How to Tap Into the Wellness Travel Trend
April 12, 2022
Is wellness a luxury or a necessity? The wellness trend has been hot in travel and vacation rentals for some time now, and it’s here to stay. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism will rise a further 21% by 2025. But what does wellness mean when it comes to traveling and how can lodging providers attract guests looking for a wellness experience?
Wellness is achieving a good quality of life through practicing daily habits, such as yoga and healthy eating, to achieve better physical and mental health. It is not surviving but truly living.
Not defined by a single act, wellness means different things to different people. Some find happiness in fulfilling their values, such as living sustainably. Others gravitate towards nature, social connection, or exercise. Different generations perceive wellness differently too, such as the trend for self-care amongst younger generations.
Wellness travel – on the up!
Becoming increasingly aware of their health, people look to extend their wellness routines into all aspects of their lives, including travel. Wellness travelers are willing to spend 130% more on a wellness trip than your average vacationer.
Boomers are searching for meaningful experiences while millennials are exploring what it means to be healthy. So, whether it’s those looking for a healing change of scene or a trip with eco credentials, here’s how your vacation rental can appeal to every kind of guest:
Make your vacation rentals wellness-friendly in six easy steps
Wellness is our equilibrium. We often feel off-balance when traveling due to jet lag, stress, and new environments. Offer guests the opportunity to rediscover their wellness by providing appropriate facilities and space for them to practice their daily wellness habits.
- For the adventurers: offer local activities such as watersports, parasailing, and zip-lining. In-room technology, like virtual concierge SmartHost, can make your life easier by answering guests’ questions about these experiences.
- Be fitness-ready. Provide space for your guest to exercise, have a communal gym, offer passes, or supply local fitness group information. Stock the kitchen with equipment, like juicers/blenders, and local produce for healthy meal preparation.
- Get eco-savvy, switch to sustainable options, or offer community involvement through attractions for regenerative travelers. Amadeus’s research shows over a third of customers seek to preserve tourist destinations by boosting the local economy.
- Slow down – those looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of working life may seek relaxing experiences such as spa days and wellness tours. But remember, nature is therapy too and can improve mood, energy, and creativity! Provide outdoor areas for guests to get fresh air and soak up some sun.
- Tailor rooms for guests staying longer looking for stress-relief breaks who don’t want to rush back to their busy itineraries. This could be as simple as adding ‘home-comforts’ to your rooms, like a separate living space, to delight extended-stay guests.
- Go back to basics. Gen Z seeks luxury in digital detox, after being hyper-connected to the tech world. Swap screens for books, or even install a ‘digital off’ switch like Villa Stéphanie in Germany.
These additions aid guests in maintaining the healthy habits they’ve established at home and satisfy the increased demand for this growing wellness trend.
What are the benefits?
With some of these suggestions in place, guests will feel more comfortable carrying out their daily wellness habits. This, in turn, improves the guest experience, boosts 5-star reviews, and increases the chances of repeat bookings.
Competition for guests between lodging providers is fierce. Separate yourself from the pack by adding value to your rentals with on-trend wellness attraction partnerships and increasing your business’ profitability. Guest experience providers connect you to these partnerships, helping you offer free activities to your guests for every day of their stay.
Establishing relationships with attraction providers connects you to the local community, allowing you to contribute to the local ecosystem.
Appeal to guests through all seasons, with all-year-round attractions, like yoga retreats, or with specific attractions for each season, like skiing in winter.
Attract a broader range of guests than you did before by having something for every type of traveler, such as golf days for baby boomers who prefer more traditional forms of self-care and white water rafting for millennials and Gen Z. They opt for preventative self-care through exercise.
It’s thought that wellness tourism will account for 18% of all global travel this year, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get involved. Tap into this growing travel trend by making your vacation rental wellness-friendly to appeal to all generations year-round and stand out from competitors. This will help your guests be their best selves, plus it’ll take your business from surviving to thriving – so, give your business a wellness boost!
Xplorie
Xplorie is the leading platform in guest acquisition and retention solutions for leisure lodging providers. Since 1996, Xplorie has leveraged local and complementary activities to help lodging providers differentiate their properties, improve guest loyalty and increase top-line revenue. To learn more about how Xplorie enables lodging providers to deliver an unforgettable vacation experience to guests, visit xplorie.com/partner.
