Wellness Tourism to Grow 50% Faster than Global Tourism by 2017
admin | Nov 22, 2013 | Comments 22
Travel today can be bad for your health. Airport stress and transportation hassles, jet lag and poor sleeping, disruption of exercise routines, and excesses in eating, drinking, and sun exposure can leave a traveller more stressed and less well after a trip. A recent Columbia University study of business travellers found that frequent and extensive travel can even increase cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol).1
This is ironic because many people look forward to travel as an adventure and as an opportunity to rejuvenate and de-¬stress. In fact, when an SRI International survey asked consumers what they do to maintain/enhance their personal wellness, “take a vacation” was among the top five activities selected.2 As more and more people pay attention to their health, they increasingly want to keep up their healthy habits when they travel. And a growing segment of travellers are even taking trips specifically focused on maintaining and improving their personal health and well-¬being. This is driving the growth of wellness tourism.
Although wellness tourism is a relatively new niche segment within the global travel and tourism industry, the practice of wellness-¬focused travel is not new. Since ancient times, people have visited the Dead Sea for its therapeutic properties. Romans travelled to baths, hot springs, and seaside resorts for treatments, healthier climates, purification, and spiritual rituals. For 1,500 years, the Japanese have travelled to hot springs or onsen for healing and community. In spite of the rigors of travel in today’s world, the act of travel itself has long been considered a wellness-¬enhancing activity.
Measuring the size and economic impact of an industry is complicated and can be especially daunting for a segment that is not easily defined. Following international conventions for measuring tourism, this study measures Wellness Tourism by aggregating the expenditures of people who are defined as wellness tourists, instead of aggregating activities of “Wellness Tourism industry businesses.”
Wellness Tourism spending may or may not take place in businesses or activities that one typically associates with wellness. For example, the lodging used by a wellness traveller could be a destination spa or a traditional hotel/resort. Other categories of Wellness Tourism expenditures (food & beverage, shopping, etc.) may range from “generic” to “wellness specific.” All of these types of expenditures are part of the Wellness Tourism economy so long as they are made by a traveller whose primary or secondary trip purpose is to pursue wellness.
Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com
Nowadays the stress level is increasing day by day. While many of the people are working hard during the year, it is normal to choose a relaxing holiday, where to rejuvenate. Also the holiday is the moment from the year when you really have time for yourself and for your health.
Wellness is one of the main things, which will always be in people’s concern. However, majority of us do not have an opportunities to support our health being constantly. For example: a person who works more than 15 hours a day, non-stop for a long time. Moreover, there is a lot of stress when talking about important presentations, sleep deprivation leading to chronic insomnia and other illnesses. Therefore, when it comes time for a holiday many people choose a place which allows to gain a health for another non- stop working couple of years.
Wellness is one of the main things, which will always be in people’s concern. However, majority of us do not have an opportunities to support our health being constantly. For example: a person who works more than 15 hours a day, non-stop for a long time. Moreover, there is a lot of stress when talking about important presentations, sleep deprivation leading to chronic insomnia and other illnesses. Therefore, when it comes time for a holiday many people choose a place which allows to gain a health for another non- stop working couple of years.
Since the time has become one of the most important value, the living and working conditions perfectly changed which led to a transformation in people expectations regardig their leisure. Wellness is the best opportunity to relax and take care of their health, so this is one of the best way nowadays to get away from home and leave the problems behind. The main factor that wellness tourism destinations are available in close distances, so the people do not have to go far. Consequently there are more and more people who decides to go for a wellness holiday.
From my point of view Wellness Tourism always will be that popular through a huge a mount of travelers. People care so much about their health. It is required to do because of environmental changes, such as air and water pollution. Population’s immunity becomes weaker each day, that is the reason why it is essential to take care of yourself. People are ready to spend a great amount of money on different medical procedures, which make them healthier.
I have experienced many times that after a holiday I was more tired than before, in turn apparently I went to relax. We need to choose consciously between a real relaxing holiday and holiday with activities because between them there is a big different although both are about relaxation.
In the last years people are more interested in holidays
connected with health treatments, spas and wellness facilities. From one point
of view this can be analyzed as being good marketing (people are getting bored
easy that is way they need other reasons to travel) but it can also be
presented as increased interest from both sides (customer, service staff) for health.
In the more health concerned tourism industry, the future travellers will seek to escape the daily stress and polution through visiting wellness destinations. The world is now more polluted and the quality of life, though improved, became more unhealthy. Therefore people are trying to take more care about their health and in the future more and more tourists will become wellness tourists.
Nowadays, people are more concern about their health and living standard. That’s why the wellness tourism is growing rapidly. i think it is a good opportunity to the hotel industry. Therefore, it is a good new for leading to win- win situation( tourist can meet they holiday and the hotel business can earn money).
Nowadays, more and more people are interested in services
not only with one benefit, to combine their travel experiences with the health.
For example, the wellness tourism is a
double win for the customers and for the hospitality industry as well: the
customers will enhance their well being with travel experiences while the
hotels are gaining more and more revenue from them.
Traveling means to be a stress-releasing tool since the first place. As health-concern-trend is growing strongly, it would not be a surprise to see this kind of tourism do well also. It is also a reason for the blooming of tourism in Asian country where health care is much cheaper.
In last years people are more curious of holidays. People are educated and earning well, there life is more busy. So now when ever they get time for holidays then most of the people plan to go somewhere to relax and to spend quality time with there families. According to health issues holidays should be there to relax. People are educated they all have jobs and even money then obviously they will spend money on holidays which will increase tourism industry.
The world is now more polluted and the quality of life, though improved, became more unhealthy. Therefore people are trying to take more care about their health and in the future more and more tourists will become wellness tourists.So now when ever they get time for holidays then most of the people plan to go somewhere to relax and to spend quality time with there families. According to health issues holidays should be there to relax.
Due to the fact more and more people are interested in a healthy life-style, they have discovered wellness tourism as a solution to all the problems they may face in a mainstream holiday such as poor sleeping, excess eating and drinking and why not, stress.
I think in the next 10 years, more and more people will choose this type of relaxation which provides you, as a guest, quality and it is very good for health.
I also find it ironic that tourists go for relaxation and purification and they have to coop with health issues lie pollution and stress. The problem with the development of wellness tourism is that when more and more people choose this type of vacation it will be overcrowded and make the tourists more stressed. And they travel without a reason.
Medical tourism is one of the fastest blooming industries in the world. Although it is branded as medical tourism, there are other reasons to seek wellness or treatment in another country. One of the reasons are, while getting treated, patients or visitors can visit and explore the country after their actual purpose of visiting, and that also brings in a lot of revenue to this industry.
In the coming years medical tourism will be a very important aspect in the tourism sector therefore the increase in its growth is beneficial for potential tourists.
As everybody started to realize how important is their health, it is true that wellnes tourism will have a very success future. And not only because of the health , people are nowadays more busier they need a place where they can relax , and enjoy those special treatment what wellness hotel provides for them.
I totally agree with the others’ opinion, but I would like to look at the topic from another point of view. I was wondering whether wellness tourism is only for the tourists’ benefit. Because in my opinion, as a staff member, if you have to provide wellness treatments, healthy, calm environment, you tend to be also more balanced, in order to make your customers fell the same way. So at the end of the day, if you as an employee succeed to reach your goal and satisfy the customers’ need, this way you make your life healthier.
Wellness tourism will definitely increase in the future since tourist will demand those treatment to relax and a little bit leave their busy life behind them. And also there is that new trend about healthy life which also increase the reputation of wellness tourism
After read this article, I just realize that travel around is bad for our health but there is no surprise to know that wellness tourism growing fast (even faster than
global tourism). In my view, I think wellness tourism had start from
long time ago in Asia (especially Thailand and China).
Can’t agree more to this article. I actually experienced a “flight marathon” a few months ago. Caused so much stress and tiredness on me. Taking a vacation should be a happy and relaxing activities but not damaging our own health. Providing a wellness service for tourist will definitely benefiting the tourist. However, would this be another gimmick for businessman to earn more money?