September 26, 2018 (Denver) – The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA), a Denver-based non-profit organization creating networking, educational and marketing opportunities for the wellness tourism industry, got the first meeting of its membership off to an informative start with the release of results from its first Wellness Travel Survey focused on what consumers desire from Wellness Vacations.

A total of 2,566 respondents participated in the just under eight-month long, online consumer survey. Among key findings unveiled at the WTA's inaugural Meeting of Members, September 23-24 at the historic Le Monastère des Augustine in the heart of Quebec City:
- Just under half of survey respondents (44.93%) identified a "general, overall reboot" as their main goal for a Wellness Vacation
- Half of respondents (49.22%) would be willing to spend less than $2,000 on a five-day all-inclusive (not including transportation) Wellness Vacation, while close to the same (44.86%) would be willing to spend between $2,500 and $5,000
- A vast majority (84.57%) cited "a variety of healthy food options" as a "must have" for their personal Wellness Vacation, followed closely by "accessible nature" (72.9%), "access to spa treatments" (69.91%) and "a wide range of scheduled fitness activities" (68.86%)
- Sizing up their "perfect length of stay" for a Wellness Vacation, 48.75% of respondents chose "3 to 5 nights," while 33.63% chose "7 nights"
- When asked with "whom do you/would you prefer to travel on a Wellness Vacation?", 24.43% responded "solo to meet up with the like minded," followed closely by "with a significant other" (24.28%) and "solo" (22.72%)
- As for the type of wellness they "do" or "would" prefer, nearly 8 in 10 (76.73%) selected "a self-guided program" with opportunity to pick and choose from a menu of options," versus just over 2 in 10 (23.27%) who desired "a structured program" guided by hosts and experts.
"As a journalist covering the travel industry for over 20 years, I am thrilled to kick off the inaugural WTA Meeting of Members by revealing the findings of our first survey," said Anne Dimon, President of the Wellness Tourism Association. "While the survey has confirmed things we already knew, it also revealed a few surprises. We know the results will provide much needed consumer data for both suppliers and travel advisors."
Methodology
The WTA's online survey, conducted mid-January to end of August, 2018, drew from 2,566 respondents, 95% from the U.S. and Canada. The survey included 16 questions related to demographics as well as to Wellness Vacations. Respondents were overwhelmingly female (over 92%), and varied in age from 35 to 55 (46.57%) and over 55 (43.26%), with the remainder under 35 years.
The survey took an average of 5 minutes to complete, and there was a 100% response to all questions. For the purposes of the survey, respondents were asked to provide their own definitions of a Wellness Vacation, and over 63% of respondents revealed they had been on a Wellness Vacation as they described. The remainder said they had never been on a Wellness Vacation but said they were definitely interested and wanted to know more.
The survey was promoted with the help of WTA members, and all respondents had the opportunity to win a $2,000 gift certificate redeemable on their next Wellness Vacation with any participating member. And the winner? Sharon Dickson of Ottawa, Ontario, who was selected at random and has chosen to redeem her reward at Grail Springs Retreat Centre for Well Being in Bancroft, Ontario.
For more information on the survey, please call 800-450-1443 or email admin@wellnesstourismassociation.org. For more information on the Wellness Tourism Association, please visit www.wellnesstourismassociation.org.
