The Aesthetic and Therapeutic Role of Aquariums in Hospitality Front Offices a Missing Object in Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51459/jostir.2026.2.Special-Issue-1.0290Keywords:
Aquarium Aesthetics, Biophilic Design Products, Hospitality Front Office, Relaxation AttractionAbstract
Globally, the hospitality sector leverages biophilic design to enhance guest experiences. Aquariums serve as aesthetic and therapeutic focal points, reducing check-in stress while bolstering luxury branding. This systematic review investigates the aesthetic and therapeutic roles of aquariums identified as "missing objects" in African hospitality. While the global sector leverages biophilic design to reduce guest stress and bolster luxury branding, Africa faces a significant research and implementation gap. Analyzing over 200 papers through Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM), the study confirms that marine biodiversity serves as a "therapeutic dose," significantly lowering heart rates and improving moods. These physiological benefits correlate directly with higher guest satisfaction and premium room rates. However, the transition to this "wellbeing economy" in Africa is hindered by high maintenance costs, colonial-era menagerie legacies, and cultural perception gaps where exhibits are viewed as "screens" rather than natural environments. To overcome these barriers, the report proposes a "Therapeutic Amenity Value" (TAV) metric and recommends culturally responsive, "blue-space" infrastructure. Strategic integration of aquariums offers African stakeholders a competitive advantage, transforming front offices into restorative hubs that foster both guest wellness and aquatic conservation. By institutionalizing biophilic building codes, the region can unlock long-term socioeconomic benefits and decolonize traditional tourism models.
References
Ajayi, O. O., & Tichaawa, T. M. (2020), "Visitors’ characteristics and destination image: the case of nigerian zoos," Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 324–332, 2020. DOI: 10.30892/GTG.32432-588.
Albughdadi, R. M. (2022). Critical Regionalism, Biophilia Design, Regenerative Design, in Experiential Hotels (Master's thesis, Arizona State University). Anonymous, "Aquatic Restaurant," 2025. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15731130
Anonymous, 2025 "The cascading calm: Exploration of interior water features and their impact on stress and anxiety,". DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.12706480.
Ayejuyo, A. O., Ajayi, O. O., & Raufu, K. A. (2025)"Exploring the Role of Biophilic Design Elements in Enhancing Guest Well-Being In Resort Hotels: A Study From Southwestern Nigeria," Journal of Architecture and Civil Engineering, vol. 10, no. 2, 2025. DOI: 10.35629/8193-10024651.
Bhatnagar, K. (2020). Cultures of Service and Intersubjective Struggles-The Quest for Meaningful Interactive Service Work.
Brando, S., Rachinas-Lopes, P., Goulart, V. D. L. R., & Hart, L. A. (2023). Understanding job satisfaction and occupational stressors of distinctive roles in zoos and aquariums. Animals, 13(12), 2018.
Clements, H., Valentin, S., Jenkins, N., Rankin, J., Baker, J. S., Gee, N., ... & Sloman, K. (2019). The effects of interacting with fish in aquariums on human health and well-being: A systematic review. PloS one, 14(7), e0220524.
Cracknell, D. L., Pahl, S., White, M. P., & Depledge, M. H. (2018). Reviewing the role of aquaria as restorative settings: how subaquatic diversity in public aquaria can influence preferences, and human health and well-being. Human dimensions of wildlife, 23(5), 446-460. DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2018.1449039
Cracknell, D., White, M. P., Pahl, S., Nichols, W. J., & Depledge, M. H. (2016),"Marine Biota and Psychological Well-Being: A Preliminary Examination of Dose–Response Effects in an Aquarium Setting," Environment and Behavior, vol. 48, no. 10, pp. 1242–1269, 2016. DOI: 10.1177/0013916515597512.
Cracknell, D., White, M. P., Pahl, S., Nichols, W. J., & Depledge, M. H. (2016). Marine biota and psychological well-being: A preliminary examination of dose–response effects in an aquarium setting. Environment and behavior, 48(10), 1242-1269.
Dogan, R. (2024). STRATEGY AND TOOLS FOR THE DEFINITION OF A NEW BRAND IDENTITY ENHANCING BOTH LUXURY AND INNOVATION OFFER IN THE SUPERYACHT AGENCY INDUSTRY.
Elshaer, I. A., Azazz, A. M., Fayyad, S., & Mohammad, A. A. (2025). Quality of Hotel Biophilic Design and Its Impact on Guest Well-Being, Perceived Value, and Patronage Intentions: The Moderating Role of Guest Delight. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(4), 212.
Falkof, N. (2023). Consuming Africa: safari aesthetics in the Johannesburg beauty industry. In Consuming Happiness (pp. 70-82). Routledge.
Goliath-Ludic, K. T. (2024). Developing a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy Framework to Manage Employee Wellness for the Tourism Industry in the Eastern Cape. University of Johannesburg (South Africa).
Haj-Bolouri, A., Conboy, K., & Gregor, S. (2024). Research perspectives: an encompassing framework for conceptualizing space in information systems: philosophical perspectives, themes, and concepts. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 25(2), 407-441.
Hussain, N. H., & Samynathan, K. (2025). Reinvigorating A City Through Water Conservation: Review of Literature. MAJ-Malaysia Architectural Journal, 7(4), 121-143.
IHEABUNIKE, E. (2021). Evaluation of landscape features for stress relief in hotel buildings in Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria (Doctoral dissertation).
Jang-Heon Han and Seung-Kon Lee. (2021), the effects of perceived restorative environment on subjective well-being and behavioral intention in a blue space: Focused on the moderating effect of positive affect. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 35(11), 5-22.
Kelly, C. (2024). Why blue spaces and wellbeing matter for tourism and leisure businesses. In A Research Agenda for Tourism and Wellbeing (pp. 137-156). Edward Elgar Publishing. 10.4337/9781803924342.00017.
Lennox, L. E. (2021). Blue, green and everything in-between: the history of the Cape Aquaria c. 1902-1995 (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).
LeVan, M. (2015). Parlor Ponds: The Cultural Work of the American Home Aquarium, 1850–1970. Text and Performance Quarterly, 35(4), 417-419. 10.1080/10462937.2015.1073782.
Mann, J. B. (2017), "Exploring the implications of cultural diversity for environmental learning at an African aquarium," Ph.D. dissertation, University of Queensland, 2017. DOI: 10.14264/UQL.2017.169.
Mann-Lang, J. B., Naidoo, T., Francolini, E., Mann, B. Q., Sink, K., & Bodenstaff, C. (2023). "Understanding and Influencing Perceptions about Marine Protected Areas Through an Aquarium Exhibit: A Multi-phase Case Study from South Africa," Journal of Interpretation Research, 2023. DOI: 10.1177/10925872231153164.
Maple, T. L., Snyder, R. J., & Morris, M. C. (2025). Behavioral impact of naturalistic and wilderness settings. Environmental psychology and human well-being, 281-311.
Omokhoa, G. 2023 "Ocean-aquariums and Their Visitor Experiences: An Instrument for Promoting Tourism and Aquatic Wildlife Conservation,” DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8334745.
Tercan, T., Anarkhanovna Zhunusova, A., Tercan, N., & Begalievna, M. N. (2025). Mindfulness and Biophilic Design: Enhancing Guest Well-Being, Emotional Relaxation, Stress Reduction and Physical Health in the Hotel Sector. Tourism: An International Interdisciplinary Journal, 73(4), 756-770.
Saribaş, Ö., & Demir, C. (2024). Sensory experiences in hospitality industry: exploring their influence on satisfaction, decision-making and revisit intentions. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 16(6), 756-774.
Schroer, S. A., & Schmitt, S. B. (Eds.). (2018). Exploring atmospheres ethnographically. London: Routledge.
Shani, Y. 2012, "A quantitative investigation of tourists' ethical attitudes toward animal-based attractions," Tourism: An international Interdisciplinary Journal, vol. 60, no. 3, Rose, J. 2024."Understanding the welfare of aquarium fish," Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling, DOI: 10.51291/2377-7478.1858.
Vannini, P., & Vannini, A. (2024). "The More-than-Human Ethics of an Underwater Hotel: Care in Alloútopian Tourism," GeoHumanities, vol. 10, no. 1, 2024. DOI: 10.1080/2373566x.2024.2419530.
Vannini, P., & Vannini, A. (2025). The more-than-human ethics of an underwater hotel: Care in Alloútopian Tourism. GeoHumanities, 11(1), 1-16.
Wanjugu, M. L. (2020). FUSION OF BIOPHILIC DESIGN AND ETHIOPIAN TEXTILES FOR HUMAN WELL-BEING AND RESTORATION IN RECREATIONAL CENTRES (Doctoral dissertation, College of Architecture and Engineering School of Art and Design.
Wolfenden, David CC. "Investigating Non-invasive Measures of Stress in Ornamental Fish." (2014).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.