Wellness tourism is defined as travel that allows a person to maintain or enhance their personal well-being. There are primarily two types of travelers who opt for wellness tourism. One is a traveler, whose sole aim for traveling is wellness and such a traveler chooses their destination based on the wellness offerings that the place provides. The second type of traveler is the secondary wellness traveler, who looks to maintain their wellness during any type of travel.
Wellness tourism is distinct from medical tourism. In the former, the travel is related to improving or maintaining a person’s health and quality of life while in the latter the travel is primarily to get treatment for a diagnosed medical condition.
The Growing Industry of Wellness Tourism
Today, people are more conscious of their wellness and have the disposable income to embark on a wellness related trip. As a result, it has given wellness tourism a boost and the hospitality sector is now catering to this growing chunk of travelers. It is common to find fitness facilities in hotels and many also provide yoga mats in their rooms.
However, it is not just hotels that are catering to the needs of wellness tourists. Even airports now have indoor green spaces, meditation rooms, organic restaurants, massage chairs, and walking tracks to help these tourists enjoy wellness and well-being while they wait in the airport for their onward flight.
A reported titled Global Wellness Tourism Economy by the Global Wellness Institute reveals that wellness tourism will at 7.5% annual until 2022 while global tourism will grow at an annual rate of 6.4%. These figures reveal how wellness tourism across the world is booming.
Popular Destinations for Wellness Tourism
While there are many cities and towns across the world that offer wellness tourism, some tend to be more popular than others. For instance, in Hawaii, Maui is renowned for its award-winning spa at Grand Wailea. It was voted as one of the top 10 spas in the US by Travel + Leisure. The Grand Spa attracts affluent visitors from the US, Canada, Latin America, and Europe, who come to spend time in the 50,000-square-foot spa for wellness treatments and activities.
In addition, visitors can also go to the beach and enjoy paddle boarding, snorkeling, kayaking, and beach yoga.
India is also renowned for wellness tourism. Many wellness travelers visit Soma Manaltheeram Ayurveda Beach Village, about 21km from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Kerala. The wellness resort is about 9km from the famous Kovalam Beach and offers therapies to restore emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
It provides rustic-style living quarters to guests, who hail from urban India, Europe, the UK, Japan, and North America.
Tuscany in Italy is renowned for its wellness spa, Adler Thermae Spa Resort. The spa is noted for its vinotherapy, where it incorporates the naturally present anti-aging compounds in red wine grapes into their massages and facials. In addition, guests can enjoy cycling and hike through the Tuscan landscape. The resort provides guided tours for wine tasting and truffle tasting. They can also go and see how olive oil is made in the neighboring plantations. Tuscany attracts wellness travelers from across Europe, the UK, and North America.
The desert of Arizona is spellbinding and hence, it is not surprising that Sedona in Arizona has carved a niche for itself in wellness tourism. Located at the entrance of Boynton Canyon, Enchantment Resort in Sedona is spread over an area of 70 acres and offers spa and fitness services.
Wellness tourism is booming as more people look to embrace a healthy lifestyle and will go out of their way to find places that can cater to their needs. Besides these places, there are many more cities and towns that provide attractive wellness offerings.
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