Why does being healthy feel more like a punishment when the wellness industry offers pleasure in abundance? It’s time to make ‘pleasure health’ the new ‘play’ to realise the true value of our sector
Why not focus on the enjoyment and benefits of activities over how challenging they can be? / photo: Global Wellness Summit 2024
Just back from this year’s Global Wellness Summit, the team at Spa Business is brimming with ideas for future content. On p86 we reveal our highlights from the three-day event and on p32 we share the latest industry numbers released there – the global wellness economy is now worth US$6.3 trillion (€5.99 trillion, £4.98 trillion) and is expected to reach US$9 trillion (€8.6 trillion, £7.1 trillion) by 2028.
A standout talk delivered by Anna Bjurstam, the wellness pioneer at Six Senses, focused on ‘pleasure health’. Pleasure is linked to enhanced immunity, resilience and cognitive function, Bjurstam said, and so many spa and wellness services already boost feel-good hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin. However, she believes “the wellness industry is selling itself as a Victorian punishment regime”.
Instead of pointing out how you suffer in a cold plunge, why not present it as an activity that feels so exhilarating that you’ll be on top of your game for the rest of the day, she reasoned. Or, when selling sleep health, rather than homing in on things to give up, such as phones and alcohol, create a programme people will look forward to every night.
The key is to build anticipation, as that’s when the spike in feel-good hormones occurs. “So why on earth is it more exciting to track an Amazon package than to get a spa booking confirmation?” asked Bjurstam.
Other industries, such as the food and gaming sectors, have perfected the path to pleasure and there’s no reason we can’t follow suit. On p47, for example, Dean Kowarski, the CEO of Virgin Active, outlines its successful loyalty programme that rewards wellness behaviours. But can we do more? Can we study people’s reactions to water to see what temperature is the most enjoyable and what’s the optimum duration for a dip? Or what about investigating what makes massage addictive?
In the past, Spa Business has highlighted the benefits of incorporating playfulness in operations (see www.spabusiness.com/play) and it’s clear that pleasure health is just as important.
“The future of wellness lies in understanding the science of feeling good,” Bjurstam said. By doing that, we might even surpass that US$9 trillion valuation we’re predicted to hit in the next four years.
photo: Jack Emmerson
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 4
Editor's letter: Pleasure time
It’s time to make ‘pleasure health’ the new ‘play’ to realise the true value of the wellness sector, says Katie Barnes
Spa people: Luuk Melisse
Sanctum's co-founder Luuk Melisse on going global with the unique, spiritual workout that originated in Amsterdam
Interview: Dean Kowarski
Virgin Active is transforming its gym business with 230 sites and 1.2 million members into a social wellness brand. The CEO reveals more details to Liz Terry
First person: Steamy situation
Cassandra Cavanah is moved to tears (and also a little nervous) as she joins hundreds of near-naked heat enthusiasts at this year's Aufguss World Championships
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: In touch
Sara Brenninger talks
to wellness expert
Alina Hernandez
about the power of
real snow to create
immersive touchless
wellness experiences
Interview: Fabian Dolman
How can operators make a successful business out of aufguss programmes? Thermen Resort's CEO gives some tips
Sponsored: Best of both
Alina Hernandez, Gharieni Group advisory board member, explains how Metawell – its portfolio of tech-forward mind/body technologies – is right on time for the next era of wellness
Sponsored: Elevate your business with EGYM
Transform your business with fully connected, personalised and data-powered solutions that drive results
for members, trainers and businesses
Sponsored: Outstanding in its field
RKF Luxury Linen has had a stellar year in 2024, hitting new standards of excellence with a raft of certifications
Promotion: Rest and repeat
Starpool is drawing on science, innovation and equilibrium to offer the industry’s leading recovery solutions
Sponsored: Iyashi Dôme's Oteire
Modern consumers demand solutions that blend cutting-edge technology with proven results, and Iyashi Dôme is rising to the challenge by redefining industry standards
First person: Sparkling Water
Mary Bemis is one of the first to visit the stunning new Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Bali at Sayan
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
Why does being healthy feel more like a punishment when the wellness industry offers pleasure in abundance? It’s time to make ‘pleasure health’ the new ‘play’ to realise the true value of our sector
Why not focus on the enjoyment and benefits of activities over how challenging they can be? / photo: Global Wellness Summit 2024
Just back from this year’s Global Wellness Summit, the team at Spa Business is brimming with ideas for future content. On p86 we reveal our highlights from the three-day event and on p32 we share the latest industry numbers released there – the global wellness economy is now worth US$6.3 trillion (€5.99 trillion, £4.98 trillion) and is expected to reach US$9 trillion (€8.6 trillion, £7.1 trillion) by 2028.
A standout talk delivered by Anna Bjurstam, the wellness pioneer at Six Senses, focused on ‘pleasure health’. Pleasure is linked to enhanced immunity, resilience and cognitive function, Bjurstam said, and so many spa and wellness services already boost feel-good hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin. However, she believes “the wellness industry is selling itself as a Victorian punishment regime”.
Instead of pointing out how you suffer in a cold plunge, why not present it as an activity that feels so exhilarating that you’ll be on top of your game for the rest of the day, she reasoned. Or, when selling sleep health, rather than homing in on things to give up, such as phones and alcohol, create a programme people will look forward to every night.
The key is to build anticipation, as that’s when the spike in feel-good hormones occurs. “So why on earth is it more exciting to track an Amazon package than to get a spa booking confirmation?” asked Bjurstam.
Other industries, such as the food and gaming sectors, have perfected the path to pleasure and there’s no reason we can’t follow suit. On p47, for example, Dean Kowarski, the CEO of Virgin Active, outlines its successful loyalty programme that rewards wellness behaviours. But can we do more? Can we study people’s reactions to water to see what temperature is the most enjoyable and what’s the optimum duration for a dip? Or what about investigating what makes massage addictive?
In the past, Spa Business has highlighted the benefits of incorporating playfulness in operations (see www.spabusiness.com/play) and it’s clear that pleasure health is just as important.
“The future of wellness lies in understanding the science of feeling good,” Bjurstam said. By doing that, we might even surpass that US$9 trillion valuation we’re predicted to hit in the next four years.
photo: Jack Emmerson
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 4
Editor's letter: Pleasure time
It’s time to make ‘pleasure health’ the new ‘play’ to realise the true value of the wellness sector, says Katie Barnes
Spa people: Luuk Melisse
Sanctum's co-founder Luuk Melisse on going global with the unique, spiritual workout that originated in Amsterdam
Interview: Dean Kowarski
Virgin Active is transforming its gym business with 230 sites and 1.2 million members into a social wellness brand. The CEO reveals more details to Liz Terry
First person: Steamy situation
Cassandra Cavanah is moved to tears (and also a little nervous) as she joins hundreds of near-naked heat enthusiasts at this year's Aufguss World Championships
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: In touch
Sara Brenninger talks
to wellness expert
Alina Hernandez
about the power of
real snow to create
immersive touchless
wellness experiences
Interview: Fabian Dolman
How can operators make a successful business out of aufguss programmes? Thermen Resort's CEO gives some tips
Sponsored: Best of both
Alina Hernandez, Gharieni Group advisory board member, explains how Metawell – its portfolio of tech-forward mind/body technologies – is right on time for the next era of wellness
Sponsored: Elevate your business with EGYM
Transform your business with fully connected, personalised and data-powered solutions that drive results
for members, trainers and businesses
Sponsored: Outstanding in its field
RKF Luxury Linen has had a stellar year in 2024, hitting new standards of excellence with a raft of certifications
Promotion: Rest and repeat
Starpool is drawing on science, innovation and equilibrium to offer the industry’s leading recovery solutions
Sponsored: Iyashi Dôme's Oteire
Modern consumers demand solutions that blend cutting-edge technology with proven results, and Iyashi Dôme is rising to the challenge by redefining industry standards
First person: Sparkling Water
Mary Bemis is one of the first to visit the stunning new Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Bali at Sayan
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
