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

Summary

Dr. Haley Stanton introduces wellness tourism, a rapidly growing industry focused on enhancing physical and mental well-being through travel. With a market growth rate double that of regular tourism, this trend is shifting from traditional vacations to health-conscious experiences. Popular activities include spa retreats, yoga, and meditation, with destinations like Iceland, Thailand, India, Hawaii, and Costa Rica offering unique wellness opportunities. Wellness tourism not only benefits individual health but also supports local economies and cultural preservation.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Wellness tourism is a growing industry focused on travel for maintaining or improving well-being, including physical, mental, or spiritual activities.
• 📈 The market for wellness tourism has seen substantial growth, doubling the growth rate of tourism overall, and is predicted to reach $919 billion USD, representing around 18% of global tourism.
• 💰 Wellness tourists, particularly primary wellness tourists, spend significantly more than the average tourist, both domestically and internationally.
• 🏖 A shift away from traditional 'sun, sea, and sand' holidays towards more alternative forms of tourism has contributed to the rise in wellness tourism.
• 🧘 Increased societal awareness and importance placed on well-being is reflected in tourists' holiday choices, favoring health-conscious options.
• 🌟 Wellness tourism is important for improving overall population health, reducing stress, and promoting fitness and knowledge about nutrition.
• 🎭 It helps preserve cultural traditions and encourages interest in different cultures through the introduction of native practices to visitors.
• 💼 The industry generates significant economic benefits, boosting local economies and creating employment opportunities in various specialized fields.
• 🔍 Wellness tourism can be categorized into primary (focused entirely on wellness) and secondary (incorporating wellness aspects into a general holiday).
• 🤔 There is a distinction between wellness tourism and medical tourism, although there are overlaps, with wellness tourism being a broader category.
• 🌍 Popular destinations for wellness tourism include Iceland, Thailand, India, Hawaii, and Costa Rica, each offering unique activities and environments for well-being.

Q & A

What is the definition of wellness tourism as described in the script?

Wellness tourism is travel focused on maintaining or improving someone's well-being, which may include physical, mental, or spiritual activities that promote health and wellness.

How has the wellness tourism market grown from 2015 to 2017 according to the script?

The wellness tourism market grew from 563 billion US dollars to 639 billion US dollars, which is a growth rate of approximately 6.5 percent per year.

What is the predicted future value of the wellness tourism market?

The market is predicted to reach 919 billion US dollars and will represent around 18% of global tourism.

How do primary wellness tourists differ from the average tourist in terms of spending?

Primary wellness tourists spend 178 percent more money domestically and 53 percent more when traveling internationally compared to the average tourist.

What are some reasons for the rapid growth of wellness tourism?

The growth is attributed to a shift away from traditional vacation models, increased societal awareness and importance of well-being, and a reflection of health-conscious attitudes in holiday choices.

Why is wellness tourism considered important for society?

Wellness tourism is important as it improves people's well-being, contributes to a healthier population, reduces stress, and increases knowledge about nutrition.

How does wellness tourism help in preserving cultural traditions?

Wellness tourism helps by allowing natives to introduce their cultural practices to others, ensuring ongoing interest and learning about different cultures.

What economic benefits does wellness tourism bring to local areas?

Wellness tourism can boost local economies by supporting businesses like corner shops and taxi firms, and by generating employment in highly skilled and specific jobs.

What are the two major types of wellness tourism mentioned in the script?

The two major types are primary wellness tourism, where the entire trip is focused on wellness, and secondary wellness tourism, where general tourists incorporate some wellness aspects into their holiday.

What is the difference between medical tourism and wellness tourism as per the script?

While there is some overlap, medical tourism and wellness tourism are not the same. Medical tourism is considered a micro-niche within the broader category of wellness tourism, which includes various dimensions such as medical, corporeal, escapism, hedonistic, existential, spiritual, and community-oriented.

Can you name some popular wellness tourism destinations mentioned in the script?

Some popular destinations include Iceland, known for its geothermal pools and nature baths; Thailand, famous for Thai massages and Buddhist meditation retreats; India, spiritual and home to various yoga and meditation retreats; Hawaii, for its romantic and therapeutic spa experiences; and Costa Rica, offering eco-friendly retreats and a variety of wellness activities.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to Wellness Tourism

Dr. Haley Stanton introduces the concept of wellness tourism, a travel industry focused on enhancing well-being through physical, mental, or spiritual activities. The video aims to explore the business side of wellness tourism, its growth, and benefits. From 2015 to 2017, the market saw an impressive growth rate of 6.5%, doubling the overall tourism growth. It's predicted to reach $919 billion, accounting for 18% of global tourism. Wellness tourists, categorized into primary and secondary, spend significantly more than the average tourist. The growth is attributed to a shift from traditional vacation models and an increased societal focus on health and well-being.

05:01

📈 The Growth and Importance of Wellness Tourism

The script delves into the reasons behind the rapid growth of wellness tourism, highlighting a societal trend towards alternative tourism and a heightened awareness of well-being. It underscores the importance of wellness tourism in improving individual health, preserving cultural traditions, boosting local economies, and generating employment. The industry is not only beneficial for personal well-being but also contributes to healthier, more knowledgeable populations and supports local businesses and economies.

10:04

🌱 Types and Dimensions of Wellness Tourism

The video script explains the distinction between primary and secondary wellness tourism, where the former is entirely dedicated to wellness activities, and the latter incorporates wellness elements into a traditional vacation. It also clarifies the difference between wellness tourism and medical tourism, suggesting that the latter is a subset of the former. The dimensions of wellness tourism are outlined, including medical, corporeal, escapism, hedonistic, existential, spiritual, and community-oriented aspects, providing a comprehensive view of the industry's breadth.

🌍 Popular Destinations for Wellness Tourism

The final paragraph of the script presents a selection of popular wellness tourism destinations around the world, including Iceland, known for its geothermal pools and nature baths; Thailand, famous for Thai massages and Buddhist meditation retreats; India, with its spiritual roots and government support for wellness practices; and Hawaii, offering romantic spa experiences and traditional treatments. Costa Rica is also highlighted for its eco-friendly focus and diverse wellness retreats, making it an ideal location for both primary and secondary wellness tourists.

Keywords

💡Wellness Tourism

Wellness tourism is a form of travel that focuses on maintaining or improving one's well-being, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual health. It is central to the video's theme, as it discusses the industry's growth and the various aspects of wellness tourism. The script mentions activities like spa breaks, yoga retreats, and meditation retreats as examples of wellness tourism.

💡Well-being

Well-being in the context of the video refers to the state of being in good health, both physically and mentally. It is the ultimate goal of wellness tourism, as travelers seek to improve their overall health and wellness. The script emphasizes the importance of well-being by discussing how wellness tourism activities can contribute to a healthier and less stressed population.

💡Growth Rate

The growth rate mentioned in the script refers to the exponential increase in the wellness tourism market from 2015 to 2017, which grew at a rate of 6.5 percent per year. This term is significant as it highlights the rapid expansion of the wellness tourism industry, outpacing the overall tourism growth.

💡Primary Wellness Tourists

Primary wellness tourists are individuals for whom wellness is the main focus of their travel. They spend significantly more on their trips compared to the average tourist, both domestically and internationally. The script uses this term to differentiate between travelers who prioritize wellness in their travel plans and those who incorporate wellness activities as a secondary aspect of their trip.

💡Secondary Wellness Tourism

Secondary wellness tourism occurs when general tourists include wellness activities as part of their trip, such as a massage on the beach during a vacation. The script explains this concept to clarify that not all wellness-related travel is solely focused on wellness, but can be integrated into a broader travel experience.

💡Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is a subset of wellness tourism where travelers seek medical treatments or procedures as part of their travel. The script differentiates medical tourism from wellness tourism, noting that while there is overlap, they are not the same. Medical tourism is considered a micro-niche within the broader category of wellness tourism.

💡Cultural Traditions

Cultural traditions in the context of wellness tourism refer to the preservation and sharing of indigenous practices related to well-being. The script mentions that wellness tourism helps to maintain these traditions by allowing locals to introduce them to travelers, fostering an appreciation for different cultures.

💡Economic Impact

The economic impact of wellness tourism is significant, as it can boost local economies by generating income for various businesses and creating employment opportunities. The script points out that wellness tourism is not just beneficial for individuals but also for the communities that host these activities.

💡Yoga Retreats

Yoga retreats are a specific type of wellness tourism where travelers participate in yoga practices, often in serene and natural settings. The script uses yoga retreats as an example of primary wellness tourism, highlighting the specialized nature of these retreats and their contribution to the wellness tourism industry.

💡Geothermal Pools

Geothermal pools are natural hot springs that are heated by the earth's geothermal activity. The script mentions Iceland as a destination with many geothermal pools, which are a popular wellness activity for tourists seeking relaxation and the therapeutic benefits of warm mineral-rich waters.

💡Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine that focuses on balancing the body, mind, and spirit through various methods, including diet, herbal treatment, and yoga. The script refers to India's efforts to position itself as a hub for Ayurveda, indicating its significance in the realm of wellness tourism.

Highlights

Wellness tourism is a growing industry focused on maintaining or improving one's well-being through travel.

Wellness tourism includes activities that promote physical, mental, or spiritual health.

The market for wellness tourism grew from $563 billion to $639 billion between 2015 and 2017, at a rate of 6.5% per year.

Wellness tourism is expected to reach $919 billion and represent 18% of global tourism.

Primary wellness tourists spend significantly more than the average tourist, both domestically and internationally.

The shift from traditional package holidays to alternative tourism models has contributed to the rise of wellness tourism.

Increased societal awareness and importance placed on well-being is reflected in travel choices.

Wellness tourism is crucial for improving well-being, reducing stress, and promoting health and nutrition knowledge.

Wellness tourism helps preserve cultural traditions and encourages interest in different cultures.

Wellness tourism can boost local economies and generate employment in various skilled professions.

Wellness tourism can make remote areas more attractive to young professionals, further boosting the economy.

Wellness tourism is divided into primary, where the trip is entirely focused on wellness, and secondary, where wellness is incorporated into a general trip.

Medical tourism and wellness tourism are distinct but may overlap; wellness tourism is a broader category.

Wellness tourism dimensions include medical, corporeal, escapism, hedonistic, existential, spiritual, and community-oriented.

Popular wellness tourism activities include spa breaks, yoga retreats, meditation, writing retreats, and healthy eating experiences.

Iceland offers geothermal pools and nature baths as part of its wellness tourism activities.

Thailand is known for its wellness tourism, including Thai massages and Buddhist meditation retreats.

India is positioning itself as a hub for spiritual wellness tourism with practices like Ayurveda and yoga.

Hawaii is a prominent destination for wellness tourism, offering romantic and therapeutic spa experiences.

Costa Rica is a popular location for both primary and secondary wellness tourism, with eco-friendly retreats and various wellness activities.

Transcripts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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]