Search Travel Market Report

mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Tours & Packages
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Events
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Denise Caiazzo
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Kelly Fontenelle

Travel Agents See Changes In The Face Of Wellness Travel

by Anne Dimon / July 25, 2016

Photo: Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces

The top trends for summer and fall travel in the wellness sector point to a strong season, with a broadening customer base and more options—and therefore, more need for a professional guidance.

This year is all about shorter stays, more men, more physically challenging activities and a younger customer base, say a handful of top travel professionals specializing in wellness who spoke with TMR over the past few days.

Kathy Bernstein of Chicago-based Protravel International, a Travel Leaders Group agency, says she is seeing a trend toward shorter and more focused trips, with a specific goal such as learning to surf or meditate. The current state of information overload from surfing the internet for travel options leaves clients “overwhelmed with the volume of information and choices”—and sees her role as “helping them focus on their major motivation.”

Whether they are looking for spas or the increasing number of hotels that offer wellness options, there is something out there for everyone. But it’s important to make the right match, because “a misstep could have exactly the opposite effect of their intention.”

After almost 20 years in the industry, she says the biggest changes have taken place in spas.  Most recently, “many spas that previously required week-long stays or specific dates have loosened their requirements to accommodate today’s hectic schedules.”

Virtuoso advisor Karen Benson, of Camelback Travel in Phoenix, AZ, agrees that the biggest changes have come on the spa side of wellness travel. An agent for 30-plus years, she says spas “have evolved from just a pampering experience to a total mind, body and spiritual encounter.”

Many traditional spas have expanded to include physicians, psychologists and even spiritual leaders from the community, she noted, or places to work on specific wellness goals such as weight loss or smoking cessation.

This year she is seeing a trend among customers of “seeking challenging physical experiences, including outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking and biking.” Keeping in step, many spas also have become a place to challenge the body through various types of fitness activities.

Benson notes there is no one-size-fits-all wellness spa “because everyone is looking for something unique to them.” And, that, she said, is when agent specialists can truly assist by assessing client needs and interests and recommending that perfect fit.

Kim Wilson, a member of TRAVELSAVERS and owner of Hollowbrook Travel at Allsport in Fishkill, NY, has been working the wellness travel sector for the past five years. The majority of her travel agency clients “are now actively looking at resorts and hotels that offer fitness programs and/or spas,” she said—including rising numbers  of "men looking to work wellness into their travels.

Jackie Ceren, president of Travel Consultation & Mediation in Clearwater Beach, FL, and a member of TRAVELSAVERS, began focusing her business around health and wellness travel about six years ago. Since then, finding options for travelers looking for healthier lifestyles has become much easier.

“All the hype in the news about living a healthier lifestyle has jump- started the industry into focusing on wellness as part of the travel experience,” she said. “In the past, when consumers traveled, they typically went off their diets and stopped exercising. The biggest difference between then and now is that you don't need to change your healthy habits.”

Whether on a specifically “wellness-oriented” trip or just a family vacation, travelers increasingly are adding active components to their bookings, Ceren said. “They look for activities they can do as a family, such as paddle boarding, hiking, and cycling. Plus, they want organic gourmet meals, along with soothing spa and massage services.” 

And what starts with one generation is increasingly passing down to the next. Ceren is happy to see young travelers in their 20s and 30s also including wellness options in their vacation travels, even when they travel without parents. “In years past, they were all about the party. Now they are more focused on healthier travel options. I used to be selling the best night spots. Now, they want the best activities and organic restaurant options.”

Of course travel suppliers are obliging with more and better products. Health and wellness options are now offered at resorts, on cruise ships, and by destinations, “giving agents the tools they need to promote Wellness Travel,” Ceren said.    

Virtuoso travel advisor Stephanie Durst at ProTravel International in New York is seeing a growing interest in all-inclusive packages that include spa treatments. As far as treatments, she said, mineral bathing is hot.

Durst’s focus on wellness travel goes back to 9/11, when she saw an opportunity for travel to help clients heal emotionally. Following that tragic event “wellness took on a whole new meaning beyond the simple booking of spa treatments.”

While over the years clients have become “more knowledgeable about spas and what is being offered by looking online,” they also have come to appreciate the added-value Durst brings to their relationship. “They know that as their wellness advisor I can get added amenities, upgrades and benefits.”

Anne Dimon is Travel Market Report’s wellness travel contributor and the founder/editor www.traveltowellness.com. Follow her at @AnneDimon.

  3
  0
Related Articles
The Travel Institute Releases 2nd Edition of Wellness Travel Specialist Course
MSC Reveals Wellness Experiences Onboard MSC Seascape
Tips for Understanding and Selling Wellness Travel
One Successful Travel Advisors’ Insights into Wellness Travel
Is Japan the World’s Next Wellness Destination?
Bookings Open for Equinox Hotel at Hudson Yards
Travel Advisors Missing Out on $638 Billion Wellness Travel Market
Wellness Tourism: Four Trends To Expect in the Coming Years
Should Resorts Incent Travel Agents to Sell Spa and Wellness Treatments?
Hyatt’s Laser-Sharp Focus on Luxury and Wellness

MOST VIEWED

  1. U.S. State Department Updates Jamaica Travel Warning to Level 3
  2. First Hand Look at the Soon-to-Open Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort
  3. TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
  4. Tips for Delivering Bad News to Your Clients
  5. Vantage Travel Website Down, Cruises Canceled Last Minute
  6. 25 Qualifying Questions to Help You Nail Your Clients' Vacation Plans

MOST EMAILED

  1. 5 Reasons You Need to Use a Travel Advisor Now More Than Ever
  2. First Hand Look at the Soon-to-Open Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort
  3. U.S. State Department Updates Jamaica Travel Warning to Level 3
  4. U.S. to End COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for International Travelers
  5. 25 Qualifying Questions to Help You Nail Your Clients' Vacation Plans
  6. TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Korean Cuisine: An Eclectic Experience for Foodie Travelers
Korean Cuisine: An Eclectic Experience for Foodie Travelers

Nothing transports travelers directly into the heart of a foreign culture they are visiting like sampling the local cuisine.

Read...
Frontier Introduces Dallas/Fort Worth to Montego Bay Flight
Frontier Introduces Dallas/Fort Worth to Montego Bay Flight

Frontier Airlines will operate the non-stop flight from DFW to MBJ three times weekly.

Read...
Why Sweden’s Gothenburg is a Go-To Destination this Summer
Why Sweden’s Gothenburg is a Go-To Destination this Summer

Gothenburg is not as famous as its neighbor cities, but is still well worth a visit. 

Read...
Los Cabos Sees Rapid Recovery from COVID Due to Spike in Air Travelers
Los Cabos Sees Rapid Recovery from COVID Due to Spike in Air Travelers

Los Cabos is seeing a surge in visitors from around North America. 

Read...
American Cruise Lines Intros 35-Day Civil War Battlefields Cruise
American Cruise Lines Intros 35-Day Civil War Battlefields Cruise

The 35-day, 13-state, three-ship cruise will visit nearly every major battlefield of the Civil War. 

Read...
One Year In, Mad Apple Parties on at New York-New York
One Year In, Mad Apple Parties on at New York-New York

Mad Apple, a cabaret-style performance, may be Cirque’s most provocative show ever.

Read...
TMR OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
Cruise Trend Outlook 2023
river cruise 2022
group outlook 2022
View All
Advertiser's Voice
https://img.youtube.com/vi/TIZwKLcPwbg/0.jpg
We Appreciate our Travel Advisors
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News |Tours & Packages |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Events |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy