By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Wellness travel, a booming trend before the coronavirus pandemic, continues to grow with the increased focus on health, staying well and, after the experience with the coronavirus pandemic , the increased need for to be revitalized, restored, rejuvenated physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Here are some highlights of wellness travel trends from the recent Global Wellness Summit (some that will surprise!) which is organized by the Global Wellness Institute:
Post-Pandemic Travelers Seek Adventure, Engagement
“Intention” is the theme for travel in 2022, New York Times travel columnist Elaine Glusac, reports. Social indicators such as the “Great Resignation,” record retirements and global nomadism reveal profound commitments to work/life balance and personal growth and happiness. And the travel industry is accommodating with new programs to intrigue and satisfy these ”intentional” travelers with the invitation: Seekers, welcome.
“New travel experiences tap into a sense of purpose, a desire to grow creatively and intellectually and flourish in new environments. Nature as a healer and a source of awe remains primary, whether at a rooftop yoga class or trekking the forthcoming Trans Bhutan Trail,” she states.
“Seekers will be exploring the wisdom of the ancients in Indigenous travel experiences; learning to grow their own food; expressing their creativity in art classes; and giving back to academia in citizen science programs.”
The pandemic underlined the need to attend to personal health and taking a break—also known as a vacation—became a bigger part of the wellness picture. In 2022, it’s clear that the thread of wellness is so braided into the travel world that nearly every trip is an opportunity for travelers to reclaim their lives, improve their health, and discover their purpose.
As the travel clock restarts, also expect more multigenerational reunions and personal quests as individuals seek to reclaim their lives, build connections, and improve their health.
It’s more than physical health – it’s also intellectual emotional and spiritual health. There is more of a quest to experience things like lodging in a teepee in an indigenous community or staying with a family a Vietnamese mountain village. Quark Expeditions this sailing season is offering special shipboard Inuit dinners prepared and narrated by chefs from Nunavit in Canada and Greenland, using native ingredients and incorporating ingredients foraged onshore. With more resorts sourcing their food locally, some are offering guests the opportunity to learn how to grow their own food.
TRIPS by Culture Trip launched in September to offer multi-day small-group adventures with itineraries that combine immersive activities and distinctive places to stay, and experiences for the young at heart, the off-the-beaten path enthusiast, the culturally curious and those with the belief that “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer”. Among the offerings: Stay with a Bedouin Family in Jordan & sleep under the stars in the Valley of the Moon; Experience rural life in Vietnam & cook with a gastronomy artisan; Immerse yourself into Sri Lankan wildlife and culture & learn the ancient dances; Learn taiko drumming and aikido & witness sumo wrestling training in Japan (culturetrip.com/trips or call 678-967-4965).
Cruise lines are enabling passengers, particularly on small-ship expedition sailings, to assist the working scientists they often take along. Cruise lines Aurora Expeditions and Hurtigruten are introducing new scientific programs that allow passengers to contribute to work done by biologists on the ships in Antarctica and beyond. Viking is introducing new ships with Science Labs aboard each, offering demonstrations as well as hands-on activities. Lindblad’s new ship in the Galapagos, National Geographic Islander ll, is outfitted with a science lab.
Next Gen Naturalism: More Focus on Self-Sufficiency
The desire to learn how to cultivate your own food and to live with indigenous people is tied to a modern “pragmatic” survivalist movement, sparked by climate change and pandemic supply chain shortages. “It’s about relearning ancient skills lost over time, working with nature instead of against it,” say Cecelia Girr, Director of Cultural Strategy at Backslash and Skylar Huber, who explores financial health and wellness. It’s manifest in the increased interest in outdoor survival schools – teaching how to find water purification, urban emergency preparedness, tips on sustainable living, and the desire to learn how to grow your own produce and forage out in nature. This is manifest in growing interest in “wild camping” where you find your own patch of wilderness to plan your tent pole.
Also, getting hands dirty – being engaged and immersed – is a trend. In fact, one of the new wellness trends is Dirt-y Wellness: The health of the world’s soil—and the impact of soil exposure on human health–become far more important (Think: “soil-bathing/”)
Urban Bathhouses & Wellness Playgrounds
On the opposite side of the spectrum from dirty-y wellness, is communal bathing.
Whether it’s new or renovated bathhouses featuring hydrothermal bathing (saunas, steam rooms, pools, etc.); large-scale wellness water resorts (some of which accommodate up to 8,000 visitors daily); or public parks where nature meets art and wellness, cities around the globe are suddenly making the pursuit of wellness accessible, affordable and inclusive.
Communal bathing that hearkens back to European and Asian bathing cultures is inspiring an urban bathhouse renaissance around the globe. Just a few examples: Austria’s Therme Group, which already attracts around 3.4 million visitors a year to its sites in Europe, is now investing heavily in North America; Italian wellness company QC Terme will open its next urban bathhouse on New York’s Governor’s Island; and a Finnish-inspired Nordic bathing spa opened in early 2022 in Toronto.
Additionally, sauna bathing (and communal sweating) is becoming more popular and playful—it’s less about being serious and silent and more about communal joy! Large event saunas have been opening outside of European sauna “hot spots,” with cities like Las Vegas hosting high-octane “Sauna Aufguss” performances and London night spots offering private rooftop saunas adjacent to the rooftop bar.
New public playgrounds that merge nature and art with wellness are transforming cityscapes—with new manmade beachfronts, scenic boardwalks, pop-up wellness classes, and even water sports becoming available in very unexpected places: like New York, Paris, London, Sydney, Madrid, and Tokyo.
More information at Global Wellness Institute, www.globalwellnessinstitute.org.
Dude Ranches Join Wellness Movement
Dude ranches have gotten the memo and many have introduced wellness programs to compliment their outdoors ambiance and activity, to the extent a new website dedicated to spa and wellness ranches has been launched by ranch vacation authority Gene Kilgore: https://wellnessranches.com/.
Kilgore spotlights 11 such ranches in North America that are breaking new ground in the wellness movement, a multi-billion dollar Mind, Body, Spirit phenomenon. These properties in Arizona, British Columbia, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Montana and Wyoming combine traditional ranch activities (life in the saddle) with health, wellness and spa-focused offerings and Mind, Body & Spirit programs.
He noted that the personal wellness movement is spurred on, in part, by the desire to recover from life under a pandemic and by a new-found appeal of America’s Wild West, its cowboys and ranch life, as evidenced by the popularity of Kevin Costner’s hit TV series Yellowstone.
Wellnessranches.com is organized into these categories:
• Spas https://wellnessranches.com/wellness-ranches-with-spas
• Meditation https://wellnessranches.com/ranch-vacations-with-meditation-and-mindfulness
• Massage https://wellnessranches.com/massage-ranch-vacations
• Yoga https://wellnessranches.com/yoga-ranch-vacations
Among them:
Bishops Lodge – https://wellnessranches.com/wellness-ranches/bishops-lodge: Near Santa Fe, NM, Bishops Lodge combines nature’s offerings, such as river floating and hiking, with outdoor mindfulness sessions. The Wellness Lodge offers relaxation massage, deep tissue massage, couples massage, EMF learning, aromatherapy massage, meditation, land dance, CBD massage, botanicals remedy, sound healing, sound healing facial, sacred sound massage, intuitive healing and energy medicine
Echo Valley Ranch and Spa – https://wellnessranches.com/wellness-ranches/echo-valley-ranch-and-spa: A small, eco-luxury ranch located near Clinton, British Columbia is known for its warm, sincere and anticipatory service. When guests are not on horseback riding the spectacular backcountry you may find them mountain biking, engaged in Yoga, bird watching, hiking, enjoying some archery, marksmanship, canyon tours, and meditation. Although a major draw is the spa offering relaxation massage, deep tissue massage, couples massage, scrubs, manicures, facials, and pedicures.
Bitterroot Ranch – https://wellnessranches.com/wellness-ranches/bitterroot-ranch: Near Dubois, Wyoming, Bitterroot Ranch’s yoga program focuses on stretching and conditioning muscles that are most engaged when riding. Resident Yoga instructor Hadley Fox is a certified Vinyasa Yoga teacher and on set weeks offers clinics with instructor Marc Holzman, a certified Ayurveda practitioner with over 18 years of experience teaching Hatha Yoga and Meditation.
Rock Creek – https://wellnessranches.com/wellness-ranches/the-ranch-at-rock-creek. This ranch near historic Philipsburg, MT, offers yoga and golf along with such treatments at its Granite Spa as relaxation massage, deep tissue massage, rock treatments, couples massage, scrubs, manicures, facials, pedicures and its signature Saddle Sore Soak.
Carson Valley, Nevada Brands Itself a Wellness Destination
Carson Valley, Nevada, comprised of four community-oriented towns including Genoa, the oldest permanent settlement in Nevada, Gardnerville, Minden and Topaz Lake, is branding itself as a wellness destination.
“In today’s environment, wellness means more than just a spa experience. It’s a mindful practice that gives a chance to disconnect from whatever pressures there may be and to spend time being present in new ways,” said said Jan Vandermade, executive director for Visit Carson Valley.
Among the offerings:
Nature and Outdoors: The River Fork Ranch offers 800 acres of protected wildlife habitat located near Genoa, Nevada, where the East and West Forks of the Carson River meet. It’s now a nature preserve and a working cattle operation, remaining true to its sustainable agriculture practices. On any given day, guests can spot birds, deer and frogs and turtles. Just a few minutes’ drive further toward Genoa, connect with the outdoors through an impressive trail system for hikers and mountain bikers with treks along the Sierra foothills or to the top with views overlooking the valley and Lake Tahoe. After exploring the Eagle Ridge Loop, Sierra Canyon Trail and the Discovery Trail, stop by the Genoa Bar, the oldest thirst parlor in Nevada, for a cold beer or a specialty cocktail.
Animal encounters: Animal therapy is a thing for a reason, it heals us. Carson Valley has a plethora of wild and tame animals that are ready to strike a pose for that perfect shot through varied tours. Local guides and expert photographers take visitors off-road for an up-close look at wild horses. These encounters offer a window into life in the Wild West – and the views aren’t bad either. For a tamer approach, youth and adults can go to Chappell Ranch to learn more about horsemanship and leadership on a working ranch. Through several outfitters and tour guides, activities to connect with animals are one of the area’s best-kept secrets.
Other activities to get the heart racing include hang gliding (Soaring NV), air ballooning (Balloon Nevada). But for a totally relaxing experience, catch a sunrise or sunset from the natural hot springs at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations David Walley’s Resort, featuring five mineral spas heated by geothermal groundwater produced naturally from the Earth’s mantle.
Explore more at 800-727-7677 or 775-782-8145, [email protected], VisitCarsonValley.org.
Photo: Eric and Sarah, during a six-month around-the-world nomadic adventure, have a homestay in a rural Vietnamese village, joining a trend in wellness travel that encourages adventure, engagement, and immersion in local cultures © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com
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