4 Tips for Introducing Wellness Into Clients’ Vacations

Guest columnist Linden Schaffer is certified Wellness Expert and director of Pravassa Wellness Travel.

Wellness travel is one of the latest trends in travel, as more consumers seek to find healthy and creative ways to enjoy their time off from the daily grind.

Many agents already include wellness aspects, such as spa treatments or adventure activities, in vacations they plan for their clients. But they may not think of these outings in terms of wellness behavior.

5 tenets of wellness
What is wellness? Health and well-being are the fundamental principles of wellness, which incorporates five philosophies:

•    physical health
•    mental well-being
•    nutrition
•    spiritual health
•    community

Once your clients are receptive to adding bits of wellness into their vacations, it won’t be a stretch to send them on a weeklong wellness vacation where every aspect of the vacation is created with the five tenets of wellness in mind.

So how do you incorporate wellness into any vacation you plan for your clients? Here are four tips.

1. Understand what kind of vacation your client wants. Whether booking an all-inclusive resort stay, a cruise or a luxury villa in the countryside, as an agent you need to build a personal relationship with your clients, listen to their needs and understand what vacation means to them. Then be creative. Build a vacation that suits their requests, then offer a little bit extra.

2. Grasp the idea of wellness. Wellness is any and all things that contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Better sleep, stress reduction, spending time with family, eating whole foods, taking time to be in nature, buying local crafts, laughing – all these and more contribute to a happier, healthier person.

3. Come up with a list of wellness offerings you can add to any vacation. Here are a few suggestions: Are your clients culinary or wine connoisseurs? Ask the hotel concierge for a local organic restaurant recommendation or send clients a bottle of wine from the local vineyard upon check-in. If your client is an adventure seeker, book them a kite-surfing or stand-up paddleboard lesson. Check business travelers into hotels that offer options for better sleep, such as a pillow menu, white noise machine or relaxation classes.

4. Use the term “wellness” in your conversations with clients. Once you understand the kind of vacation your client wants and have come up with ideas to incorporate wellness into their vacation, tell them! Everyone wants to feel better, more relaxed and connected to his or her community.

You don’t have to say to clients that you’re booking them a “wellness vacation.” Instead, educate them on what wellness means and how you’ve incorporated aspects of wellness into the vacation they already wanted.

Your clients will be more than happy to learn that they are not only receiving personal attention for their travels, but that they are actively participating in their own health and well-being.

Certified Wellness Expert Linden Schaffer is founder and director of Pravassa Wellness Travel, which helps clients learn life-changing wellness techniques while on the road. Pravassa is a preferred supplier of Well-Being Travel, a sister company to Travel Market Report. Schaffer also writes for MindBodyGreen, Well+GoodNYC, and the Huffington Post.