Recently a World Panel of hospitality experts were asked: With wellness being a priority of modern travellers, can wellness generate revenue the same way as F&B services in hotels?.

Here is my take.

Wellness tourism is not a new phenomenon - humans have traveled with health or wellness as the primary focus for centuries.

Typically, wellness tourism is travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing personal well-being. It comes in many shapes and forms: spa retreat, rejuvenating weekend of doing nothing, forest bathing trip, etc.

Unlike regular vacations which are often stressful and full of activities, wellness tourism's main objective is to relieve stress and promote health.

Now, the question is, how many hotels have facilities and amenities suitable for wellness tourism like spas or wellness centers?

And how many hoteliers have employees that are professionally trained wellness specialists? And how many hoteliers have the knowledge or even desire to create and offer wellness tourism activities such as forest bathing, ecotherapy trips or other wellness-inspired experiences?

These same hoteliers whose Valentine's Day special package is still hanging on the property website in August?

Unfortunately, unless you are 4- and 5- star hotel with established spa or wellness center, or a smart hotelier with a property in a natural setting that has hired a professional wellness tourism specialist, I do not see the rest of hospitality benefiting greatly from wellness tourism.

Max Starkov
Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant & Strategist

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