction with reviews, information seeking, and reservations suggests a growing demand for personal rest and psychological recovery, positioning solo participation as a key driver of Templestay consumption. In contrast, English-language discourse was dominated by terms related to practice and structured experience, such as ‘meditation’, ‘zen’, ‘practice’, and ‘monk’, reflecting a tendency to perceive Templestay as a program-centered experience of Korean spiritual culture. Across both language groups, natural environments and regional contexts emerged as shared determinants of satisfaction, indicating that the wellness value of Templestay is reinforced not only through on-site temple activities but also through its integration with surrounding landscapes and local settings. Based on these findings, this study proposes three strategic directions for positioning Templestay as a wellness tourism resource. First, responding to the increasing prevalence of solo participation and individual recovery needs identified in Korean discourse, a personalized spiritual wellness strategy is suggested, emphasizing autonomous practice, digital detoxification, and modular, choice-based program design. Second, to avoid reducing contemplative practices to short-term ‘healing experiences’, the study proposes an authentic wellness strategy that preserves the daily rhythms and performative contexts of temple life while translating their meanings into forms accessible to contemporary users. Third, rather than confining Templestay to individual temples, the study advocates the development of sustainable wellness tourism clusters by positioning temples as regional wellness hubs interconnected with natural environments and local tourism and industry resources. By empirically comparing domestic and international perceptions through large-scale online discourse analysis and linking these insights to concrete development strategies, this study contributes both academically and practically by demonstrating how Templestay can evolve beyond a traditional cultural experience into a sustainable model of Korean-style wellness tourism.