Healing through heritage tourism: indigenous cultural practices and mental wellness in traditional communities.

INTRODUCTION: Heritage tourism emerged as an important mechanism for preserving indigenous cultural traditions while potentially supporting psychosocial well-being. This mixed-methods study examined the associations between heritage tourism participation, cultural identity, resilience, social support, and psychological well-being among indigenous communities in Southwest China. METHODS: A total of 180 participants from Miao, Dong and Naxi communities were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Quantitative data were collected using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), WHO-5 Well-Being Index, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Cultural Identity and Belongingness Scale. Qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and the participant observation. RESULTS: Reliability analyses demonstrated strong internal consistency across instruments (Cronbach's α = 0.86-0.91). Correlation analyses revealed the significant positive associations between heritage tourism participation and psychological well-being (r = 0.38, p < 0.01), resilience (r = 0.31, p < 0.01), social support (r = 0.28, p < 0.01) and cultural identity (r = 0.34, p < 0.01). Thematic analysis identified six major themes including cultural participation and resilience, traditional healing and psychological wellness, social cohesion and belongingness, ecological attachment and spiritual restoration, economic empowerment and well-being and tourism-related stress and cultural commodification. Participants described storytelling, ritual practices, traditional healing systems, ecological stewardship and community festivals as important sources of emotional support, cultural continuity and collective resilience. DISCUSSION: The concerns regarding commercialization, cultural performance pressure and unequal tourism benefits also reported. The findings suggest that heritage tourism may function as culturally grounded resource associated with psychological well-being when implemented through community-led, culturally sensitive and sustainable tourism frameworks.