Here I uncover the top spa and wellness travel trends for 2014. As the co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel, I'm always researching and forecasting the next big trends in wellness holidays. Here are my latest predictions for 2014.
Personalised Wellness
There is a big emphasis on personalised wellness which is set to grow. When people know more, they buy more and are focused on taking a proactive approach in improving their physical and mental health. Spas are not just about pampering but are positioning themselves as wellness providers. We are becoming more immersed in looking after ourselves and our needs are becoming more specific. Wellness holidays are now tailor-making programmes for clients to fulfil a more personalised approach for their requirements, rather than just selling fixed packages with set inclusions. Health and Fitness Travel has created their exclusive Fusion Fitness programmes with spa hotels for clients needing this tailored approach.
A personalised training session is the perfect way to discover new fitness techniques.
Medical Spas and Global Ageing
Spa holidays were always places to be spoiled, pampered and indulged until the new dawning of wellness culture introduced the medical spa to help clients maintain a youthful appearance. Savvy wellness consumers choose to maintain a healthy lifestyle and turning back the clock on ageing is now big business. Medi-spas are now a popular option to treat a variety of conditions by specialised doctors. We are living longer lives and are conscious about prolonging our health. More spa hotels will continue developing into this arena to stay on top of this fast-growing segment.
Mental Restoration
With the fast pace of life not slowing down, consumers need mindful healthy holidays that offer mental restoration so they can renew their bodies and mind. Clients need to learn how to manage stress and find that holistic practises such as meditation, yoga and Qi Gong along with life coaching can help steer them in the right direction to maintain their emotional and physical well-being.
Food and Diet
A well-balanced and healthy diet plays a key role in our daily well-being. With food proven to be a source of healing, spas have continued to work on bespoke menus with the emphasis on how nutritious and healthy food can in fact be tasty and enjoyable. Detox and weight-loss spas can help clients develop healthier eating patterns and educate how the right diet can help restore and replenish the body. Clients are also being shown how to recreate recipes at home.
Hot New Fitness Crazes
From surfboard yoga to underwater cycling, clients want to spice up their current workout routine on fitness holidays with new styles of exercise. With high intensity interval training still a big fitness craze, spas are incorporating body exercises such as battle rope training to trampoline workouts and aerial fitness to give routines an overhaul with some fun and effective new workouts.
Paddleboard yoga is a unique way to work muscles and strengthen the core.
Return on Investment
Spa goers are discovering that inexpensive spa holidays will not essentially bring them a return on investment in terms of measurable health benefits and lasting results. Clients are choosing wellness stays that focus on personal enrichment so they achieve their health and fitness goals. For peace of mind, self-discovery or a brand new body, we want to focus solely on improving our health and well-being so we return home looking and feeling better than ever.
Learning Something New
Clients want to learn something new on holiday and come back enriched. We want to understand how our wellness experience has benefited us and what tools we can take home. Knowledge is power and with wellness wisdom being shared among guests, we can take away useful learnings to incorporate in our day to day lives. With more health lectures now on spa activity schedules and support from experts, we can return home wiser and smarter. Some clients also want to learn a new activity on holiday such as paddle board yoga or Thai boxing, and are able to fulfil a personal goal at spa hotels that offer such activities.
Spa Nature; the Great Outdoors
From rainforest spas to beach or mountain well-being retreats, spa goers choose to reconnect with nature and the great outdoors whilst on their spa holiday. Outdoor activity lovers want to combine spa breaks with activities from hiking to adventure sports. Not all clients want their spa treatments indoors so more spas are moving treatments outdoors to fulfil this desire.
Combining activity with the outdoors allows you to reconnect with nature.
Wellness and Culture Combined
Spa travellers are now combining the benefits of exploring differing cultures whilst staying healthy and active, mixing discovery with well-being on holiday. Why travel to far-flung destinations and not sample the local culture with tailor-made trips? Wellness travellers want to experience the country, traditions, mix with the local people and then recuperate on a wellness retreat with indulgent spa treatments, exercise, relaxation and healthy food, so they end their trip with a learned travel experience whilst feeling rejuvenated. Health and Fitness Travel has created their new Discover Recover holidays offering a unique opportunity to unite the perfect travel experience of wellness with culture and I expect this trend to grow.
Family Spa-ing Together
Spas have traditionally been for grown-ups with single travellers dominating the market. Now there is increasing demand for parents to bring their children along for the spa adventure. Family's spa-ing together is becoming more popular and spas are finding creative ways to welcome the whole family on holiday to engage in activities together. With more wellness resorts offering inclusive kids clubs and babysitting, this is giving parents 'me time' to still enjoy their spa and fitness holiday. With spas presenting teen and kid spa offerings across their resorts, children are participating in more sport activities and eating a healthy well-balanced diet, encouraged by their parents sophisticated spa, wellness and beauty habits.
Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation is the new yoga. As yoga exploded into popular acceptance over the last decade, meditation is now having its moment in the limelight with witnessing its benefits for mental balance and happiness. Mindfulness is a mind-body approach to well-being that can help us change the way we think about experiences and reduce stress and anxiety. With regular meditation being claimed to improve the immune system, boost memory, regulate emotions and combat depression, more spas are now introducing group meditation classes on their schedules with the option for private lessons.
Meditation surrounded by beautiful views at Ananda in the Himalayas.
To find the best healthy holidays hot on the trail of these latest spa and wellness trends visit www.healthandfitnesstravel.com or call 0203 3978891
(All images supplied by Health and Fitness Travel)