Not so long ago, the hospitality industry was the one setting travel trends. The hotels and their offer defined what guests will do, while every country highlighted its greatest landmarks. But now, this situation has drastically changed. People are well-informed and know what they want to experience in their travels. So very quickly, travelers became the ones dictating the direction hospitality market will take and now the offer is richer than ever.
Wellness travel trends have singled out as the ultimate experience offering an escape from the chaotic technological society. It is a perfect way to recharge and get in contact with nature and inner-self, as well as to build stronger social bonds. These trends not only reshaped travelling but also influenced hospitality and brought the evolution of tourism.
Age of transformative traveling
Transformative traveling is not new, but it gained a special place in hospitality business thanks to books like Eat Pray Love. This trend offers an opportunity to gain a new perspective on life and self-reflection with life-changing results. It’s all about being dedicated to personal growth and rediscovery through inspiration from other cultures and traditions.
For example, India is a wonderful place to start a spiritual journey since it offers many yoga studios and meditation techniques. Transformative travel also includes volunteer work all over the world, from helping endangered wildlife to preserving the environment, like in Nicaragua and El Salvador. There are also destinations where visitors can escape the world and reset like Isola Santa Cristina in Italy. This luxurious destination puts guests in the middle of nature with workshops, group and solo activities intended to boost personal development.
Increased interest in a healthy diet
People now pay more attention to what they are eating and what type of ingredients hotels used in their kitchens. This inspired hospitality industry to concentrate more on organic products and healthy meal preparations. Also, it became more aware of updating its offer to accommodate vegetarians and vegans among the guests.
The growing number of vegans, actually, is one of the main reasons fresh and quality food is widely available in hotels now. Travelers want to enjoy unique and rare cuisine to gain an authentic experience and hospitality industry needs to adopt this trend full-heartedly. That means that hotels and resorts should source locally produced food and prepare meals in traditional ways to impress their guests.
Traveling solo
Solo traveling used to be frowned upon not so long ago, but now it’s one of the ultimate wellness travel trends. This practice showed higher numbers in female travelers who go on three to four-night retreats preferably somewhere away from civilization. For people traveling solo, it’s all being focused on self-healing and gaining much-needed alone-time.
One of the most favorite destinations for solo travelers is to resorts. They offer full service so a person can completely focus on themselves, while at the same time they can choose from a wide array of activities. The Himalayas in Nepal and Tromso in Norway are remote enough to feel hidden from the world, but full of local wonders and adventures.
Accent on mental health
Stress is one of the main problems of the modern world and people seek various ways to deal with it. Wellness travel trends are all about eliminating stress and allowing people to find a healthy balance in their lives. This placed the special accent on mental health with hospitality industry raising its offer of destinations offering serenity and mindfulness.
There are many resorts all over the world focused on this approach through fitness, meditation, healthy food and therapy. This is why yoga retreats like the Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Thailand are very popular and constantly booked. Guests are aware that mental health depends not only on spiritual healing but also on physical activity.
Active holiday as a wellness travel trend
Sunbathing on a beach is still a great way to recharge the batteries, only now that is not the only thing you can do at coastal destinations. Hiking is not reserved for mountainous regions anymore and you will find a lot of tourists coming to explore rainforests of Bali or Australian bushland. It’s all about getting to know natural beauties like lush landscapes and incredible wildlife.
Tasmanian holiday packages offer wine tasting and riding on iconic railways, while glamping is the newest way to combine luxury and nature. And so, you can spend a night in Antarctica at Whichaway Camp believed to be the most remote glamping destination and also the coldest one. Demand for more activities encouraged hotels to offer guided tours and map the area better for their guests. Almost every accommodation now describes what kind of activities you can do in the area and that offer can highly affect bookings.
Rise of the conscious travel
Conscious travelers are persons who care strongly about the environment, human rights and other social issues. They decide where to travel based on these principles and will not go to destinations which break these social ideals. Safety is one of the primary concerns for these travelers no matter of sexual orientation, ethnicity, and gender. For example, with female empowerment being stronger than ever and serving as inspiration for traveling, the hospitality industry is starting to address these issues with great attention.
Now, there are retreats dedicated to fertility and those who help women overcome divorce or breakup like Orchid City and Spa in the UK. With social interests guiding guests to choose their travel destinations, hotels and resorts need to update both their policies and programs. There are also platforms like Destination Pride which collect data and provide information to travelers on how certain destinations rank regarding the LGBTQ+ rights.
Final thoughts
These wellness travel trends are here to stay and they influence the hospitality industry to constantly improve and update its offer. From activities to policies, modern traveler cares what the destination offers and how it treats their guests. After all, wellness is all about finding peace and tranquility so anything that can disrupt that can cost hotels, resorts and retreats both profits and reputation.
