The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has introduced definitions and begun setting industry standards for what makes a wellness tourism destination.

by Anne Dimon

We all acknowledge that the word “wellness” means different things to different people. Ask 10 people what “wellness” means to them and you are likely to get 10 different answers.

Year after year, surveys from the Global Wellness Institute tell us wellness is the fastest growing division of the global tourism industry. As more consumers look to work elements of wellness into their travels, or plan vacation time with a specific focus on wellness, we are seeing an increasing number of hotels and resorts looking to get a share of the market by introducing wellness-focused amenities, programs and even multi-day guided retreats. Destination Management Organizations (DMO) and tourism boards are also launching their own wellness initiatives. But for the good of the consumer and the sustainable future of the industry, when it comes to vocabulary we need clarity and consistence.

To help create that clarity and consistency within the wellness tourism industry, the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) – now with 100 Members and Partners from 21 countries –  has created definitions, and promotes standards that are applicable to the industry and understood by the public.

Incorporated in the US as a not-for-profit in January of 2018, the Wellness Tourism Association launched with the mission to unite the industry, and to become one community working together to shape and support the sustainable future of wellness tourism for the global good. One of the goals was to bring definitions and standards to the industry.

First of all, the WTA has produced the first glossary of industry definitions.

Glossary of industry definitions

Wellness Tourism

A specific division of the global tourism industry that is defined by the common goal of marketing natural assets and activities primarily focused on serving the wellness-minded consumer.

Wellness Travel

Travel that allows the traveler to maintain, enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle, and support or increase one’s sense of wellbeing.

Wellness Traveler

An individual who makes “wellness” the primary purpose of a trip.

Wellness Vacation/Holiday
Wellness Vacation / Holiday is Wellness Travel powered by a wellness-focused intention. Wellness Vacations/Holidays are typically self-directed with the traveler setting his or her own timetable and schedule. They may also include a Wellness Retreat.

Wellness Retreat – In today’s world, this term actually has two definitions:

Wellness Retreat – Programme
#1 A guided, intention-driven, multi-day program with a set or semi-set schedule, and hosted by one or more facilitators. The program may include learning and lifestyle workshops such as meditation and healthy eating, as well as fitness activities such as yoga, nature walks and hiking.

Wellness Retreat – Facility
#2 A smaller facility with accommodations and hospitality services and where the primary purpose is to provide programs and experience for the Wellness Traveler. The facility may have fewer wellness activities, services and facilities than a Wellness Resort.

Industry standards

When it comes to developing standards, our criteria for the various categories of membership forms the basis for industry standards.  For instance:

Wellness Resort
Any facility with accommodations and a range of hospitality services where the primary purpose is to provide programs and experiences for the Wellness Traveler. The Wellness Resort is comprised of four primary elements: accommodations, a variety of wellness activities, healthy dining options and wellness-related facilities.

Wellness Retreat (facility standard as per above)
Any smaller facility with accommodations plus other hospitality related amenities, and where the primary purpose is wellness. Such companies offering qualifying wellness programs on a seasonal basis will also fall under the category of Wellness Retreat.

Medical Wellness
A company with the primary business of medical (the care of patients, and services that respond to specific medical conditions or issues) will be considered for membership if they also offer multi-day retreats / programs and/or packages that are deemed to be more proactive/preventative than reactive. For instance, retreats/programs for sleep, stress management, medical testing for the early detection and prevention or certain medical conditions, and others.

Assets and attributes of a Wellness Destination

In July, 2019, the WTA issued a news release suggesting nine assets and attributes that a geographic destination should possess if the DMO or tourism board is looking to position and promote a specific region of the world as a Wellness Destination.

The list of nine is as follows:

• A safe/secure environment in both perception and reality
• A clean and sanitary infrastructure for both locals and visitors
• A quality-of-life for locals who benefit from tourism dollars – e.g. the creation of jobs within the industry and the creation of a market for locally made produce/products/services
• Natural assets such as hot springs/mountains/bodies of water/forests/resources for thalassotherapy or other natural assets within the confines of the destination and easily accessible to visitors
• Since Wellness Tourism and Wellness Travel encompass wellness for the planet, the destination must have substantial sustainability policies and practices in place
• The availability and accessibility of a wide range of wellness-professionals and practitioners, including those who offer holistic and alternative modalities
• A selection of hotel restaurants and independent restaurants offering healthful cuisine prepared by chefs committed to clean eating and who work in partnership with local growers
• Availability of a range of fitness-based activities and tours – e.g. yoga, hiking, cycling, fitness classes, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding
• A physical environment that is somewhat removed from the noise that has become “daily life” in the 21st century

WTA Chairman, Andrew Gibson, says “Wellness Tourism has the fastest visitor year on year growth of any form of tourism. The Wellness Tourism Association provides clarity and direction for anyone who wants to identify with this exciting sector within the tourism industry. There is a great opportunity to ensure that wellness tourism is sustainable, ethical and adds value to both the traveler and the destination.”

Anne Dimon is the President of the Wellness Tourism Association (www.wellnesstourismassociation.org) and Founder/Editor of www.traveltowellness.com

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It’s an exciting time for Chiva-Som International Health Resort . The renowned wellness brand has reopened its Hua Hin, Thailand location after completing the fourth and final stage of a renovation. The renowned wellness brand is also opening its first international branded operation in Qatar.

Chiva-Som has reopened the doors of its Hua Hin, Thailand location after a four-stage renovation project that spanned five years of intermittent closures, the last of which lasted six months.

Complete overhaul

The refurbishment was a complete overhaul of the resort’s facilities and public areas, and included improvements to the Health & Wellness area, the Bathing Pavilion, Niranlada Medi-Spa, and the seaside restaurant, Taste of Siam. The new interiors feature teak wood, Thai silk and bamboo, and a calming, contemporary color palette, offset by natural light.

The Spa and Physiotherapy treatment rooms have been updated to include a hydrotherapy suite and flotation chamber, while a sunbed area, new changing rooms, and a new hydrotherapy pool have been added to the Bathing Pavilion.

The Taste of Siam restaurant can now accommodate up to 100 guests with additional seating and the open kitchen has been moved indoors to create a casual, interactive dining experience. A new layout ensures guests can always enjoy uninterrupted sea views.

Chiva-Som is opening its first international location in Qatar

At the same time, Chiva-Som has announced plans for a new wellness destination in Qatar, scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2020. Msheireb Properties has appointed Chiva-Som to operate and manage the resort.

The Zulal Wellness Resort in Khasooma, a private coastal location about an hour and a half north of Qatar, will be the brand’s largest wellness destination and first branded international operation. It will also be, according to a release, the Middle East’s “first full-immersion wellness resort,” and the world’s first center for Traditional Arabic Integrative Medicine (TAIM).

The name “Zulal” refers to “purified water,” and is inspired by “a people’s historic journey across land to the sea and the ever-present search for water, the seed of life – a concept that encapsulates the history, culture and heritage of Qatar.” Zulal Wellness Resort will offer the highest service standards rooted in traditional Qatari hospitality.

Spanning 280,000 square metres, Zulal will offer a menu of Arabic and Mediterranean wellness cuisine in a setting inspired by local heritage. The site will feature a Family Wellness Resort with 120 guestrooms and suites, welcoming guests of all ages, offering  dedicated children’s activities, and promoting family bonding through shared experiences. An adjacent 60-suite and villa resort will cater to guests over the age of 16. The setting will feature ponds and water features around serene walled gardens, and a media release promises “fully integrated holistic programmes alongside state-of-the-art international treatments.”

Chairman and CEO of Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Mr. Krip Rojanastien, said in the release, “We are delighted to announce the opening of this project, on which we’ve been collaborating with Msheireb Properties. This is the first time we have embarked on a management and operating contract since the opening of our resort in Hua Hin in 1995. We are excited and proud to have created something completely new with Zulal Wellness Resort, which is the first in the world to showcase Traditional Arabic Integrative Medicine (TAIM), whilst retaining the Chiva-Som DNA at every touchpoint. The ability to serve families in particular offers guests great flexibility, and we hope it will inspire wellness for a new generation.”

Ali Al Kuwari, Acting CEO of Msheireb Properties, is quoted as saying: “We are very excited to collaborate with Chiva-Som to operate Zulal Wellness Resort. Our mission as a national real estate developer is to build communities and developments that enrich and enhance the way people live, work and thrive, while remaining true to our Qatari and Arabic cultural heritage. This partnership with Chiva-Som enables us to provide the best in ancient Arabic medicine, not just Qatar, but in the entire region. Zulal Wellness Resort will no doubt contribute to the growth of wellness tourism in the country.”

The resort will adhere to sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and use locally developed products.

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