Get Into Wellness Travel
I try to schedule an activity that focuses on my well-being whenever I travel. Honestly, I can sit on the beach, staring at the water, and feel the breeze to feel better physically and emotionally. It’s my happy place. I often schedule time in the hotel spa for a massage or facial and call it my wellness trip. However, wellness travel is more than spa treatments. It is one of the fastest-growing travel segments. Healthy food options, fitness activities, and nature are the main pillars of wellness travel. I am curious to find out more. Let’s get into wellness travel!
First, let’s define wellness travel. According to the Wellness Tourism Association, it is “travel that allows the traveler to maintain, enhance, or kick-start a healthy lifestyle and support or increase one’s sense of well-being.” (Source) Why is this travel sector growing so quickly? By the end of 2025, the Global Wellness Institute estimates, the wellness tourism market will reach more than $1 trillion.
What Drives Wellness Travel
People are becoming more interested in their health, wellness, and self-care. I am one of those people who is an advocate for my health and wellness. Travel is therapy for some, and they view it as a way to relax, refresh, and rejuvenate. Now more travelers seek personal wellness, mental and physical well-being, and a need to live with a better life balance.
Two types of travelers drive wellness travel. One is the person who actively looks for destinations, accommodations, and experiences that will allow them to maintain a fitness routine, healthy eating, and other recreation associated with wellness. The other type of traveler wants to use travel as a break from daily life and work routines and be proactive about their health and well-being. Vacation time is a getaway from the everyday stresses of daily living. They want to concentrate and focus on the goal of improving personal health and well-being.
https://www.goaheadtours.com/travel-styles/adventure-toursWellness Vacation or Wellness Retreat
The Wellness Tourism Association defines wellness travel and other related terms in this travel sector. To better understand the terms, the organization created a glossary. Click on this link for the definitions of wellness travel, wellness tourism, wellness vacation/holiday, wellness traveler, wellness retreat, wellness resort, and wellness destination.
https://www.goaheadtours.com/guided-tours/costa-rica-rainforests-volcanoes-wildlife
Many of us have participated in different types of retreats. Some of us added extra days and some vacation time into the retreat time. Let’s consider the difference between a wellness vacation and a wellness retreat. A wellness vacation is a travel that has a wellness-focused intention. It is usually self-directed, with the traveler setting their timetable and schedule.
The Wellness Tourism Association defines a wellness retreat as:
- A guided, intention-driven, multi-day program with a set or semi-set schedule hosted by one or more facilitators. The program may include learning and lifestyle workshops such as meditation and healthy eating, as well as fitness activities such as yoga, nature walks, and hiking.
- A smaller facility with accommodations and hospitality services where the primary purpose is to provide programs and experiences for the Wellness Traveler. The facility may have fewer wellness activities, services, and facilities than a Wellness Resort.
Planning a Wellness Vacation
When planning your wellness vacation or retreat, remember that one size doesn’t fit all when considering a wellness vacation or retreat. One person may want a fitness-focused vacation. Someone else may enjoy a one or two-week vacation with a mindfulness or yoga focus. A wellness vacation may include a spa experience, but also have the chance to try something new that provides a sense of improving one’s health or well-being. Travel experts, agencies, hotels, and resorts specialize in wellness travel and tourism.
Forbes Magazine published a list of the Best Wellness Destinations to Visit this Year. Resorts and hotels in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Turks and Caicos, and the Maldives are on the list. There are more international and domestic resorts listed in the article. CNN lists the 9 of the World’s Best Wellness Retreats. The article covers retreats located in New Zealand, Peru, St. Lucia, Abu Dhabi, India, Austria, Italy, Greece, and the Maldives. You can travel near or far to meet your needs. If you need an additional source or more information about wellness retreats, click on this link. The guide also includes a list of resorts that offer wellness options. You have various choices because many hotels and resorts now provide different wellness vacation plans. Research and review the possibilities to help create the best plans for you. Let’s get into wellness travel.
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