What Is Wellness Tourism? | Health Tourism, Medical Tourism, Sustainable Tourism And More

Summary

In the recent video by Dr. Hayley Stainton, she dives into the burgeoning concept of wellness tourism, explaining its essence, growth, and significance. Wellness tourism focuses on travel aimed at enhancing an individual's well-being, encompassing various activities, from yoga retreats to spa experiences. The industry is outpacing traditional tourism, driven by an increasing societal emphasis on health and well-being. With a predicted market value nearing $919 billion, wellness tourism not only benefits individual health but boosts local economies and preserves cultural traditions. Dr. Stainton explores popular destinations like Iceland, Thailand, and India, showcasing the breadth of experiences available to both primary and secondary wellness tourists, emphasizing the sector's robust expansion and its positive impacts globally.

Highlights

• Wellness tourism is a booming sector focused on improving physical and mental health through travel 🌟
• From 2015 to 2017, the wellness tourism market grew at nearly double the rate of overall tourism 🚀
• Primary wellness tourists spend 178% more domestically and 53% more internationally 💵
• Popular destinations include Iceland's geothermal pools and Thailand's spiritual retreats 🏞️
• Wellness tourism boosts local economies and provides specialized employment opportunities 🌱

Key Takeaways

• Wellness tourism enhances both physical and mental well-being, making travel more fulfilling 🌍
• The industry is growing rapidly, expected to hit $919 billion soon 📈
• Primary wellness tourists dedicate entire trips to well-being, spending significantly more 💸
• Destinations like Iceland, Thailand, and India offer rich experiences for wellness travelers 🌎
• Wellness tourism supports local economies and cultural preservation 🌿

Overview

Wellness tourism is more than just a travel trend—it's a dynamic industry focused on enhancing both physical and mental health through travel. In her video, Dr. Hayley Stainton elaborates on wellness tourism, explaining its dramatic growth and the increasing demand for health-centered travel experiences. Whether through meditation retreats or spa holidays, people are gravitating towards vacations that promise rejuvenation and relaxation.

The wellness tourism sector is growing at an impressive clip, outpacing traditional tourism growth rates. Dr. Stainton highlights how this trend is spurred by a societal shift towards prioritizing well-being. As people become more health-conscious, wellness tourism is becoming an attractive option, offering unique experiences tailored to enhance well-being. This broad category includes everything from yoga in India to hot springs in Iceland, drawing wellness tourists worldwide.

Popular destinations like Thailand, with its serene yoga retreats, and Costa Rica, known for its eco-friendly wellness activities, illustrate the diversity of experiences in wellness tourism. Dr. Stainton notes that this industry's growth benefits not only the individual travelers seeking health improvements but also the local economies and cultures where these experiences take place. As a result, wellness tourism is set to continue its upward trajectory, appealing to a wide array of travelers.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Wellness Tourism The chapter introduces the concept of wellness tourism, highlighting its rising popularity. Dr. Haley Stanton, the speaker in the video, aims to educate viewers on travel, specifically focusing on the wellness tourism industry. The chapter sets the stage for discussing destinations and the benefits of engaging in wellness tourism, encouraging viewers to stay engaged throughout the video.
• 00:30 - 01:00: What is Wellness Tourism? Wellness tourism is focused on travel that aims to maintain or improve an individual's well-being, which includes physical and mental aspects. It encompasses various types of wellness activities such as spiritual, physical, or psychological. The primary goal is to promote health and wellness in some form. The wellness tourism industry has been gaining popularity in recent years due to several factors, prompting a shift in travel preferences towards wellness-oriented experiences.
• 01:00 - 02:30: Growth and Impact of Wellness Tourism The wellness tourism market witnessed significant growth between 2015 to 2017, rising from 563 billion USD to 639 billion USD, indicating a growth rate of 6.5% per annum. This rate is double that of the overall tourism sector, according to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). Moreover, the market is anticipated to reach 919 billion USD in the near future.
• 02:30 - 04:30: Importance and Benefits of Wellness Tourism The chapter 'Importance and Benefits of Wellness Tourism' discusses how wellness tourism constitutes approximately 18% of global tourism. It categorizes wellness tourists into primary and secondary travelers. Statistically, primary wellness tourists spend significantly more than the average tourist, with spending being 178% higher domestically and 53% higher internationally. Several factors contribute to the rapid growth of wellness tourism.
• 04:30 - 07:00: Types of Wellness Tourism The chapter discusses the shift from traditional sun, sea, and sand package holidays to alternative types of tourism, with a focus on the growing trend of wellness tourism. It highlights society's increasing awareness and emphasis on well-being, noting that people are more health-conscious than ever before, which influences their holiday choices. The chapter underscores the significance of this change, indicating that wellness tourism is an important and growing industry.
• 07:00 - 17:30: Top Wellness Tourism Destinations The chapter explores the growing trend of wellness tourism and its importance. It highlights how wellness tourism improves well-being by encouraging healthy eating and providing a space for healing. The chapter discusses the various reasons individuals might choose wellness-focused holidays and the broader societal benefits, such as a healthier and less stressed population.

What Is Wellness Tourism? | Health Tourism, Medical Tourism, Sustainable Tourism And More Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 there's a new concept that lots of people have been talking about lately and it's known as wellness tourism so i thought today i would make a quick video to tell you all about this wellness tourism business this industry and where can we go for wellness tourism and why is it so good so stay tuned right till the end of this video to learn more if you're new here my name is dr haley stanton and i'm here to teach you all things travel and so let's start off by answering the big question
• 00:30 - 01:00 what is it what is wellness tourism wellness tourism is all about travel that is focused on maintaining or improving someone's well-being this may be physical or mental there are different types of wellness activities may be spiritual physical or psychological but they will all promote health and wellness in some way or another so this industry has been growing in popularity in recent years but why what's changed wellness tourism
• 01:00 - 01:30 is growing exponentially from 2015 to 2017 the wellness tourism market grew from 563 billion us dollars to 639 billion which is around a growth rate of 6.5 percent per year this is actually double the growth of tourism overall according to the gwi and they predict that this market will soon reach a huge 919 billion us dollars and it will
• 01:30 - 02:00 represent around 18 of tourism globally wellness tourists can be split into two categories primary and secondary statistically primary wellness tourists spend 178 percent more money than your average tourist does when they travel domestically and 53 more when they travel internationally there are a number of reasons why wellness tourism is growing so fast
• 02:00 - 02:30 first there is the general move away from the typical sun sea and sand package holiday model that has been the focus of travel for many people throughout the years towards a more alternative type of tourism alongside this there's an increased awareness and importance that has been placed upon well-being in general throughout society people are more health-conscious than they have ever been before and this is reflected in tourists holiday choices and it's actually a really important industry too
• 02:30 - 03:00 let's find out why wellness tourism is going from strength to strength but why is it so important the number one reason of course is that it improves people's well-being whether this is by teaching them to eat healthily or giving them space to heal from a particular trauma there are many reasons why somebody would want to go on a wellness focused holiday by offering space for self-improvement we end up with a healthier population overall people who are less stressed fitter more
• 03:00 - 03:30 knowledgeable about their nutrition all of this is very important for society wellness tourism is also helping to preserve cultural traditions in certain parts of the world it also means natives can introduce these practices to others this ensures that people are always learning about and taking an interest in different cultures as mentioned above there is a lot of money in wellness tourism this means it can boost the local economies of an area where it takes place even down to corner shops or taxi firms
• 03:30 - 04:00 in that area and also wellness tourism generates employment yoga retreats need yoga teachers fancy spas need masseuses the jobs involved in wellness tourism are often highly skilled and very particular jobs too with retreats opening up in more remote places it makes the area more attractive to young professionals this in turn can boost the economy even further so you're getting the gist that wellness tourism is all about helping us to have better well-being
• 04:00 - 04:30 but exactly how do we do that what are the different types of well-being tourism well as i mentioned before there are two major types primary and secondary primary wellness tourism is when someone's whole trip is focused around wellness it's their main reason for travel and it's a major component of their trip every aspect of their holiday is tailored to wellness and secondary wellness tourism is when general
• 04:30 - 05:00 tourists incorporate some aspects of wellness think a massage on the beach during your trip to mexico into their holiday and there seems to be a bit of confusion about medical tourism so you may have seen my video that i did before and if you haven't i'll link to it at the end but a lot of people get confused as to is medical tourism and wellness tourism the same thing well there are some overlaps between medical and wellness tourism but they're actually not the same thing
• 05:00 - 05:30 whilst some for example the global wellness institute argue that medical tourism and wellness tourism are two totally different forms of tourism others suggest that actually wellness tourism is an example of a macro form of niche tourism and medical tourism is a micro niche within that this is actually supported by a literature analysis that was undertaken by smith and kelly in 2006 where they emphasized the various dimensions of wellness tourism one of
• 05:30 - 06:00 which is the medical tourism industry so what are these dimensions of wellness tourism then the dimensions of wellness tourism include medical or cosmetic such as hospital visits and clinic appointments corporeal or physical such as spas massage yoga escapism and relaxation which can include visits to the beach the spa the mountains hedonistic and experiential
• 06:00 - 06:30 such as festival spaces existential and psychological such as holistic centers that are focused on self development and philosophical contemplation spiritual such as pilgrimage tourism new age events yoga retreats and community oriented such as volunteer tourism and charity ventures so let's focus in a little bit more and talk about how we can go on a wellness
• 06:30 - 07:00 tourism holiday and exactly what would we be doing during that holiday potentially well there are many activities that make up wellness tourism some of the popular ones include spa breaks yoga retreats meditation retreats writing retreats and healthy eating breaks hey so i'm really liking the sound of this wellness tourism i think i need to
• 07:00 - 07:30 go for a spa holiday that sounds right on point so if i want to go on one of these holidays where can i go let's look at some examples before we finish off this video of the most popular wellness tourism destinations around the world iceland iceland is a beautiful destination and one that also has a lot of wellness tourism activities on offer take a dip in a geothermal pool for example
• 07:30 - 08:00 there are plenty of hot springs to relax in taking in the stunning scenery around you or you can head to the myvaton nature baths in the north where the water is very unique it's alkaline with a huge amount of minerals meaning it's well suited for bathing the trace elements in the water are meant to have a great effect on the development of any skin problems from infinity pools to skiing to mountain hiking there are many wellness activities available across iceland this is a location suited to
• 08:00 - 08:30 both primary wellness tourism as well as secondary incorporating a blue lagoon dip into your road trip for example thailand thailand is another popular location for wellness tourism both primary and secondary a thai massage is an ideal addition to any trip to the city and perfect for helping you wind down or loosen up during a busy backpacking trip for example with 93 percent of the thai population practicing buddhism
• 08:30 - 09:00 a peaceful religion with so many links to meditation it's no wonder that thailand is home to so many beautiful wellness retreats from beaches to temples there are locations right across the country providing the perfect base for wellness tourism india india is a very spiritual country so it goes hand in hand with wellness tourism the government is keen to position india as a hub for ayurveda yoga siddha
• 09:00 - 09:30 naturopathy and so on together with the spiritual philosophy that has been integral to the indian way of life there are various yoga and meditation retreats available in varna at the foot of the himalayas sukiya the caroline countryside and many other parts of the country too india is perfect for primary wellness tourism hawaii wellness tourism in hawaii is also very prominent and is well suited to couples
• 09:30 - 10:00 this beautifully sunny location a real paradise is so romantic the climate and therapeutic salt water combined with traditional omilami massage and pohaku or hot stones makes for the perfect spa location choose from facials done with local flowers or coffee scrubs to rejuvenate the skin relax on the beach between treatments listening to the waves lap up against the shore enjoy the glorious sunshine
• 10:00 - 10:30 and breathtaking scenery well wellness in hawaii is a big deal and ideal for primary wellness tourists costa rica costa rica is another location where primary and secondary wellness tourism is common there's so much to do in costa rica and adding in a massage or world-class yoga session is the perfect way to ensure that endless hiking surfing and exploring doesn't tire you out too much but it's also somewhere with many
• 10:30 - 11:00 wellness retreats with the whole country focusing on being eco-friendly coupled with the stunning scenery across the nation it's no surprise that this slow-paced destination offers so many wellness opportunities retreats for medicine walks qigong naturopathy reiki coffee scrubs digital detoxes and so much more so i don't know about you but i really feel like i'd like to go for a massage now after talking about all that
• 11:00 - 11:30 wellness stuff wellness tourism is big and it's growing it's growing pretty quickly so if you are interested to learn a bit more about other tourism types that are growing quickly too i've put some videos here and i'm sure you will find them very interesting [Music]