Downtown Miami is set to welcome the world’s first Blue Zones health and wellbeing centre, dedicated to helping people live better, longer lives. The 120,000sq ft facility is a product of a joint venture called Blue Legacy Ventures (JV), signed between mixed-use development Legacy Hotel & Residences and faith-based nonprofit integrated health system Adventist Health. Adventist Health acquired Blue Zones as a subsidiary in 2020. Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live longer, better. The company’s work is rooted in explorations and research done by National Geographic fellow Dan
The upcoming centre will harness AI technology
activity and happiness and Buettner, who identified lowered healthcare costs. the ‘blue zones regions’ The estimated around the world US$100m (€84.6m, where people live £72.8m) Blue Zones extraordinarily long Centre will offer the and happy lives. following services: Blue Zones applies Dan Buettner diagnostic, surgical, this research to transform medical, spa, fitness, populations by empowering lifestyle medicine and wellbeing people to live longer, healthier, happier improvement programming. lives, resulting in double-digit drops in obesity and smoking rates, increases in More: http://lei.sr/H1h1b
Italy’s thermal spa sectors generates €1.5bn annually
is home to 320 thermal spas which generate over €1.5bn (£1.3bn, US$1.8bn) annually and employ 60,000 employees. Federterme said the industry had experienced a 70 per cent drop in demand for thermal spas due to the pandemic. Citizens can take advantage of one voucher each to pay for or discount a thermal spa service
of their choice from a list of accredited establishments on the government’s website. Interestingly, Italy is not the first country to roll out this kind of initiative. Last summer, the Czech Republic was injected with a package worth CZK 1bn (€38.3mn, £34.5mn, US$45.3) to help stimulate its historic health tourism industry. More: http://lei.sr/X1C1o
photo: Massage Heights/CG Funk
Shutterstock/goodluz
Italian Government rolls out thermal spa vouchers Adults living in Italy can cash in on a €200 (£170, US$235) spa voucher thanks to the Italian Government’s recent €53m (£44.9m, US$62.2m) stimulus package to help the country’s thermal wellness industry recover following the pandemic. In April, Federterme – the Italian Federation of Industries Spas and Hot Springs Healing – attended a government hearing to put forward the industry’s urgent case for economic support. It explained that Italy
photos: B;LUE ZONES CENTRE
Miami to become home to world’s first Blue Zones Centre to help people live better for longer
CG Funk joins Massage Heights’ executive team Massage Heights has appointed industry veteran, CG Funk, to its leadership team. Funk, who has 25 years’ experience in the spa, beauty and franchise industries, has been named senior vice president of culture and industry relations. Prior to joining Massage Heights, she operated a boutique spa consulting business, working with companies in the wellness, spa and beauty sectors. She also had a 10-year stint as VP of industry relations and product development for Massage Envy Franchising, where she played a key role in three brand acquisition sales. More: http://lei.sr/W9o4T
24 spabusiness.com issue 3 2021
