The Top Wellness Travel Trends For 2014

Skift Take
Health and wellness is increasingly being incorporated into the mainstream ecosystem of the travel industry, and larger trends are driving that.
Health and wellness travel is taking off in a big way, and moving beyond its niche and being incorporated into larger overall travel ecosystem, especially in the hospitality industry. How will the sector evolve over the next year and beyond? Wellness Tourism Worldwide, a wellness travel research and promotion business, has come out with its attempt at the top trends in wellness travel, some of which are smart and practical, others a bit too esoteric to be a tangible trend.
- Mind Matters: Consumers have caught on to mindful vacations that offer mental restoration through meditation, yoga, qi going and journaling.
- The Rise of Wellness Travel Agents: Wellness tourism has created a new niche for travel agents to grow or expand their business.
- La Local Vita: Consumers have developed a deeper appreciation for locally relevant and authentic experiences with an emphasis on living “la local vita” (the local life), true also of larger trends in travel.
- Breaking Bread With Wellness: Food tourism is a big trend intersecting with wellness travel: food tours, cooking classes, agriculture and farm-to-table experiences.
- Vacation RX: Physicians are now prescribing vacations as an antidote from stress. Doctor’s orders for physical activity in parks are also being written to help combat obesity and diabetes in children.
- Slow Travel: Slow travel advocates changing the pace in order to sip, savor and revel in the vacation experience.
- Affluent & Altruistic: Affluent travelers value experiences connecting them to charitable causes and local communities. Volunteering on vacation has become increasingly popular.
- Burgeoning Secondary Wellness Market: There is a large segment of travelers who may not opt for wellness retreats or tours but are committed to maintaining their healthy lifestyle on the road. Air transit and hotels are investing resources to attract these guests that are both business and leisure travelers.
- Spas on a Mission: Eager to shake the image of pampering for the affluent, spas are repacking and rebranding as wellness providers to attract a larger market.
Up Next
Experiences
How Travel Brands Can Seize the ‘Q5’ Opportunity on TikTok
Driven by increased spending on experiences and the digital habits of younger audiences, TikTok has emerged as a key platform for inspiring and shaping travel decisions. Leveraging the platform’s reach early in the year presents a unique opportunity for travel brands to connect with eager travelers.
Sponsored Hotels
Dusit Hotels Halted India Operations in 2016. Now It's Back with New Brands and 10 Deals
Dusit Hotels and Resort spent its time away from India to realign its hospitality ethos with its brand portfolio. Now, it is counting on its "old school hospitality" mantra to stand out in India.
Podcasts
Travel's New Outlook, Airlines' Uncertainty and Net Zero Struggles
On today’s episode, we look at how travel stocks responded to new U.S. tariffs, how airline stocks are faring globally, and why European government leaders are failing the aviation industry.
Tourism
Travel Stock Carnage and Our New – Lower – Forecasts
Travel is more important than ever to household budgets, but it is not recession proof. As a result, Skift Research is revising down its outlook for global travel.
Airlines
U.S. Tariffs Cloud Airline Industry Outlook as Stocks Plummet
The global nature of the airline industry means companies near and far will be impacted by Wednesday’s announcement.