OriginalScientificArticle InspiringBreathworkRetreats inthePost-COVID-19Period MilanHosta UniversityofPrimorska,Slovenia milan.hosta@fvz.upr.si MatejPlevnik UniversityofPrimorska,Slovenia matej.plevnik@fvz.upr.si The impact of the global tourist lockdown due to the pandemic dimensions of covid-19in2020andthebeginningof2021hasshakentheindustrytoitscore.The industry of mass tourism has certainly suffered a great knockout, a kind of acute respiratoryconstriction,afunctionalcollapsethatonanorganiclevelwouldappear ascoughing,wheezing,shortnessofbreath,tiredness,alife-threateningdifficultyin breathing.Inthispaper,weusedtheconceptofhyperventilationasunderstoodby medicinetoseekanorganicunderstandingofthecrisisthathashittouristservices. Thestudyusedaqualitativeresearchtechnique,namelythesinglecasestudyofa healthy man at the age of 51, who was going through a health-enhancingbreath- ingprotocol.Theconclusionswerederivedbasedoninductivereasoning.Thepat- tern and results of expected organic changes due to the breathing protocol were transferredby analogy to the institutionalized level of tourism. Since we focused onchangesandpatternstobereflectedorganically,thedetailedsymptomsorinitial disbalance of the individual in the case study were irrelevant for our conclusions. Physiologically,hyperventilationinhumansresultsintissuehypoxia,meaningthat less oxygen is delivered to cells. Similar logic can be transferred to hyperinflated masstourismboominginrecentyears,negativelyimpactingtheindigenoussocial and natural environment. The results of the expert-based and scientifically justi- fied5-weekbreathinginterventionsarepresentedviaacasestudy.Theimprovement ofmajorfactorsandqualitativeinterpretationfromthesubjectitselfhasprovided uswithsufficientoutcomesthatcanbe used(1)indesigningpreventiveandpost- covidhealthregenerativeretreatsastouristproductsand(2)asamodeltosupport thetourismindustrywithanunderstandingofsustainableniche-marketsolutions. Keywords:innovativetourism,preventiveretreats,wellness,breathingprogramme, motivation, covid-19 https://doi.org/10.26493/2335-4194.15.123-133 Introduction The global tourism industry is probably one of the hardest-hitindustrieswith regardtotheeffectofthe covid-19pandemic.Inasense,thewholepandemic isbreath-taking.Ithasliterallytakenthevitalbreath awayfromcrowdedcities,beaches,lakes,historicsites, and other tourist destinations. But before jumping to catastrophic conclusions regarding tourism and AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 |123 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period tourism-related industries, we are hereby offering an organicperceptionandinterpretationofthesituation. Thepurposeofourexplorationis(1)toregardthecri- sisintermsofanopportunityforacontemplativein- trospectionofthetourismindustry,(2)toreframethe business-centrednarrativefromtheorganicperspec- tivewiththesupportofacasestudy,and(3)toprovide arguments for sustainable and niche-market health- relatedtouristservices.Theindustryofmasstourism hascertainlysufferedagreatknockout,akindofacute respiratoryconstriction,afunctionalcollapsethaton anorganiclevelwouldappearascoughing,wheezing, shortnessofbreath,tiredness,oralife-threateningdif- ficultyinbreathing. Tourismisadynamicandfluidsystem,whichpos- itivelycontributestothequalityoflifeofthetravelling population.Researchsuggeststhattoomuchinterac- tionwithtourismmayreducehosts’qualityoflife.At the same time residents’quality of life is an essential aspect of sustainable tourism development (Juvan et al.,2021).TherecentpolicybrieffromtheUnitedNa- tionsWorldTourismOrganization(unwto)provides thefollowingstatementsregardingthehugeeconomic impactof covid-19ontourism(unwto,n.d.): • Tourism is one of the world’s major economic sectors.Itisthethirdlargestexportcategory(af- terfuelsandchemicals)andin2019,itaccounted for7oftheglobaltrade. • Forsomecountries,itcanrepresentover20of theirgrossdomesticproduct(gdp). • Tourismisoneofthesectorsmostaffectedbythe covid-19pandemic,whichimpactseconomies, livelihoods,publicservicesandopportunitieson all continents. All parts of its vast value chain havebeenaffected. • Exportrevenuesfromtourismcouldfallby$910 billion to $1.2 trillion in 2021. This will have a wider impact and could reduce the global gdp by1.5to2.8. • Tourism supports one in 10 jobs and provides livelihoodsforseveralmillionsmoreinboththe developing and the developed economies. Over 100millionjobsdirectlyrelatedtotourismareat risk. • In some Small Island Developing States (sids), tourismaccountsforasmuchas80ofexports, while it also represents important shares of na- tionaleconomiesin both the developedand the developingcountries. Sincethereisnodoubtthattourismwasestimated to generate 7 of global trade in 2019, and in some countriesupto20,withthe covid-19pandemic,we aredealingwithahugeconstrictionofthesystem.The collapseininternationaltravelrepresentsanestimated lossof$1.3trillioninexportrevenues–morethan11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global eco- nomiccrisis(unwto,n.d.). EconomicImpactofCOVID-19onTourism At the moment, the total 2020 economic impact is not yet available. There are several reliable umbrella sources(unwto,n.d.; oecd,2020)thathavepartial dataalreadyathandandhaveissuedrelativelyreliable forecasts.However,thefinalevaluationisnotdecisive forour research.The sole fact of lockdowns globally andtheobviousimpactthatthishasontourismisan argumentgoodenoughtobuildourdiscourseonsolid foundations. The report from Tourism Economics (Trimble et al., 2020) estimated that the global pandemic devas- tatedcitytourism,withglobalcityarrivalsforecastto havedeclinedby58in2020,equivalenttothelossof 373millionvisitorarrivalsforthe309citiescoveredin theirglobalcitiestravelservice.MostEuropeangov- ernmentshavetakenaproactiveapproachinencour- agingtourism,easinginternationaltravelrestrictions andencouragingdomestictravel.However, covid-19 continuestoengulfthe eu region,withtravelrestric- tionschangingcontinuouslyand,often,withlittleno- tice. This fluctuation dampens the tourist sentiment andendangersthetravelrecovery.Internationalvisi- torarrivalstoEuropeancitieswillnotexceed2019lev- elsagainuntil2024,whiledomesticvisitorarrivalswill onlyreach2019levelsby2023(Trimbleetal.,2021). Škareetal.(2021)suggestpolicy-makersandprac- titionersinthetourismindustryneedtogainknowl- edgeoftheimpactofthepandemiccrisisonthetour- ismindustryand the economy.Therefore,animpor- tantpartoftheeconomicstrategyistoprotectproduc- 124 | AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period tivecapacityanduseeconomicproductioncapacityto thefullestextentassoonasthevirushasdiminished. However, besides the pandemic’s impact on the economy, there is consequentially also growing anx- iety arising from the fear of the infectious disease spreading while travelling. The research also shows that covid-19riskperceptionperseinfluencestypi- calformsofvacationbehaviour,butthisriskalsoleads tothedevelopmentoftravelanxiety,whichaddition- allyinfluencesonlysomeformsofvacationbehaviour (Bratićetal.,2021;Turnšeketal.,2021). OrganicInterpretationoftheCrisis Acrisisisalwaysalsoanopportunitytorethinkthe tourism industry and its impact due to the exploita- tionofnaturalandculturalresources:anopportunity toreframetheissuesathandandcomeupwithinclu- siveandresilientsolutions.Thebreath-takingdimen- sionsofsuddenchangesintourism,suchaslockdown and restrictions in travelling globally and locally are pushing us towards metaphoric thinking that might shednewlightoncompassionateunderstandingofthe situation.Inthisregard,wecancomparethetourism sectortoanorganwithinalivingorganism(society), anentitywithitsowncharacteristicsthatcollaborates withotherentities/businesssectors(differentorgans), which form a bigger, more complex organic whole, namelyanorganism(society). Inhis1653 LecturesontheWholeofAnatomy,Wil- liam Harvey, the famous British physiologist, stated simplybutprofoundly:‘Lifeandrespirationarecom- plementary. There is nothing living which does not breathe nor anything breathing which does not live’ (Stephen, 2021). It is obvious thatthis crisis took the vitalandfullybloomingtouristbreathaway,andmany stakeholdersareattheedgeofsurvivalduetolackof ‘oxygen.’ In organic terms, we refer to this as a con- striction due to prior hyperventilation. Hyperventi- lation is an example of an extreme breathing pattern alterationthatmaybeacuteorchronic.Thefirstde- scription of hyperventilation in Western medical lit- erature dates back to the American Civil War when a surgeon published a paper where he described the reasonsforcardiacdisordersamong300soldierswho suffered breathlessness, dizziness, palpitations, chest pain,headacheanddisturbedsleep.However,atthat timetheyhadnotyetidentifiedhyperventilationasthe primary cause. The term hyperventilation syndrome was introduced later in 1937 and provided the phys- iological rationale to explain the findings of cardiac disorders from the surgeons’ report (Chaitow et al., 2014). Hyperventilationistodayunderstoodastheillpat- tern of breathing, which is defined as breathing in excess of metabolic requirements, reducing carbon dioxide concentration of the blood to below normal. Thiscausesanalterationinthebody’spH,increasing alkalinity, and thereby triggering a variety of adap- tivechanges.One ofthe majorchangesishypoxia, a reduced supply of oxygen to the tissues of the body below healthy physiological levels, despite adequate perfusionofthetissuebyblood(Chaitowetal.,2014; Aliverti & Pedotti, 2014). The other major change is hypoventilation as compensation for inadequate gas exchange due to hyperventilation. In extreme form, hypoventilationiscommonlyassociatedwithmorbid obesity,andasasleeporspontaneousacuteapnea. Translating these physiological laws onto socio- economicdynamicswouldmeanthatwhenthesystem isconsumingmorethanneededtomaintainthebasic life-maintaining functions in order to make and ac- cumulatebiggerprofitorisinaconstantcompetitive battle-likemode,therewillbe aturningpointwhich resemblestheBohreffectinbreathingphysiology.The system will shut down, collapse or,to a proportional degree,limititsmajorfunctionsinordertocompen- sateforthelossofbalanceduetolowvaluesofbasic productionunits(cells).Inshort,wecandrawaparal- lelasfollows:whenaperson(organism)isgreedyand isgaspingformoreandmoreoxygenintheair,butnot sharingthiswiththeirinnerworldonacellularlevel, thecellswilleithergiveuporstandupfortheirneeds and call the immune system to protect their ‘natural rights.’Theimmunesystem,asa‘courtofjustice,’will causeconstrictionofbloodvessels(feltasahighblood pressure) or airways in lungs (felt as asthma) to stop thepersonfrom‘committingacrime.’Intheseterms, lockdownappearsasanimmuneresponseduetothe hyperventilation of the tourism industry, which was alreadyshowingsignsofdevastatingnaturalandcul- AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 |125 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period tural resources due to mass exploitation. We believe that such organic thinking and use of the language of physiology can provide us with great insights and opportunities for creative solutions that are already availablewiththisreframingofthecrisis.Following this analogy, we could for instance think in the pro- posedterms:person/body/organism=society,organs =differentbusinesssectors(oneofthemistourism), air=goods,oxygen=money,cells=people,immune system=courtofjustice,hyperventilation=hyperin- flation. Thereisastronghistoricbackgroundonthevalue ofconsciousbreathing,avastamountofresearchand an international body of knowledge that shows the healthbenefitsofbreathing-relatedprotocolsinterms ofexerciseandtherapy.In2016,AnselmDollandhis colleaguesshowedthatthisattentionfocuseasesstress andnegativeemotions,inparticularbyactivatingthe dorsomedialprefrontalcortex,aregulatoryareaofthe brain,andbyreducingactivityintheamygdala(Doll etal.,2016).Doriaetal.(2015)offered10trainingses- sions of two hours each,spreadacross two weeks,to 69patientswithanxietyordepressivedisorders.The trainingincludedavariedsetofbreathingtechniques (such as abdominal breathing, acceleration and de- celerationofrhythm,andalternatenostrilbreathing), combinedwithsomeyogastretches.Theresearchers observedasignificant(p-level)decreaseinsymptoms attheendoftheprotocol.Evenbetter,improvement wasmaintainedtwoandsixmonthslater,withfollow- upsessionsjustonceaweekandsomehomepractice duringthisperiod. In this paper, the concept of hyperventilation as understoodbymedicineandphysiologywillbeused toseekanorganicunderstandingofthecrisisthathas hittouristservices.Wewilldrawtheconclusionsfrom a singlecase study of a person who is goingthrough ahealth-enhancingbreathingprotocolandtransferit bytheanalogytotheinstitutionalizedleveloftourism toshowthesimilaritiesinthepatternofchange.Phys- iologically, hyperventilation results in tissue hypoxia which means less oxygen delivered to cells. Similar logic can be seen with hyperinflated mass tourism booming in recent years, and negatively impacting the indigenous social and natural environment. Re- garding the research available, our main claim is not basedonasinglecasestudythatwearepresenting,but on the understanding of the rationale of change that canbeorganicallyprovenandusedasaninsightinto newnicheopportunitiesfortouristservicesinthepost covid-19 period. Therefore, it is the aim of this pa- pertoemphasizethepossibilitiesofdesigningpreven- tiveandpost covid-19health-regenerativeretreatsas touristproductsusingacasestudymethodologyand reasoningbytheanalogy. Methods Inordertoachievethepurposeofthestudy,weuseda casestudymethodology,whichistheidealmethodol- ogywhenaholistic,in-depthinvestigationisexpected and needed. On the other hand, case studies are de- signed to bring out the details from the viewpoint of the participants by using multiple sources of data (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Crowe et al., 2011; Tellis, 1997; Rashidetal.,2019).However,thecasepresentedhere isnotdirectlyrelatedtothe covid-19disease,which mightbeconsideredasaflawedattempttosupport ourthesis.Todate,therehavebeennorelevantcases thatwouldenableustoresearchthedirectimpactof the Buteyko-method-based breathing rehabilitation onindividuals with ahistoryof covid-19.However, thecaseofaformerathletepresentedhereisofspecial valueaswell,sincewemightspeculatethattheben- efits of the protocol that the subject gained over the intervention period, though he was initially healthy and physically fit above average, are indeed reported asimpressiveintermsofsubjectivechange.Consider- ingtherelativeimportanceofsuchinterventionsinre- lationtohealthandespeciallypost-covid-19-related touristservices,wearealsoincludingapatientreport published in bmj Practice Pointer by Greenhalgh et al.(2020). Participant The participant, a man aged 51, who performed a 5- week Integral Breathing programme in October and November 2020 was a former top athlete, biathlete, multiple Olympian, serviceman, coach and more. Otheranthropometricdataareirrelevantforthepro- cessandobjectiveofthispaper.Duringtheyearsfol- 126 | AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period lowingtheendofhissportscareer,hecontinuedand persisted with a sporting lifestyle. He still engagesin various endurance and long-distance sports such as running, cross-country skiing, mountaineering and road cycling, as well as some adrenaline sports like freeriding, wind-surfing, sailing and more. Prior to thestudy,hedidnothaveanybreathingproblems, norwashesnoring.However,hewaswellawareofthe benefitshemightgainfromthedesignedbreathwork regimeandwasmotivatedtodedicatehimselftoiton adailybasis. Aninformedconsentonexpectedoutcomes,lim- itations and potential risks was signed prior to the intervention. Regarding the research objectives, the personal athletic history of the subject is not of rel- evant importance, since we are aiming to show rela- tiveimprovementsinducedbytheprotocol.However, since the subject was alreadyin good health, the ob- servedchangesareevenmoreencouragingandwould probablybeofhigherdegreewithlessfitpost-covid- 19individuals.Thishypothesisisyettobeproven,of course,andfurtherresearchisneeded(Planincetal., 2021). InterventionProtocolandStudyDesign Theinterventionthatwasproposedtotheparticipant and that he agreed to follow for 5 weeks was part of theintegralbreathingtrainingprogrammeforbreath- ing practitioners designed by the leading author of this article. The duration of the intervention is arbi- trarybut, basedon theexperiencesfrom20 yearsof practicalbreathworkteaching,the5-weekprotocolhas provedtobeasafeperiodtoshowmeaningfulandtan- gible changesexperienced by the subject performing theprotocol.AccordingtoBaxterandJack(2008),we herebyfocusonthedescriptiveandintrinsicvalueof thecasestudy,anditsinterpretative(Croweetal.,2011) potentials to serve our objective. The leading author ofthisarticlehasbeendoingbreathworksessionsand breathingtherapiesfor20years.Oneofthemostcom- monandsuccessfulmethodsofhyperventilationsyn- drome treatment is the Buteyko method, stemming fromRussiainthemid-20thcenturyandnamedafter Dr.KonstantinButeyko.Thismethod,withscientifi- callyprovenresults,isnowlargelyacceptedasanef- ficient complementaryand self-treatmentrespiratory therapy to treat many inflammatory diseases arising fromhyperventilationsyndrome(McKeown,2015). Theentireprogrammeinvolved20–30minutesof breathing routine, 10–15 minutes of meditation and a 30–60 second cold shower every day for 5 weeks. Thebreathingroutineusedinthiscasewasdesigned according to the subjective needs and preferences of the participant, namely to support his fitness. The breathingtechniqueswerecarefullychosenaccording to well-researched benefits. The first technique was the traditional Buteyko’s breathing method (Bruton &Lewith,2005),whichbasicallycomesdowntovery slowandsmall-in-volumebreathing(‘slowandlow’), whichisalsoknownas‘reduced’breathing.Thebene- fitsofsuchabreathingregimeare:(1)bettertolerance tohigh co 2 inlungsandblood,(ii)bettertissueoxy- genation,and(iii)highervagalnervetonewhichisa signofanactiveparasympatheticautonomicnervous system(McKeown,2015).Thesecondbreathingtech- niqueisoftenusedbyfreediverstoraisethecapacity of blood to carry oxygen or by athletes to simulate high-altitudetraining.Apnea,breathholding,wasin- troducedasthesecondtechnique(Eliaetal.,2021). In the initial phase, we explained to the partici- pantthebenefitsofconsciousbreathingwithacertain breathing pace (Table 1) using both techniques, and theimportantroleofcarbondioxide(co 2 )andnitric oxide(no) forgoodhealth.Theaimoftheinterven- tionwastoenableabetterbreathingpatterninevery- day life and in sports activities, and consequentially togainbenefitsfromthepossiblequalitativechanges and subjective feelings as narratively reported and recorded daily by the subject in his notes. Regarding meditation,theparticipanthadhisown10–15-minute routine of calm sitting and breathing and observing inner feelings with no judgment or the need of in- tervention to change them. The cold shower routine includedaminimumof30secondsandamaximumof 60seconds(Buijzeetal.,2016)withcalmnosebreath- ingstandingundertheshower. Tosummarize,theinterventionincluded‘slowand low’Buteykobreathing(15minutesdaily),maximum inhalation and exhalation retention (3–5 apnea rep- etitions daily), meditation, and a cold shower. The AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 |127 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period Table 1 BreathingPace Day Breathingpace Inhalation Exhalation Breathhold afterexhale  –  –    –    –    Notes Inseconds. subject was taking notes on (1) the pace of ‘slow and low’ breathing, (2) the pre-exercise breath hold time (known as ‘control pause’ in the Buteyko breathing method), and (3) subjective feelings and the assess- mentoftheimpactduetointervention. ResultsandDiscussion In the beginning of the intervention breathing pro- gramme,theparticipantreportedthathefounditdif- ficulttofollowthe‘slowandlow’breathingroutinefor 15minutes.Hefeltanxiousanduncomfortable,espe- ciallyintermsoffeelingoutofbreath.Basedonthis initial feedback, we agreed to the principle of grad- uation, despite the fact that the participant already had experience with lower oxygen levels at high al- titudes and the feeling of air hunger was not strange tohim.Therefore,westartedwiththeshortestpossi- blebreathingpacewherehestillfeltcomfortable,then gradually reducing the volume and/or extending the breathingcycle asthe feltsenseallowedasshown in Table1,meaning10breathsperminuteatthestartof theregime,and3.3perminutestartingonday16.We alsopaidspecialattentiontothedailycoldshowerrou- tine because the reactionswereinitially expressedin theformofashock(increasedmouthbreathing,dis- comfort,andaversion).Thus,weagreedthatthepro- cedure should start with warm water and then grad- ually turn into cold, starting with cold water at the feet, moving to the arms, torso and finally the head aswell. Aftera week of daily sessions, the client reported the first obvious changes regarding better sleep and reported that in the morning after the session, he                          Breathholdtimeatexhalation(insec.) Daysoftraining Figure1 TheResultsofPre-ExerciseControlPauseTest was feeling light and remained playful throughout the workday. Because he trained regularly over the period of intervention, subjectively by the felt sense, lactic acid most likely appeared in smaller amounts, and the body’s regeneration was faster, as reported by the subject in the notes. The desire for hydration was greaterand digestion was also better.Showering with cold water was no longer a problem after day 5. Further into the intervention, the participant re- portedthathehadlessdesireforsweetproducts.He reportedhighercalmnessandgoodfocusthroughout the workday. During the conversation, the client re- portedthat cognition was clearer,the visual channel ofcommunicationwassharpened(heestimatedsitu- ationsbetter,readpeople faster,recognized‘fake be- haviour’ faster, etc.) and his intuition improved. He also reported that regular meditation induced new ideasandgoodthoughts,andheevennoticedabetter sense of humour, but did not know the reason why thisoccurred.Sincethiswasreportedduringconver- sations,andmightbringsomeanecdotalvaluetothe transformation,wecannotdrawanyconclusionsupon these very subjective impressions. Regarding the ap- nea or breathing retention training, the participant reportedthathisendurancetrainingsaremuchmore effectivethisway,hedoesnotfeelastiredasusual,and thathe can do longerworkouts. However,the results ofthedailypre-exercise‘controlpause’testnoticeably improved(Figure1). In general,after5 weeksof daily routine,the par- 128 | AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period ticipantconcludedthatduringhisroutinetraining,he feltmoreconfident,hisbreathingpatternchangedina mannerthathismouthwasclosedduringaslowand moderaterunningorcyclingpace,andhisrestingres- piratoryratealsoincludedanaturalpauseaftertheex- halation.Duringdailyworkactivities,thehabituation ofnosebreathingwasobvious. Inconclusion,hewas verysatisfiedwith the impact of the interventionon his physiological and psychological performance re- sultingalsoinabetteremotionalconditionandoverall well-being. Theparticipantinthiscasestudywasaformertop biathlon athlete, a healthy 51-year-old adult with an ambition to improve his athleticperformancedue to thepromisedpositiveeffectsoffollowingthebreath- ing-meditative-cold-showerregime(interventionpro- tocol). The 5-week protocol included the following interventionsdaily:pre-exercisebreathhold(‘control pause’)test,15minutesofslowandlowvolumebreath- ing to the limits of feeling air hunger, 6 times repet- itive apnea (breath holding), meditation and a cold shower. After three weeks, the participant reported thefirsttangiblechanges:sleepingbetteratnightand experiencingabetterflowstateandplayfulnessinthe morning after the breathwork as well as throughout the working day. Since the subject still trained reg- ularly, the body’s regeneration(subjective qualitative assessment)wasenhancedoveraperiodoffourweeks oftheinterventionprotocol.Thedesireforhydration becameclearerandthedigestionwasalsobetter.The participantfoundthattheendurancetraining,which included prior proper breathwork, was much more effective;it did not feel so tiring, and the participant coulddolongersessions.Itwasalsoobservedbythe subject and noted in daily narrative reports that his breathing pattern changed in the final part of the 5- weekprotocol.Duringexercise,themouthwasclosed at a slow and moderate pace, and during sleep, the respiratorypatternalsoincludedaspontaneouspause afterexhalation.Duringdailyworkactivities,heheld his mouth closed more often than before, and if he ranoutofenergy,hestarteddoingButeykobreathing exercises. For the purpose of contextualization and further inductive reasoning, we are hereby also presenting a covid-19-related patient’s account which was pub- lished in bmj Practice Pointer by Greenhalgh et al. (2020). APatient’sAccount 40-year-old man,whowaspreviouslyfit Exercise,whichIdoafairamount,wasnotatall possible.[...]Mychestwaspainfullytight,and mybreathingwasslightlyerratic;Ibegantoex- perience shortness of breath in random waves thatdidn’tleavemegaspingforairbutcertainly mademeuncomfortableandveryworried.My glands were swollen to the point that it was physicallychallengingtoswallow,andthiswas onlypossiblewithseverediscomfort.Ifeltphys- icallyexhausted,mentallydrained,and,forthe firsttimeinmylife,begantoconsideraskingfor additionalhelp.[...]Asfarasrecoverygoes,it hasnowtakenafullseventoeightweekstostart feelingclosetomynormalselfagain.Intheaf- termathofthis,Ihavecontinuedtoexperience thefollowing:fatiguedtothepointofhavingto sleepduringday,inabilitytoexercise,continued shortnessof breath both motionless and when exerting, small waves of anxiety, considerable depression, continued loss of smell. These are all post-symptoms that I have had no experi- enceormedicalhistorywith,andsoithasbeen difficult to wrestlewith the unexpectednessof them. LearningandEmpowermentviaBreathwork Retreats:OpportunitiesinTourismafterthe COVID-19 Pandemic Period Sinceglobalpolicyrecommendationsregardingmore resilientsustainabletourismhavealreadybeenlaunch- edbyeconomic(oecd)andtourism-related(unwto) umbrella organizations, we believe that besides tack- lingthechallengesofanegativeeconomicimpact,the industryshouldalsorelatetoacrisisasanopportunity todevelopnewproductsandservices.Thatiswhywe believethataratherunusualattemptshownasacase study in our research might show exactly the point thatis relevantin bothdirections:(1) howtoorgani- callyunderstandthepathologiesofmasstourism,and AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 |129 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period (2)wheretolookforresilienceandsustainability.Be- lowistherésuméofourinterventionthatwillleadus to a discussion and implications for further sugges- tionsregardingniche-market-orientedhealthservices inpost-covidtimes. Now that we have to a sufficient degreereframed our original tourist crisis onto an organic level, the breathing therapy used in cases of hyperventilation andinsupportingindividualsaspresentedinthiscase study might show us a way forward and one of the possibilities for a healthy and resilient future in the tourism sector. There are further research attempts and arguments (Korstanje, 2021; Gibson, 2021) that are challenging resilient and sustainable tourism in the post-covid-19 era and are compatible with our thesis. Regardingbreathing,toframeourinterpretation,a certaindegreeofbreathlessnessisapparentlycommon afteracute covid-19.Severebreathlessness,whichis rareinpatientswhoarenothospitalized,mayrequire urgentreferral.Breathlessnesstendstoimprovewith breathing exercises (Greenhalgh et al., 2020). Many patientsarestillrecoveringspontaneouslyinthefirst six weeks afteracute covid-19 and donot generally require fast-track entry into a pulmonary rehabili- tation programme. Those who have had significant respiratory illness may benefit from pulmonary re- habilitation,defined as ‘a multidisciplinary interven- tionbasedonpersonalizedevaluationandtreatment whichincludes,butisnotlimitedtoexercisetraining, education,andbehavioural modification designedto improve the physical and psychological condition of people with respiratory disease’ (Brice, 2018; Barker- Daviesetal.,2020).Thereisavastamountofresearch thatshowssuccessinthetreatmentofchronicoracute stresshyperventilationviasuchprotocolsaspresented above(McKeown,2015). Thus,ifourorganicinterpretationandtransferof understanding of the breathing of the human being ontothe‘breathing’ofthetourismindustry‘holdswa- ter,’ then we are witnessing the lockdown as a bron- choconstriction. With narrative support of the ob- servedand documentedpositive changesofthe sub- jectandsciencebehindit,wecanproposeapathway towards sustainable tourism that should not fall into a trap of hyper-production, overcrowded sights, and thedestructionofculturalandnaturalresources. The growing awarenessof personal responsibility for health and a clean environment has been a by- product of the covid-19 pandemic and the conse- quential lockdown. The tourist services should take advantageofthisandtheindustryshouldrethinkand regenerateitsagendatowardsautopoieticcapabilities. Healthcare quality innovation will certainly play an important role in building resilient and sustainable tourist services. So, this period, even though the in- dustry is suffering, offers a great opportunity to de- sign health-enhancing and regeneration-related re- treats with similar healthcare protocols as described inourcasestudy. Asanoutlineofthehealth-enhancingretreatpro- grammebased on our case study, we would propose to design a focused breathwork-related intervention within the holistically framed service that includes thefollowingoptions:(i)bio-certifiedfoodandherbs (Chauhan et al., 2021) from local farmers, (ii) daily guidedbreathworkregimeincludingtheButeykometh- odandyogicpranayamatechniques,(iii)lighttome- diumdailyphysicalactivity,andiv)socialeventsand tours to honour natural resources and cultural her- itage.Wearealreadywitnessingthe covid-19-related tourismandrehabilitationprogrammes.Forexample, theThermanaSpa(Laško,Slovenia;www.thermana.si) isofferinga6-or11-daypost-covid-19rehabilitation programme that includes the following treatments: physiotherapy, classical massage, salt room therapy, herbal therapy, acupuncture, and swimming.1 The mainobjectiveofsuchprogrammesistoraiseaware- nessofembodiedexperienceandthesocio-economic networkthatreliesonnaturalresources,whichshould be carefully managed. The shift from mass tourism with huge investments towards localized co-natural and boutique-like health enhancing services has in ourestimationagreatperspectiveinbringingpeople fromcitiesbacktotheruralenvironment.Thisreason- ingisalsoalignedwiththenotionof‘healingtourism’ expressed and justified by Siying et al. (2021), which 1https://www.thermana.si/en/packages-offers/strengthen -your-health-after-covid-19. 130 | AcademicaTuristica,Year15,No.1,April2022 MilanHostaandMatejPlevnik InspiringBreathworkRetreatsinthePost-COVID-19Period wealsofindappropriateforoursuggestions.Thereis abodyofknowledgeandavastamountofresearch in the domain of health, tourism, sport and recre- ation,kinesiology,andrelateddisciplinesclaimingthe benefitsofoutdoorandphysicallyactivetourismwith closeconnectionandintentionalexposuretonatural elements (water, sun, air, forest, etc.) and its positive impact on health. Recently, Buckley and Westaway (2020) published a review that showed the powerful positiveimpactofoutdoortourismonthewell-being ofwomenandfamiliesin covid-19recovery. The ongoing covid-19 pandemic has also influ- encedpredefinedhealthandwellnessphilosophies. This paper may help advance the recovery of health and wellness tourist destinations, promote renewed services, and encourage health and natural healing practitioners to cooperate closely with the tourism infrastructure. There is a need to revitalize the un- derperformingelementsofhealthandwellnesstourist destinationsduring covid-19andhavefurthercrisis managementandrecoverystrategiesinplace. ConclusiveThoughts The organic shock due to the global lockdown has shed light on the tourism industry as never before. The realizationof the naturalrecoverypotentialsbe- cameevenmoreobviousasthesightsofmasstourism were freed from crowds and a huge environmental burden. Since there was a huge deprivation of con- sumers,whichcanorganicallybeillustratedasoxygen, thesystemwentthrougha‘hypoxia’andrelatedcom- pensations.Buttheimportantlessonhereshouldnot be overlooked. The constriction in the organic lan- guage, or the lockdown in institutional terms, is the result of acute or chronic hyperventilation, and this leads to slowing down the breathing frequency and volume. We believe that this comparison provides a good rationale to consider the importance of sustainable andin-depthtourismregeneration,meaningthatthe soleconsumerismoftouristserviceswithoutamean- ingfulandaddedvalueforthehostandguestitselfwill not bring anything good to the cultural and natural environment.AsMajeedandRamkissoon(2021)con- clude,adeeperunderstandingofpeople’sperceptions of their physical and psychological needsin times of crisesanddisastersisessential.Thismayhelpadvance the recovery of health and wellness tourist destina- tions, promote place attachment, and encourage re- visitation. The current trends in health-enhancing, preven- tive,regenerativeandrejuvenatingservicesduetothe raisedhealth-awarenesseffectsofthepandemicpro- videafertilesoilforthebreathworkandsomatic-based retreats, rural and spa tourism (Pinos & Shaw, 2021) closely relatedtonaturalsettingsandlandscape. The serviceindustryofbreathwork-basedinterventionsis gaining momentum due to the awareness raised be- cause of covid-19 threats and its direct impact on lungsandrelatedbreathingdifficulties.Again,weare wellawareofimportantlimitationsofourcasestudy duetoasinglesubjectintermsofjustifyingthebreath- workintervention.However,thiswasnotourgoal,and forthepurposeofanalogytobringanunderstanding thatismoreorganicintotheindustryitself,webelieve the message is well delivered and justified. The re- searchinfutureshouldcertainlyconsiderandanalyse avarietyofpost-covidrehabilitationprogrammes withalargersampleofsubjectsanditssuccessfroma healthperspectiveandfromaneconomicallysustain- ableviewpoint.Secondly,thearticlewillalsoserveasa canvasforfurtherexplorationsandcontextualization in order to support the effortsof the industry to re- alignitstrendstotheserviceofhumanityandnature asjointventure. References Aliverti,A.,&Pedotti,A.(Eds.).(2014). 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