TRENDING: TRAVEL, WELLNESS, BUSINESS & MORE

The transformative power of wellness travel is reflected by recent statistics from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI):

The Global Wellness Institute has valued the wellness tourismsector at US$830 billion, with projections to reach US$1.4 trillion by 2027.

However……”secondarywellness travelers accounted for 88% of wellness trips and 85% of wellness tourism expenditures in 2022. Secondary wellness tourism involves trips where wellness is not the primary motivation for the trip, but where wellness affects some choices and activities because the traveler would like to maintain good health and/or their wellness lifestyle during the trip.” This is where the corporate traveler often comes in.

According toTravelport[EP1] [FD2] , “35% of business travelers say their biggest priority is having options that support well-being, productivity, and aid recovery.” 

According to Concur, ¼ of business travelers are “willing to decline a business trip due to the environmental impact or the inability to choose sustainable options.”

A 2024 GBTA Business Industry Travel Outlook Poll indicated more travel buyers “saw gains in employees making more sustainable travel choices, with one-third reporting a year-over-year increase in rail/train travel (38%) and multimodal trips (33%).”

According to the Global Business Travel Association(GBTA), “a rising share of buyers (52%, up from 44% in 2023) predict an increase in their corporate travel budgets, to support customer-facing meetings, sales initiatives, conferences, and internal collaborations.”

“The effect of poor sleep is utterly profound,” reflects bodybuilder and black belt martial artist Dr. Greg Steiner. “It can cause short term memory recall issues and reduce cognitive function because it scrambles brain waves and affects hormones.” The debut of sleep retreats by Hilton in 2024 and the rise of SleepTourism has shown how serious travelers are about getting rest andrecharged during any kind of travel. Optimizing circadian rhythms help with both jet lag and sleep cycles.

Most health- conscious travelers understand that food is medicine, but are unable to find allergy free or vegan restaurants. Do your research before you go, and familiarize yourself with apps that help identify safe places to eat. 

Take extra refills of medications, especially when flying abroad, and your doctor’s RX with you when clearing customs. Many common medications in the USA are illegalin some countries or require government authorization prior to your arrival. This not only poses a health risk, but a safety and security one as well.
  

According to Sanctifly:

26% of businesstravelers express concerns about their lack of exercise while on trips.

25% of respondents expressed a desire for exercise gear in their hotel rooms.

Surprisingly, only 10% of employers currently offer this option.

Accordingto WellHub:
·      78%believe their employers should help tend to their wellbeing

According to Gympass, 96% of employees seek employers whoprioritize wellbeing:
· 93% of global employees believe that wellbeing is equally important to salary, which is a significant increase of 10 points year-over-year.

· 87% of workers say they would consider leaving a company that does not focus on employee wellbeing, which is a 13-point increase year-over-year.

According to the latest Business Travel Outlook Poll conducted by the Global BusinessTravel Association (GBTA), post-pandemic challenges in 2024 include the risingcost of travel (66%), overall economic concerns (46%), company budgets not keeping pace (42%), travel disruptions (32%), geo-political concerns (22%) and climate impact and sustainability (19%).

Exposure to Natural Fragrances During Sleep Dramatically Boosts Cognitive Function

https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/global-wellness-institute-blog/2023/08/29/exposure-to-natural-fragrances-during-sleep-dramatically-boosts-cognitive-function/

Travelers want to feel less anxious https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/only-third-post-pandemic-business-travelers-happy-back-road-traveling-work-making-feel-stressed-exhausted-homesick-frank-harrison/

Wellness is a major driver of travel according to AMEX

Global business travel is expected to recover to its pre-pandemic total of $1.4 trillion in 2024 and grow to nearly $1.8 trillion by the end of 2027.

https://www.gbta.org/global-business-travel-industry-forecast-is-for-accelerated-rebound-spending-to-reach-1-8-trillion-by-2027/

Resorts are tapping in to the wellness tourism trend, as are hotels

Food is medicine!

We’re waking up to the fact that healthcare and wellness need each other, and consumer demands are forcing them to coexist peacefully - https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/trendium/trend-bigger-more-sophisticated-medical-wellness-destinations

This focus on scent’s powerful connection to our brains and its potential to heal, soothe and delight... - https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/trendium/aromatherapy-scent-as-medicine/

The pandemic has kicked research into how scent impacts human health–and innovations in how scent can be deployed for wellbeing–into higher gear - https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/trendium/trend-a-wave-of-scent-innovation-fueled-by-the-pandemic/

The natural essential oil market isexpected to grow at a rapid pace, reaching $13 billion in 2024 thanks,in part, to an aging population looking for natural solutions to combat what ails them as well as a growing demand for natural essential oils in beauty products.

Medical Schools Boost Teaching of Healthy Behaviors to Fight Chronic Disease - https://www.wsj.com/articles/nutrition-exercise-medical-schools-boost-teaching-of-healthy-behaviors-to-fight-chronic-disease-afb045bc

What is a neuroscent? - https://www.wundermanthompson.com/insight/neuroscents

Mindful Spas - https://www.wundermanthompson.com/insight/mindful-rehabilitation

Gen Z Is Influencing Hotels to Rethink Strategies: A Skift Deep Dive - https://skift.com/2023/03/22/gen-z-is-influencing-hotels-to-rethink-strategies-a-skift-deep-dive/