What is Wellness Travel?
There are many ways to boost your health and wellness in your day to day life. However, more and more people choose to elevate their wellness during their vacation. Enter wellness travel, or wellness tourism. The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness tourism as travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing. It is not to be confused with medical travel, which involves traveling to another place to receive surgery or other medical treatment.
Primary and secondary wellness travel
Wellness travel can look different for different types of travelers. Some base their whole trip on wellness, while others choose to maintain wellness while traveling or participates in wellness experiences no matter what kind of trip they’re on. The first type is known as primary wellness travelers, and trips associated with this kind of traveler are for example yoga retreats, meditation retreats and plant medicine retreats. The second type is known as secondary wellness travelers, and example of this type include a massage in between work meetings, and taking a yoga class during a family vacation. Primary and secondary wellness travel can be done by the same person on different trips.
Benefits and purposes of wellness travel
Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact benefits of wellness travel, we can explore some of the benefits and purposes wellness travel can bring:
improve physical health. Wellness travel offer many opportunities to work on your physical health, whether it´s a yoga class or sessions with a PT.
improve mental health. Just like your physical health will get a boost, your mental health can be improved by participating in meditation sessions, spending time in nature, and by simply just disconnecting from life.
gratitude. Withdrawing yourself from the stress and distractions of everyday life gives you the space to shift your focus to the smaller things and help you realize all that you have in your life.
community. Retreats are a great way to meet other like-minded people.
provide lasting stress relief. Starting new habits while on a retreat can be brought back home and help reduce stress even after your vacation has ended. For example, meditation can be easily implemented at home.
find purpose. Some people choose wellness travel to help them find their true purpose. This can be achieved through learning a new skill, or being exposed to another culture.
experience more joy. A vacation is to enjoy yourself, and wellness travel is no different. If you´re not having fun, then what´s the point anyway?
Wellness travel around the world
There are so many different wellness destinations, each bringing something special and different. Think of urban hotels & spas in New York, hammams in Morocco, surf retreats in Portugal, silent meditation retreats in India and bootcamps in the UK. Unique and authentic experiences can be created around indigenous healing practices and ancient traditions, around local ingredients and culinary traditions, and around local history and culture. With each destination being different, there is always something unique to offer wellness travelers.
Are you ready to explore wellness travel? Send us an email at hello@thewellnesstrip.co for more information.