The tide is turning on excess, with more and more consumers interested in marking high days and holidays with wellbeing rather than indulgence. The rapid growth of veganuary and dryjanuary are just early indicators of this awakening and we must back this trend
By Liz Terry | Published in Spa Business 2018 issue 1
Health, happiness and vitality are the goals / Alex Emanuel Koch/shutterstock
Celebrating life is a fundamental part of being well and happy. Whatever our culture and wherever we live, our years are measured out by the cadence of high points and festivities.
But although these celebrations bring joy, time with family and friends, time to reboot and reflect and a rest from work, they also – too often – bring ill health and upset.
The reason is clear, we’ve allowed our cycle of festivals to be taken over by the food industry, which commits vast budgets to pushing rich food and drink via endless seductive advertising.
In short, the wellness industry is being completely outgunned in the battle for the consumer at these important times of year and the health impacts are clear to see.
The traditional year-end and new year celebrations are a case in point. For many, they mean sitting indoors overloading the body.
Couple this with a lack of exercise and fresh air and, in some cases vitamin D, and you have a perfect formula for unwellness – the antithesis of everything our industry is aiming to achieve.
As the winter recedes and we head into spring in the northern parts of the world, there’s time to reflect on just how shocking this effect has been through the winter of 2017-18. Flu has wreaked havoc with many people’s health, leaving record numbers hospitalised and post-viral.
Viruses are around all the time. The only thing that changes is our ability to fight them. When we live well, we win, when we live badly, we create a breeding ground for them and they thrive. It’s a matter of survival of the fittest at its most fundamental. It’s us versus them.
So how should we read this? On the one hand, it’s pure proof that bad lifestyle makes you sick and can do so very, very fast – it’s as though a huge, real-time experiment is being conducted on whole societies, with vast sample sizes.
On the other hand, we must champion the alternative – good lifestyle underpins health and we have the knowledge to help people achieve it.
The time is right for new initiatives – it’s no coincidence dryjanuary and veganuary have taken off so fast: people are looking for these solutions.
Let’s start a movement to make all festive seasons times of wellness. Let’s stand our ground against the food industry and make our case. We have it within our remit to make a difference.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Promotional feature: Oakworks
Dafne Berlanga, vice president of international business
development of Oakworks, discusses the importance of sustainability
In a world where imbalance often accumulates quietly, Wildsmith unveils its newest
wellbeing innovation: Silent Loads, an approach designed to meet the needs of modern spa
guests with precision and depth. [more...]
The tide is turning on excess, with more and more consumers interested in marking high days and holidays with wellbeing rather than indulgence. The rapid growth of veganuary and dryjanuary are just early indicators of this awakening and we must back this trend
By Liz Terry | Published in Spa Business 2018 issue 1
Health, happiness and vitality are the goals / Alex Emanuel Koch/shutterstock
Celebrating life is a fundamental part of being well and happy. Whatever our culture and wherever we live, our years are measured out by the cadence of high points and festivities.
But although these celebrations bring joy, time with family and friends, time to reboot and reflect and a rest from work, they also – too often – bring ill health and upset.
The reason is clear, we’ve allowed our cycle of festivals to be taken over by the food industry, which commits vast budgets to pushing rich food and drink via endless seductive advertising.
In short, the wellness industry is being completely outgunned in the battle for the consumer at these important times of year and the health impacts are clear to see.
The traditional year-end and new year celebrations are a case in point. For many, they mean sitting indoors overloading the body.
Couple this with a lack of exercise and fresh air and, in some cases vitamin D, and you have a perfect formula for unwellness – the antithesis of everything our industry is aiming to achieve.
As the winter recedes and we head into spring in the northern parts of the world, there’s time to reflect on just how shocking this effect has been through the winter of 2017-18. Flu has wreaked havoc with many people’s health, leaving record numbers hospitalised and post-viral.
Viruses are around all the time. The only thing that changes is our ability to fight them. When we live well, we win, when we live badly, we create a breeding ground for them and they thrive. It’s a matter of survival of the fittest at its most fundamental. It’s us versus them.
So how should we read this? On the one hand, it’s pure proof that bad lifestyle makes you sick and can do so very, very fast – it’s as though a huge, real-time experiment is being conducted on whole societies, with vast sample sizes.
On the other hand, we must champion the alternative – good lifestyle underpins health and we have the knowledge to help people achieve it.
The time is right for new initiatives – it’s no coincidence dryjanuary and veganuary have taken off so fast: people are looking for these solutions.
Let’s start a movement to make all festive seasons times of wellness. Let’s stand our ground against the food industry and make our case. We have it within our remit to make a difference.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Promotional feature: Oakworks
Dafne Berlanga, vice president of international business
development of Oakworks, discusses the importance of sustainability
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
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.
In a world where imbalance often accumulates quietly, Wildsmith unveils its newest
wellbeing innovation: Silent Loads, an approach designed to meet the needs of modern spa
guests with precision and depth. [more...]
