Well-Being in Retirement, Joy in Travel: A Study on Attribute Preferences and Heterogeneity in Senior Citizens’ Selection of Wellness Tourism Destinations

Accelerating population aging has spawned a substantial wellness tourism market. However, existing product development faces a supply–demand mismatch, primarily stemming from an imprecise understanding of the hierarchical needs and preference heterogeneity among the senior demographic. This study focuses on individuals aged 60 and above, employing a discrete choice experiment to investigate their destination choice preferences. Based on grounded theory coding, six core attributes were identified: climate wellness suitability, landscape therapeutic value, accessibility of healthcare services, level of age-friendly facilities, depth of cultural immersion, and cost affordability. The findings reveal the following: (1) Senior citizens follow a hierarchical decision-making logic prioritizing functional needs over experiential needs, with healthcare accessibility being the paramount factor, followed by climatic conditions and age-friendly facilities, while cultural and landscape preferences are comparatively secondary. (2) Significant preference heterogeneity exists. Apart from age-friendly facilities that represent a universal basic need, all other attributes exhibit individual differences, with cultural preference showing the highest degree of differentiation. (3) Based on preference structures, the senior demographic can be segmented into three distinct markets—the medically-oriented, the culturally-oriented, and the naturally-oriented—each demonstrating significant differences in preference structures and willingness to pay. This research challenges the traditional perception of seniors as a homogeneous group and provides a quantitative foundation for the differentiated product development and precision marketing of wellness tourism destinations.