Skift Forum Asia Video: Quantum Leadership as the Catalyst and Enabler for Transformational Wellness

The first-ever Skift Forum Asia, held on May 27 at the Equarius Hotel in Singapore, gathered nearly two dozen of the travel industry’s top thinkers and thought leaders for a day-long discussion of the trends shaping the sector.

“I’m the new guy on the block in wellness travel,” said Fred Tsao, founder, Octave Institute, at the top of his afternoon discussion about his new company, which is dedicated to wellness retreats and professional development, focused around his idea of Quantum Leadership.

While wellness travel is a surging sector that’s attracting major investment, Tsao said he still sees plenty of opportunity to do something unique. “The wellness business needs a new paradigm,” he said. “To me, wellness is alignment. Aligning external and internal realities. You cannot be well unless your family is well, your business is well, your community, your society, your environment. You cannot be well unless all is well — and that’s a challenge,” Tsao said.

Recounting his own experiences going to other wellness retreats over the past couple decades, Tsao joked about leaving a well-known spa after a four-day stay and “devouring a reasonably big pizza.” His vision for Octave is to reshape wellness as a category, moving away from diets and other temporary fixes and encouraging guests to truly know themselves and focus on what matters.

“All we have is life — not more, not less,” Tsao said, which is why he’s looking to help guests and business executives “engage” with that fact both during their visits to Octave facilities and well after.

Watch the video above for Tsao’s complete discussion of the wellness trends shaping the global travel industry and more from the Skift Forum Asia.