Have you ever thought about taking a wellness trip? What is wellness tourism, anyway? The travel industry is continually evolving, and the wellness travel market is growing rapidly.
The wellness economy is a massive global industry with an estimated value of $4.5 trillion. The wellness tourism sector is one of the largest areas of the wellness economy, worth $639 billion. It's growing at a rate of 5.8%, five times as fast as global economic growth.
As you can see, there's a huge rise in wellness travel. But what is wellness tourism? Perhaps you've already taken a wellness vacation and not even realized it. Even if you haven't taken a wellness trip, I'm going to show you why you should consider one and how to begin planning the relaxing or adventurous getaway of your dreams.
What is Wellness Tourism?
The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the "active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health." Wellness tourism is taking a trip in order to maintain or enhance one's personal wellbeing. This trip can be primarily motivated by wellness, or it can be any kind of trip where wellness activities are added to elevate the overall experience.
Who Should Take a Wellness Trip?
Wellness travel is for everyone! Through these kinds of holidays, we can take care of our physical, mental or spiritual health. Any form of self-care can be classified as a wellness trip. It isn't simply the typical spa or yoga retreat that immediately comes to mind when we think of wellness tourism.
Why Should I Consider a Wellness Trip?
Travel is a major opportunity for personal growth. When we travel, we should consider ways to move about the world in an eco-friendly, sustainable, and responsible manner. Travel helps our own wellbeing and can help support local communities, too. No matter your interest or goals with regard to self-care, you can easily incorporate aspects of wellness tourism into any of your trips.
What is Wellness Tourism: Wellness Tourism Examples
Wellness tourism is going more and more niche. It might be an escape from technology, especially since our lives tend to revolve around working behind laptops and smartphone screens. It could be a way to relax and destress through new experiences or focused retreats. Wellness tourism can also be an adventure through participating in physical activities, like hiking or cycling.
There's even a form of wellness travel called "bleisure," which combines business travel and leisure travel. With the rise of remote work, you might spend your mornings working on a laptop overlooking the ocean. Then, you'll spend the afternoon practicing yoga or swimming in the pool. This is one way that we can incorporate wellness travel into our daily lives.
As people begin to explore self-care and create their own notions of wellness, there will be a growth in tailored trips and experiences. There are entire tours and trips for vegan travel, surfing retreats, women's fertility retreats, and silent meditation retreats. Here are a few examples of wellness tourism that might interest you.
Yoga and Meditation Retreats
One of the most popular wellness trips is a yoga or meditation retreat. Some people travel across the world to practice yoga under renowned teachers or to immerse themselves in yoga and meditation for a week or longer.
For instance, I travelled to Sri Lanka to stay at Mahagedara Retreat. It's an eco-friendly accommodation in the middle of the jungle where you'll practice yoga and meditation daily, eat healthy foods, receive advice and massage from an Ayurvedic doctor, and relax by the pool. There are also opportunities to experience the local culture and visit historic sites.
Spa Retreats
Spa retreats are an excellent form of wellness tourism for those looking for relaxing and rejuvenating experiences. Pamper yourself through daily spa treatments, like hydrotherapy, massages, facials, body wraps, and more.
Some wellness trips will combine spa retreats with other interests, such as yoga, meditation, and even wine and beer tasting excursions. You can also easily incorporate spa experiences to your regular travels, like this seaweed spa in Ireland or a trip to a day spa in Ontario.
Ayurveda Travel
Originating in ancient India, Ayurvedic medicine is thought to be the world's oldest healthcare system. The traditions are over 5000 years old, and people still practice them today. The word, Ayurveda, comes from the Sanskrit words "ayur" (life) and "veda" (knowledge).
There are many reasons to seek Ayurvedic treatments. First, it's a holistic way of life that incorporates diet, lifestyle, yoga, meditation, detoxification and rejuvenation. This approach differs from conventional western medicine because it does not seek to treat the symptoms of an illness; instead, it focuses on both lifestyle and diet as a way to remove the initial cause of an illness before it strikes.
In this modern age of technology and fast-paced lifestyles, self-care is becoming increasingly important. Set aside a vacation to care for your mind, body, and spirit at an Ayurveda retreat.
Eco Adventure Retreats
Wellness tourism can be all about trying new adventures or practicing specific activities in new environments around the world. You might want to try long-distance hiking or becoming scuba certified.
For instance, I embarked on a cycling staycation around the Niagara region where I participated in long distance cycling over a weekend. This pushed my boundaries beyond distances I was used to covering on a bike, and I formed great bonds with others with similar interests.
Your trip might center around all kinds of adventures, like kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, parasailing, walking or hiking, and more. It might even be a soft adventure like going on a safari or participating in wildlife spotting on a whale watching tour.
Volunteer Travel
Volunteering while you travel can be a fantastic way to experience the local culture and new places while helping others. You'll want to research your volunteer trip ahead of time to make sure that it actually helps, and doesn't hurt, the local communities.
I personally love volunteering to help animals when I travel. So far, I have traveled to Kenya to participate in a citizen science project helping endangered giraffes. I've also volunteered at a wildlife rescue center in Guatemala that rescues, rehabilitates, and releases animals that are victims of wildlife trafficking. I'm also really looking forward to a trip later this year to help street dogs in Nepal!
Reasons to Get Travel Insurance for a Wellness Trip
No matter what kind of wellness tourism trip you choose, you should always consider travel insurance for your trip. This is direct advice coming from the girl who managed to break her ankle on a trip that involved nothing but going to the spa, watching wildlife, and short walks around the city!
Seven Corners is a leader in the travel insurance industry with 25+ years of experience and 24/7 customer service. Trip insurance works to protect the investment that you've made, and it also involves travel medical insurance.
Trip Protection to Consider
There are a few kinds of travel protection that you should consider for your wellness trip. First, trip protection covers cancellation and interruption for many reasons, trip delay, and lost or damaged luggage. Trip cancellation insurance is really important because things can come up in your life that affect your ability to travel.
Travel medical coverage helps with illness or injury when you're abroad. This includes COVID-19 treatment should you require it. There are other options to add when it comes to trip protection. First, the optional Cancel for Any Reason benefit allows you to cancel your trip for any reason you wish, not just those covered in your trip protection plan.
The optional Interruption for Any Reason benefit covers unused, prepaid costs should you wish to return home early for any reason you wish. Both reimburse you for a stated percentage of your nonrefundable trip expenses, and there are requirements to use the benefits, so read your plan document carefully to ensure you understand how these options work.
Where to Take a Wellness Holiday: Wellness Destinations
Now that you've decided what kind of wellness getaway to take and you've taken care of travel insurance, let's choose a destination for your adventure. While wellness trips can happen anywhere around the world, here are a few notable destinations when it comes to wellness tourism.
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is a renowned wellness destination as there are numerous activities for both relaxation and adventure. Situated in the desert and surrounded by red rock canyons, Sedona offers spa resorts where you can enjoy relaxing treatments in a beautiful place. You can also embark on lots of adventures in Sedona, like hiking and cycling. Sedona is also an amazing vegan destination where you can take a self-guided plant-based foodie tour around the city.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a leader when it comes to ecotourism as they take great care to protect their natural landscapes and biodiversity while allowing tourists to experience it responsibly. There are many opportunities to go hiking, surfing, view wildlife, and immerse yourself in the jungle rainforest environment.
Sri Lanka
As I mentioned above, Sri Lanka is home to wellness retreats emphasizing yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda. You can also take historic hikes to the top of Sigiriya Rock, visit Buddhist cave temples, and try health-focused cooking classes. You can explore the jungles, relax on the beautiful beaches, or sip tea at a tea plantation.
Ubud, Bali
Ubud, Bali is a center for cultural tourism with spectacular waterfalls, lush rice terraces, coffee plantations, and serene tropical environments. There are several wellness retreats with an emphasis on yoga, relaxing at Indonesian spas, and watching the sunset from your infinity pool. There are eco-conscious retreats that combine traditional Balinese experiences with wellness and I'm certain you'll indulge in all the fresh fruit and vegetables during your stay, too.
Italy
You might not have thought of Italy as a top wellness tourism destination, but there's really something for everyone. You can take a hiking excursion through the Dolomites, relax at spa resorts in Tuscany, or go cycling for wine tastings, olive oil tastings, and truffle tastings. There are also plenty of cooking and culinary-focused tours in Italy where you can even get your hands dirty when picking vegetables and fresh herbs from the garden.
| Follow Justin Plus Lauren: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Join our Travel Community |
Leave a Reply