Travel Market Report
The Global Wellness Summit, held in Mexico in November, offered a much broader wellness focus than when it first launched in 2007 as the Global Spa Summit. But the spa industry continues to be a vital part of the wide spectrum of wellness businesses in the annual event.
When Travel Market Report asked a few attendees to weigh in on new developments we might see in 2016 and beyond, they suggested the following:
1. Spas meet medicine
Andrew Gibson, vice president of spa and wellness for FRHI Hotels and Resorts (Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissotel), foresees the continuing convergence of spas and hotels with the medical world.
“The realms of medical wellness and medi spas are already immensely popular in many parts of the world,” he said. “Many private hospitals are already delivering five-star customer service, and there will soon be more medical hotels where patients become guests. There will not only be inpatient facilities for guests (i.e., patients) but floors for family and friends to stay. Once this happens, the facilities will match those of any quality hotel, with superb F&B and spa facilities.”
2. A global chain of destination spas
With more than 30 years of international spa and hospitality experience to his credit, Gibson predicted that a global chain of destination spas will be launched in the near future.
