There’s certainly nothing wrong with a fly and flop vacation, and who can argue with an afternoon massage and maybe cocktails at sundown? Relaxing, sure, but today’s travelers are looking for more ways to stay healthy and fit on the road.
Wellness travel — what the Wellness Tourism Association (www.wellnesstourismassociation.org) defines as “travel that allows the traveler to maintain, enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle, and support or increase one’s sense of well-being”— is soaring. It’s now the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry, growing more than twice as fast as tourism overall.
“That shouldn’t be surprising,” says Anne Dimon, president of the Wellness Tourism Association. “We’ve become more proactive with the state of our own health, conscientiously making changes in our daily lives, adopting healthier practices and habits. We want the same when we travel.”
