6 minute read
The Zen and Venn of Wellness Tourism
BY TODD WYNNE-PARRY
The concept of wellness has been a part of the human experience since the dawn of civilization. There have been Roman baths discovered to be in existence in Rome since as early as 33 BC. The ruins of elaborate Roman baths of later years can still found all over what was the Holy Roman Empire.
In Japan, hot spring communal and private baths have been around since Buddhism brought the concept of ritual cleansing to their culture centuries ago. The Japanese Zen mindset has always had a relationship with nature, its slower rhythms in which it moves and the human well-being. India too has long embraced and even developed the practice of Yoga and Hindu ashrams to connect the soul, the body and the elements.
Pool
Green Rock Retreat
In North America, the benefits to well-being or relief of certain ailments in natural settings around the country have been a demand driver since the early days of the country. The Catskills, Mackinac Island, Sedona, and Glenwood Springs are great examples of destinations where the air, water and forests were touted as cures for the numerous ailments associated with 19th and 20th century urban life.
Today, and even before the recent pandemic, the growth in participation in wellness activities and the development of wellness retreats has been remarkable. In fact, according to the Global Wellness Tourism Market Report 2022, the wellness tourism market is currently an $801 billion industry and is expected to grow at 8.2% annually for the next four years. This catalyst is now creating an expanding Venn diagram overlap between wellness travel demand and outdoor hospitality demand.
The result of this growing overlap has been the emergence of both glamping brands and properties committed to the concept of wellness.
Temzcal Heat Room
Naviva Four Seasons Resort
For instance, the Getaway House brand was founded on the principle that spending time in nature is critical to one’s well-being. To enable the behavior of getting away to nature, Getaway’s properties are located within a short two-hour drive from urban centers. In addition, the brand’s loyalty club rewards guests with a free night for every seven stays.
The Collective Retreats brand also considers its properties to be restorative for their guests and promote several wellness experiences to facilitate that result. Morning yoga, sound meditation and other more active experiences like bike riding, hiking and fly-fishing round out their brands wellness offerings.
Massage Room
Naviva Four Seasons Resort
The Naviva luxury tented resort located adjacent to the Four Seasons Punta Mita, Mexico recently opened with an all-inclusive approach to a wellness retreat. This property offers guests an immersive nature experience that includes spa treatments, traditional Mexican temezcal ceremonies, shamanic sound healing treatments and other communal programs. To further accentuate its relationship with nature, each of the 15 tents in this development utilize a biophilic design ethos with indoor and outdoor living areas.
Mendecina Grove Bocce Ball
Michele Yuen
Four Seasons is not the only major luxury brand to embrace this trend. Auberge Resorts Collection recently opened the Wildflower Farms property in the Hudson Valley, NY. This 65-cabin property promotes its wellness program with a state-ofthe-art spa as well as wellness classes, meditation journeys and a full fitness facility. Included in most of these brands and properties are organic F&B options and a commitment to sustainable operational practices.
Luckily, smaller independent operators, or brands that work at lower price-points, can provide wellness program elements at very little cost. For instance, a big contributor to guests’ wellness can simply be a digital detox. Therefore, limiting cell or Wi-Fi access in certain areas or setting up mobile free zones can gently encourage guests to disconnect from the meta universe and focus on the natural world.
Buddha
Green Rock Retreat
There are also low cost physical amenities that can be added to the property that will promote a self-guided wellness experience. Yoga decks placed in serene locations, perimeter walking/hiking/trails, bocce courts, quiet meditation zones and outdoor massage tables can all add to your property’s wellness offering. In addition, cooperating with local organic F&B operators or farm-to-table suppliers can give guests healthy eating habit options. One of the least emphasized wellness aspects is the importance of quality restorative sleep.
Therefore, looking holistically at your property’s sleep offering can significantly improve the guest experience and add to their desire to return. Quality bedding, ear plugs, rest enhancing teas, blindfolds, white or pink noise sound machines, lavender spray and black-out curtains can all assist in your guests sleep experience.
The commitment of owners and operators to create and run properties that accommodate our innate need to commune with nature is at its core an effort to enhance guests’ wellness. While providing the location and accommodation for this purpose is honorable, with a few additions to the property’s facilities and programming, the guest experience can be elevated and hopefully create repeat guests and a word-of-mouth sales force. Additionally, the generational shift towards health and well-being is not a fad, but a trend that shows no signs of slowing. Therefore, adjustment or capital improvements that increase your property’s wellness profile should continue to pay dividends in guest satisfaction for years to come.
About Todd G. Wynne-Parry
A seasoned leader in the hospitality industry, Todd has over 30 years of hotel development experience, having held senior leadership positions at several major hotel brands and most recently AutoCamp and Two Roads Hospitality. A dual-citizen of the US and Australia, Wynne-Parry has lived and worked in the U.S., Asia, Australia and the United Kingdom. He was instrumental in the development efforts for IHG, Starwood and Marriott in the Asia Pacific region and for Two Roads Hospitality globally. He began his career as a hotel consultant in the San Diego office of Laventhol & Horwath, the predecessor to Horwath HTL. He is now Managing Director of Horwath HTL and leads the Outdoor Hospitality practice for North America. Horwath HTL is the largest independent hospitality consultancy with 52 offices worldwide.
Todd Wynne-Parry
Todd earned an MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management and sits on the advisory council of the American Glamping Association. In his spare time, Todd enjoys fly fishing and exploring the western US in his 1953 Airstream.
