Selling Wellness: From Hotels to Cruises, High-End Suppliers Pay High Commissions

The Wellness Travel niche “used to be all about the look, but now it’s all about the life,” says Bettye Allis from Canyon Ranch. And travel agents who get it right work with high-end suppliers selling all-inclusive vacations that pay high commissions to a growing market. 

Wellness has become part of people’s social life, said the Focus on Wellness panel, and they want to continue that lifestyle on their vacations. 

Westin VP of global brand management George Fleck said “wellness is a $3.4 trillion business that spans all segments, from fashion to travel. Your workout outfit, the classes you take, where you vacation, all define you as a person.” 

In the past three years “it’s been incredible to see how customer expectations have changed and how much more we have been able to deliver,” Fleck said. “It’s not about a gym or a menu, but much more—it’s sleeping well and eating well and also working well; it’s about guests feeling better when they leave than when they arrive.” 

MSC Cruises, too, recognizes that “the traditional thinking of gaining 10 pounds on vacation is in the past; we’re launching a cruise experience where you can lose weight, have a personal trainer and a custom diet and excursions to help you stay active,” said senior vice president of marketing Bonnie Levengood. There’s an app to help guests track how much they are eating, stretching and mats for yoga in the room, customized excursions in groups of like-minded people, and a doctor to check your cholesterol and lipids. 

Travel agents looking to expand into the niche should be on the alert for opportunities, she suggested; “if a client is wearing a Fitbit, that’s a client who’s concerned about wellness.” But don’t wait for people to come to you. “Become an expert in wellbeing travel and get out there and market yourself. I don’t see enough of travel agents doing,” she said. 

Travel Market Report’s Anne Marie Moebes, who moderated the session, noted there are 250 accredited Well-Being Travel Specialists in the United States who have taken the Travel Institute course. So educate yourself, and then get out in the community, join a hiking club or Weight Watchers, she suggested. 

Allis said travel agents should listen for comments like “I need to slow down” or “I need to reinvent myself.” And don’t forget the men, who make up a “huge segment” of customers at Canyon Ranch, and for its classes and facials. 

Resources for agents
Canyon Ranch has a sales team that calls on travel agents, but “be our guest, come try us and make that perfect match,” she said. 

MSC is building wellness into its Travel Agent University training, but understands “the best way is to pay,” Levengood said. MSC pays 5% commission on all prepaid services and 10% on insurance. “In essence we are charging more to include all these activities, and so you are getting paid on them.” 

Travel to Wellness CEO Anne Dimon has a checklist of tips for staying healthy on the road she is happy to share; travel agents can give it to customers as a way to segue into a discussion of wellness travel. For Anne’s article on the new SpaFinder Trends in Wellness Forecast, released this week, go to Surfing, Adrenaline, and Multi-generational Groups: The Top 10 Wellness Trends for 2016.

For more on our coverage of the New York Times Travel Show, go to part one and part two of TMR’s Reporter’s Notebook.