Trends and Challenges in Health and Wellness Tourism

Puczkó László, PhD CMC

Feeling well...

Health & Wellness‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO, 1948)

‘The extent to which an individual or a group is able to realize aspirations and satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living; it is a positive concept, emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities’ (WHO, 1984)

‘A special state of health comprising an overall sense of well-being which sees ‘Man’ as consisting of body, spirit and mind and being dependent on his environment’ (Dunn, 1959)

„A way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being in which the body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live more fully within the human and natural community”(Myers, Sweeney & Witmer, 2000)

Well-what??

English-speaking world not altogether familiar with the term ‘wellness’

‘Wellness’ often synonymous with ‘medical’ in CEE

No word for wellness in some languages Hebrew = ‘health’ Finnish = ‘wellbeing’ Slovenian = ‘well-feeling’ German = ‘Wohlfühl’ or ‘Wohlsein-Oase’

Types of Health Tourism

Wellness Medical

Holistic Leisure and Recreation

Medical Wellness

Medical (Therap-

eutic)

Medical (Surgical)

Body

Medical (therapeutic)

Tourism

Leisure Spa Tourism

Spirit

Thalasso Tourism

Medical (surgical) Tourism

Holistic Tourism Yoga and

Meditation Tourism

Occupational Wellness Tourism

Spiritual Tourism

Mind

Spiritual Beauty Treatments

Therapeutic Recreation

Rehabilitation (illness related)

Cosmetic Surgery

Yoga and Meditation Sport & Fitness Rehabilitation

(lifestyle related)Healing &

Recuperation Dentistry

New Age Pampering Occupational Wellness Operations

Thalassotherapy

Nutritional & Detox Programmes

Holistic Leisure and Recreation Medical Wellness Medical

(therapeutic)Medical

(surgical)

Wellness Tourism Medical Tourism

Holistic Leisure and Recreation Medical Wellness Medical

(therapeutic)Medical (surgical)

Types of Health Tourism Facilities

Retreat Spas Hospitals & Clinics

Ashram Hotels & Resorts

Festivals Leisure centres

Cruises

Wellness Tourism Medical Tourism

Challenges

1. Experiences2. Trust & Safety

Blue Lagoon (Iceland)

Challenge

1. Experiences2. Trust & Safety3. Milieu4. Finances

Lake Wellness (Finland)

Li'tya Spa Dreaming, St Kilda

“We've Spent 40,000 Years Creating the Day Spa of your Dreams.”

And More...

Miraval, Life in Balance (Arizona, USA)Desert Journey: balancing a feathar on palm

while walking The Oberoi Rajvilas (Jaipur, India)

Rice and Milk Peeling & Turmeric Scrub The Spa at Mandarin Oriental (Tokyo,

Japan) Treatment according to the given day, hour

and personality with applicable colours and smells

What Already Exist...

Yoga

Mother-Baby & Mother-Daugther Cruise

For Singels

Sport & fitness GardeningGardening

New Directions

Shift back to indigenous & natural products & treatments

Need for greening or spas & eco-friendliness More holistic tourism Growth of global wellness hotels More wellness areas at music festivals Increase in gastro-travel More fusion treatments (e.g. Aquaveda, Yogalates) Flexible delivery of treatments (e.g. own home,

workplace, online, even in bars!)

What Will Come?

Wellpitals SpaLiving

Eco-Fit Resort Dreamscapes

MySpa Hol-Life Retreat

Well-Working Budget-Spa

Hvala!lpuczko@xellum.hu