Global Wellness Institute launches Wellness in Tourism Policy Toolkit

Many businesses, governments, communities and travelers have a limited understanding of wellness tourism. Non-profit organisation, GWI, has launched a free toolkit that identifies six key barriers that currently prevent wellness tourism from delivering wider health and well-being benefits.

It also presents policy ideas that help everyone get the most from tourism: improving the quality of the place for tourists, making tourism more successful, and improving the well-being of local residents and the destination.

Wellbeing Policy Toolkit

Wellness in tourism introduces a new paradigm that expands the focus of wellness tourism to wellness in tourism. Thus, the toolkit does not mimic wellness tourism strategies that attempt to develop luxury spa resorts and attract high-spending tourists. Rather, the goal is to unite the concepts of wellness and tourism in the broadest possible sense: How can wellness support tourism? And how can tourism support the well-being of travellers, destinations and local residents?

Who should use the Physical Activity Toolkit?

This toolkit is designed to help anyone interested in policy approaches that comprehensively integrate tourism, placemaking and well-being into local development. The policy strategies presented include wellness tourism, sustainable and responsible tourism, equitable well-being, quality of life, place-making and place-keeping. As such, they can be applied by those working in hospitality and tourism companies, tourism promotion, destination management, economic development; those who represent the well-being of workers and the community; and those who advocate the protection of cultural heritage and the environment.

Many businesses, governments, communities and travelers have limited understanding of wellness tourism.

The way wellness tourism is currently portrayed and marketed by tourism businesses and promotion organizations often conveys a very narrow view of it. When potential travelers search for a destination as well as “wellness travel” or “wellness”, they will mostly find luxury coastal resorts, spas, and sometimes yoga and meditation retreats. Similarly, when the travel industry and destinations want to attract wellness travelers, they often highlight their “top ten wellness retreats”, spa resorts, or other specific types of properties. In fact, these experiences fit the ideas of the GWI.

The definition of primary welfare travel is: where welfare is the primary goal and motivation of the travel. However, this is not the only form of wellness tourism. Secondary wellness trips are less understood, where wellness may not be the primary goal of the trip, but the traveler’s wellness values ​​and lifestyle shape decisions throughout the trip. Examples of secondary wellness travelers include business or leisure travelers who actively seek healthy accommodations, food, and exercise.

Option while traveling for work or visiting friends/family

According to GWI estimates, secondary wellness travel was responsible for 88% of all wellness travel and 85% of wellness tourism spending in 2022. Of the $651 billion in wellness tourism spending in 2022, only a few were spent on luxury resorts and spa treatments. In fact, a large portion of these expenses are spent on other types of accommodations, dining, shopping, entertainment, and excursions that are not considered part of the wellness industry. Market research since the COVID-19 pandemic points to consumers’ growing interest in health and wellness across all types of travel, including mental wellness, sleep, exercise, healthy eating, nature, wonder, and authentic interactions with local culture. There has been a more deliberate focus on. , And community. As consumers are filtering all of their travel decisions and spending through a wellness lens, all tourism stakeholders – travel businesses, service providers and policy makers – must change their understanding of tourism. Well-being reflects a comprehensive approach that encompasses both primary and secondary living beings. Travel, along with the local welfare economy.

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