Wellness tourism promotes well-being and health through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities while traveling. Even though wellness tourism is related to higher travel expenses, there’s a lot to cover if you wish to learn what this recent term intends in the travel industry.
The number of travelers considering foreign countries as a possible destination for a healthy experience is rising fast. Some travel entities believe this is the industry’s fastest-growing sector.
The US is currently the most significant wellness tourism market by far, followed by Germany, but China is not so far left behind. The medical travel website Medigo has reported a 200% rise in queries on orthopedic treatment and increasing numbers of visits to countries such as France and Switzerland.
Internationally, the most frequently sought and valuable services include dental care, fertility treatment, elective surgery, and cosmetic surgery, according to US-based Orbis Research. Developed nations like the US, UK, Germany, Japan, France, and Canada are advising highly advanced treatments, attracting patients from countries less well equipped. Developing countries focus and invest in medical tourism as a growth industry.
Wellness tourists and medical tourists are not the same. Wellness travelers are proactive in improving or preserving health and quality of life, often focusing on prevention. While medical tourists generally travel reactively to get treatment for a diagnosed illness or condition. There should be no doubt that Costa Rica offers quality healthcare; extra efforts should be put into similar areas as well.
There was a relevant event in which business owners, professionals, and investors in health and wellness tourism discussed related matters at the 2015 edition of the National Health Tourism Forum, ExpoMED 2015. Their website breaks down which are the most developed regions for wellness tourism practices in the country. Check more details here: https://www.promedcostarica.org/international/costa-rica/wellness-tourism/
Tour operators realize that wellness is a product they should offer, yet many don’t know how to attract and serve the growing public of health-conscious customers. To please this audience, agencies are required to have the training and promotional opportunities as well as guidance in designing fitted group tours and tailor-made trips. Travel agents are attracted to wellness travel because it is personally and professionally rewarding.
The First Costa Rica International Congress of Wellness and Spa was held from August 31 to September 2, 2018, in La Fortuna, San Carlos. The main idea was to consolidate this brand within the national tourist area, identified worldwide by its thermal waters, as a well-being destination.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), labor stress is a global epidemic and one of the chronic diseases with the highest cost of medical care. As part of the travel industry development, most travel entities throughout the national territory are creating extra measures to recreate pleasant physical spaces with a differentiated natural offer to ease the level of comfort.
The Pura Vida Wellness Strategy was also launched to contribute to a market looking for activities such as meditation, reflexology, yoga, thalassotherapy, flotation therapy, therapeutic massages, thermal water treatments, consumption of organic products, and outdoor sports, among others.
According to the Global Wellness Institute and their definition of wellness tourism, every place has a unique offer. Costa Rica, along with Belize, specializes in “Rainforest Spa Retreats.”
Check more details here: https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/what-is-wellness-tourism/.
It’s clear that Costa Rica has been recognized internationally as a wellness destination; the country still aims to expand the offer. The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) is investing through training, workshops, and discussions to improve visitor services and professionalize the sector. As per ICT data, tourism today is a global market of 563,000 million dollars, and this sector spends approximately 130% more than average tourists. America and Europe dominate this market.
Vacation time is the perfect chance to rest from work stress and daily living; a well-rounded vacation should focus on the objective of improving personal health. Travelers are becoming more aware of the value associated with a genuine wellness vacation that is organized with a specific goal and carefully researched to ensure the right fit before booking.
Keep in mind that while making the conscious decision to travel for a purpose related to one’s state of health and sense of well-being. You should consider following educational programs that share ways to incorporate healthy habits into our everyday lives. It can also include volunteering experiences because giving back is just another way of appreciating life.
Patients Beyond Borders, the US-based international medical travel publisher, says the world’s top destinations are (in alphabetical order) Costa Rica, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States.
A lot of wellness itineraries may come in the form of on-site therapists, personal trainers, or wellness practitioners. However, hotels, too, are moving beyond the everyday fitness center and embracing travelers with different tastes by offering ‘wellness rooms,’ energy treatments, and guided meditation.
By 2020, Costa Rica was positioned in 14th place in the global ranking in the medical tourism index; at present after 5 years, it is at 7th place out of 46 destinations.
Check more details here: https://www.medicaltourismindex.com/destination/costa-rica/
Wellness has become a dominant consumer value and lifestyle driver, and its adoption is profoundly changing behavior, choices, and spending decisions.
G Adventures, a travel agency that specializes in packaged tours, launched its wellness program in 2020. And with data to back it up, it makes sense for travel companies to move in this direction. If you plan to implement a related service in your business, keep in mind that wellness travelers are very often a part of a wealthy stratum and likely to shell out more money than regular vacationers for higher standards.
Wellness travel means stepping out of a comfort zone and pushing boundaries. And most people realize it is a life-enriching experience. Visitors choose destinations not for the types of experiences they can gain, but for new knowledge or skills they can learn and new challenges they can take on.
Our bodies, minds, and souls require and deserve time to relax, restore, cleanse, strengthen, and realign. Having busy lives demands a lot of time and energy from us. To be the best versions of ourselves, we need to treat ourselves individually with love and nourishment. Wellness retreats are an excellent option for this, and Costa Rica has fantastic options.
