Wellness & Hospitality. Where Next?

Health and wellness is a hot topic in hospitality right now. Because wellness innovation in hospitality is seemly just starting out, there’s so much more science, integration, and bold new ideas yet to surface.

We’ve previously discussed the impact of customer service in the health industry (think assisted living, home care and healthcare) but what about wellness? How are the likes of hoteliers, spas and travel companies becoming accustomed to the five-star world of mental and physical fitness?

Waking up to wellness

Wellness has become an essential part of the hospitality industry.  The global wellness economy, which includes sectors such as wellness tourism, spas, healthy eating, fitness and beauty, was worth $4.2 trillion in 2018, according to the Global Wellness Economy Monitor. Meanwhile, wellness tourism grew from a $563 billion market in 2015 to $639 billion in 2017, or 6.5% annually, more than twice as fast as tourism overall (3.2%). It’s forecast to grow even faster through 2022 (7.5% yearly), to reach $919 billion.

These numbers show a wellness mindset is starting to permeate the global consumer consciousness, affecting people’s daily decision-making in the desire to achieve physical, mental and social well-being. This trend has now become a priority for a growing number of global travelers.

What Does Wellness Mean for Hospitality?

In the past, services promoting health and well-being were not typically the focus of hospitality-related general managers. On-site spas or wellness centers were often managed independently from the establishment and sometimes outsourced altogether. As a result, these businesses frequently missed out on a valuable opportunity to make wellness part of their brand identity. As the global wellness movement continues to grow, businesses are examining how they can bring health, fitness and well-being to the guest experience.

Innovating Technology

No longer satisfied with a traditional Swedish massage or a simple facial, today’s wellness traveler is constantly chasing the latest cutting-edge treatment or fitness fad, armed with information gleaned from a burgeoning empire of wellness-focused websites, blogs, social influencers and experts. Let’s take Upgrade Labs’ biohacking facility in Santa Monica, California. They claim to make peak performance accessible and attainable, to any human, for the first time in history. How? By using more than 15 different technologies (including infrared and cryotherapy treatments) dedicated to improving mental and physical performance and recovery, they’re the first to offer state-of-the-art biohacking equipment to the public. Upgrade Labs is one of the many innovative brands making a play within the travel and hospitality wellness space, which continues to grow at breakneck speed.

With luxury wellness moving into the mainstream, destination wellness resorts aren’t the only hospitality venues promising immersive, next-level, holistic experiences. High-end hotels in urban markets are also getting in on the action, bringing in experts to help enhance their more traditional spa programming available to a wider audience.

Building a Healthier Future

A deeper understanding of wellness and how to improve guests’ well-being is essential for today’s hospitality leaders. While travelers are looking to slow down, the hospitality sector finds it must move fast to keep up with today’s health-focused guest.

Hospitality leaders know that there is no one approach to wellness; an effective approach seizes opportunities to introduce wellness across the entire brand, leading to meaningful experiences for guests before, during and after their stay. At the end of the day, caring for customer well-being is one of the best investments business leaders can make today.

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BARE International are experts in Hospitality Customer Experience Research. Our hospitality evaluators have strict ethical standards and are trained to methodically assess every area of a property from the reservation call to the valet departure and every point in between.