One of the biggest travel trends to emerge from the pandemic is Wellness Tourism. Millions of people are now more eager than ever to find new ways to reset and rejuvenate in a stressful and chaotic world. The act of traveling itself has become one of the hottest wellness trends across America and the world, and HotelPlanner is not surprised.
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HotelPlanner believes that Travel is Wellness, and if you’re not incorporating travel into your health & wellness routine, you’re truly missing out. Travel promotes happier, healthier, and more balanced individuals. In year’s past, many vacationers felt like they had to pack a million activities into their trip. Today, millions of wellness-focused travelers simply want to slow down and add some ‘me time’ to their vacation.
What is Wellness Travel?
Wellness tourism can be whatever you want it to be, but typically it incorporates activities that nurture your physical, mental and spiritual health – from yoga and spa retreats to fishing trips or ‘forest bathing’ if that’s your thing. The options are endless and growing. But the idea is to find activities that strengthen your overall well-being. For some, that might include incorporating live musical performances into your next vacation (i.e. music therapy). For others, it might include a morning nature walk, or perhaps a painting class. The specific activity doesn’t really matter. The idea is to unplug, unwind, and recenter your whole physical, mental, and spiritual being. If reading on the beach does that for you, then keep doing that. If you long for some new or exotic wellness adventure, there are now even more activities and options to explore, even ayahuasca or psychedelic mushroom retreats!
Wellness tourism revenue is estimated to reach about $1.3 trillion by 2025, according to the Global Wellness Institute. The hospitality industry is catering to this growing consumer demand with a host of added activities or perks for guests – everything from scented lobbies and rooms to ambient music, yoga and meditation rooms, massage therapy, and healthier food & beverage choices. Hotels understand that ambience matters to the overall guest experience and their first impression, so they are spending millions on aesthetic upgrades and added offerings.
Here are a few popular wellness travel trends to consider incorporating into your overall wellness routine throughout the year, or at least whenever you travel.
Put your Phone Down Already and Have a Digital Detox
While it’s incredibly convenient to answer a work email or have a conference call from anywhere at any time, it’s difficult to truly relax and enjoy a vacation when your work phone is glued to your hand as a constant reminder of tasks waiting for you when you return. Considering how fixated we have all become with technology, the popular trend of digital detoxing is the new mental break we’ve all been lacking. In hopes of reconnecting with one’s surroundings, travelers are consciously restricting themselves by switching offline and locking their phones away to truly decompress. Some are even going as far as leaving all devices at home before checking into an off-grid cabin or burnout retreat. How far you’re willing to let go is up to you and with companies like Unplugged, you can build an entire itinerary for your personal digital detox.
Give Your Liver a Break
From bar crawls, boozy boat cruises, and beach parties, vacation and alcohol have long been intertwined. Now, booze-filled holidays are being swapped out by a growing movement known as “sober curious travel.” In the hopes of better sleep, heightened clarity, and overall improved health, travelers are purposely organizing trips around alcohol-free adventures. The allure of a late night out is easily replaced as sober-curious travel allows individuals to wake up early and seize the day without the lasting effects of a booze-filled night. Now, travelers are capturing a new adrenaline rush through fitness related activities. Think sunrise hikes, waterfall swimming, beach yoga, and even cliff diving to foster a nature-induced high. In fact, an industry of sober curious travel operators organizing bespoke vacations is growing in popularity, especially in health-driven communities.
Finally Get a Good Night’s Sleep
On the other side of the wellness spectrum, more and more travelers are scheduling vacations strictly to catch up on some much-needed rest. Sleep tourism, a relatively new phenomenon, involves traveling to enjoy sleeping in luxurious accommodations. Achieving quality sleep is a key element to our overall wellness. And travel typically consumes a lot more energy than we anticipate. Whether it’s the stress of flying or overbooked itineraries, it’s not uncommon for people to return home from vacation feeling like they need another one.
Sleep-focused stays are popping up in hotels and resorts across the world to encourage people to pull back from their fast-paced lifestyles. Fatigue, weak immune systems, weight gain, and anxiety are some of the many issues poor sleep can cause. Hotels are strategically incorporating sleep technology as a means of enticing potential guests with the promise of undisturbed rest. Features such as blackout curtains, temperature control rooms, and soundproofing are some of the methods hotels are utilizing. In fact, HotelPlanner, one of the top online booking agencies for individual and group travel, has reported an increase in clients looking to choose a property based on whether they will achieve the best sense of relaxation, including sleep.
With a growing variety of activities wellness travel has to offer, nearly everyone is guaranteed to find an experience that will aid and elevate their well-being. And to get started on your wellness travel journey, be sure to visit the Travel tab on HauteLiving.com to search for more than 1M hotels globally with our premiere hotel booking partner HotelPlanner.
