Belgin Aksoy celebrates Global Wellness Day
with Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson
With the slogan ‘One day can change your whole life’, the Global Wellness Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year. Founded by Turkish entrepreneur Belgin Aksoy, the event is now in its fourth year and is based on the idea of establishing an international day to living healthier lives.
“Living well is the simple necessity for every human being on the planet,” Aksoy says. “To overcome the global problems such as depression and lead a healthier and happier life, we needed an inspiring beginning. That beginning is Global Wellness Day, a day that is now celebrated in more than 100 countries.”
Welcoming wellness A member of the industrialist Aksoy family, Belgin started her career in the hotel business in the 1990s. She sits on the board of the Aksoy Group – whose interests range from hospitality to e-business – and was instrumental in setting up the Richmond Nua Wellness-Spa at Lake Sapanca in northern Turkey, described as Turkey’s first destination spa. She is also the creative director of hotel management company Richmond International in Turkey.
When she speaks about Global Wellness Day, however, it is clear that it the initiative has become her passion. “The main objective of Global Wellness Day is to show that wellness is the right of each individual,” she says. “To make us aware of the value of our lives.”
Aksoy adds that the purpose of the day is to highlight that wellness isn’t a luxury item only on offer to those who can afford it. “Today, the general challenge that we are facing in all world countries is to make the societies aware of the ‘wellness’ concept. Many people think that wellness is a luxury that can’t be reached without the financial power.”
Sporting chances Events during Global Wellness Day will see a number of hospitality groups organise a wide range of activities designed to improve lives – including sport. One of these is luxury hotel operator Mandarin Oriental, whose hotels around the world are offering a variety of complimentary wellness activities for guests. These include a guided jog around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, a Pilates class in the Spa Garden in Marrakech and a complimentary “sky-high fitness” training circuit with harbour views in Hong Kong.
Elsewhere, another luxury operator, Anantara, is putting on kick-boxing (Muay Thai) classes at sunset, while the Rosewood CordeValle hotel in California, US, will host a 5km run through the property and surrounding area – as well as guided three-mile hikes in the morning and evening. One of the most impressive Global Wellness Day activities will take place in France, where a 42km relay marathon involving 420 people – each running 100m – will create a large human chain.
“Hotels and Spas that choose to celebrate the day are developing new services to present their guests,” Aksoy says. “Providing these complementary activities during the day helps them to enrich their services and improve satisfaction as they give importance to the well-being of their guests.”
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
Belgin Aksoy celebrates Global Wellness Day
with Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson
With the slogan ‘One day can change your whole life’, the Global Wellness Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year. Founded by Turkish entrepreneur Belgin Aksoy, the event is now in its fourth year and is based on the idea of establishing an international day to living healthier lives.
“Living well is the simple necessity for every human being on the planet,” Aksoy says. “To overcome the global problems such as depression and lead a healthier and happier life, we needed an inspiring beginning. That beginning is Global Wellness Day, a day that is now celebrated in more than 100 countries.”
Welcoming wellness A member of the industrialist Aksoy family, Belgin started her career in the hotel business in the 1990s. She sits on the board of the Aksoy Group – whose interests range from hospitality to e-business – and was instrumental in setting up the Richmond Nua Wellness-Spa at Lake Sapanca in northern Turkey, described as Turkey’s first destination spa. She is also the creative director of hotel management company Richmond International in Turkey.
When she speaks about Global Wellness Day, however, it is clear that it the initiative has become her passion. “The main objective of Global Wellness Day is to show that wellness is the right of each individual,” she says. “To make us aware of the value of our lives.”
Aksoy adds that the purpose of the day is to highlight that wellness isn’t a luxury item only on offer to those who can afford it. “Today, the general challenge that we are facing in all world countries is to make the societies aware of the ‘wellness’ concept. Many people think that wellness is a luxury that can’t be reached without the financial power.”
Sporting chances Events during Global Wellness Day will see a number of hospitality groups organise a wide range of activities designed to improve lives – including sport. One of these is luxury hotel operator Mandarin Oriental, whose hotels around the world are offering a variety of complimentary wellness activities for guests. These include a guided jog around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, a Pilates class in the Spa Garden in Marrakech and a complimentary “sky-high fitness” training circuit with harbour views in Hong Kong.
Elsewhere, another luxury operator, Anantara, is putting on kick-boxing (Muay Thai) classes at sunset, while the Rosewood CordeValle hotel in California, US, will host a 5km run through the property and surrounding area – as well as guided three-mile hikes in the morning and evening. One of the most impressive Global Wellness Day activities will take place in France, where a 42km relay marathon involving 420 people – each running 100m – will create a large human chain.
“Hotels and Spas that choose to celebrate the day are developing new services to present their guests,” Aksoy says. “Providing these complementary activities during the day helps them to enrich their services and improve satisfaction as they give importance to the well-being of their guests.”
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
digital platform that will provide professionals with strategic guidance on how to build
transformational leisure experiences that drive profit.
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
