Global Wellness Institute makes its contribution to wellness policy in tourism

05-04-24

The Global Wellness Institute has launched the Wellness in Tourism Policy Toolkit. This free resource addresses the lack of understanding about wellness tourism and highlights six key barriers that limit its overall health and wellness benefits.

The goal of the kit is to offer policy ideas that can improve the tourism experience, increase the success of the sector and contribute to the well-being of local residents and destinations visited. It focuses on integrating wellness into all facets of tourism, seeking answers to questions such as how wellness can enhance the tourism experience and how tourism can contribute to the wellbeing of travelers and local communities.

The toolkit is designed to be used by a wide range of stakeholders interested in policies that incorporate wellbeing into tourism, local development and place-making. The strategies presented range from wellness tourism to sustainable tourism, wellness equity, quality of life, and preservation of cultural and environmental heritage.

The concept of wellness tourism is often reduced to luxury resorts and spas in the way it is currently marketed. However, wellness tourism also includes travel where wellness is not the primary objective, but influences travel decisions, such as business or leisure travel seeking healthy choices in accommodation, food and activities.

According to GWI, the majority of wellness tourism spending is on experiences beyond luxury resorts and spas, including alternative accommodations, healthy eating, shopping, entertainment and sightseeing. This broader focus on wellness during travel is being increasingly valued by consumers, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, where interest in aspects such as mental health, exercise, healthy eating, connection to nature and cultural authenticity has increased significantly.

In response to this trend, all tourism stakeholders must adapt their understanding of wellness tourism to include both trips where wellness is the primary objective and those where it influences travel decisions, thus contributing to the local wellness economy.