Luxury

We’re more connected than ever thanks to technology — but at the same time, it often feels like this connection hasn’t really amounted to much. Perhaps this ongoing search for connection — with nature, our communities, and ourselves — is what’s driving the rapid growth of wellness travel and tourism.

The massive growth of the global wellness tourism market How wellness tourism activities are blending the best of Eastern and Western cultures The wellness orientation of China and Southeast Asia…

If Alphabet does indeed buy Fitbit, it'll be great news for the tracking brand. To keep in step with Apple Watch, though, Fitbit will have to ramp up its innovation. Needless to say, Alphabet has its work cut out for it.

Wellness has long been an important part of the travel experience, but it has just recently exploded as a full-fledged trend. Travel industry stakeholders looking to attract wellness-minded consumers need to understand what wellness tourism means today in order to successfully find a place within it.

Luxury short-term rentals sit at the intersection of old-world hospitality, expert-led curation, and innovative new-world tech, but they'll need unique models to stand apart in the rapidly growing alternative accommodations sector.

Giant companies see the benefits of investing in wellness — and have enough money to take chances. But the wellness landscape, as we all know, is littered with fads gone bust.

When it comes to keeping up with the Joneses, luxury travel brands are falling behind. The value of brands from fashion, automotive, and financial services sectors is far stronger than those from hospitality and travel.

Within the travel industry, brands like Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons loom large. But according to a just-released study of brand valuation, in the real world, hospitality brand names don't carry as much weight as their high-end counterparts in other industry sectors. To address this, companies like Marriott and Hilton are focusing on establishing ironclad loyalty offerings.

Independent hotels are well-positioned to capitalize on a growing consumer appetite for experiential destinations and one-of-a-kind moments. Enduring soft brands like Preferred Hotels & Resorts are now taking advantage of this shift by tapping their 50-plus years of experience delivering for consumers while boosting revenues and lowering costs for hotel owners.

It will likely take years for the wellness industry to really fix its diversity problem. But the process could speed up if more people start to speak out about it.