As happiness becomes increasingly recognised as the ultimate measure of prosperity, the spa and wellness industry stands poised to play a pivotal role in cultivating joy and harmony on a global scale
Sauna Aid’s mission is to offer relief to people in times of crisis / photo: shutterstock/halfpoint
The latest World Happiness Report shows that Finland is the ‘happiest’ country for the seventh year running, while the US has fallen out of the top 20 for the first time since the report was initially published in 2012. Fresh insights across different ages and generations also show that young people in the West are becoming unhappier.
The report, based on 140 nations, offers insights into the wellbeing of populations, societal trends and consumer preferences. It serves as a compass for spas as they create environments that nurture happiness and contentment.
At the same time, it also validates everything spas stand for. This issue of Spa Business is packed full of myriad examples that feed into happiness, such as Joali Being, a Maldivian island dedicated to transformative wellness (p60) and the debut of Janu, Aman’s sister brand which celebrates “genuine human interaction” (p12). Yet perhaps the most profound, in a world grappling with escalating stressors, is the Sauna Aid initiative which is bringing respite to war-torn Ukraine (p24).
Happiness is also increasingly grabbing the attention of policymakers worldwide. On p30, we take a deep dive into the plans for a ‘mindfulness city’ that have been revealed by the King of Bhutan. The development, nearly as big as Hong Kong, is underpinned by the country’s deep-rooted spirituality and its Gross National Happiness index – a measure indicating the wellness of its people that guides the government.
Most recently, the inaugural World Wellbeing Policy Forum – part of the World Happiness Summit – was held in the UK (see www.spabusiness.com/wwpf). Based on the belief that “wellbeing progress should be the main objective of societies”, the event saw international leaders explore the role that government, business, politics and education have to play in improving global wellness.
Coincidentally, both the happiness report and forum are backed by the United Nations, which champions happiness and believes it to be a “fundamental human goal”.
Such high-level recognition – and action – in the pursuit of happiness can only be a good thing for our industry. By aligning services with this in mind, stakeholders can position themselves as indispensable contributors to individual and societal wellbeing.
photo: Jack Emmerson
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
As happiness becomes increasingly recognised as the ultimate measure of prosperity, the spa and wellness industry stands poised to play a pivotal role in cultivating joy and harmony on a global scale
Sauna Aid’s mission is to offer relief to people in times of crisis / photo: shutterstock/halfpoint
The latest World Happiness Report shows that Finland is the ‘happiest’ country for the seventh year running, while the US has fallen out of the top 20 for the first time since the report was initially published in 2012. Fresh insights across different ages and generations also show that young people in the West are becoming unhappier.
The report, based on 140 nations, offers insights into the wellbeing of populations, societal trends and consumer preferences. It serves as a compass for spas as they create environments that nurture happiness and contentment.
At the same time, it also validates everything spas stand for. This issue of Spa Business is packed full of myriad examples that feed into happiness, such as Joali Being, a Maldivian island dedicated to transformative wellness (p60) and the debut of Janu, Aman’s sister brand which celebrates “genuine human interaction” (p12). Yet perhaps the most profound, in a world grappling with escalating stressors, is the Sauna Aid initiative which is bringing respite to war-torn Ukraine (p24).
Happiness is also increasingly grabbing the attention of policymakers worldwide. On p30, we take a deep dive into the plans for a ‘mindfulness city’ that have been revealed by the King of Bhutan. The development, nearly as big as Hong Kong, is underpinned by the country’s deep-rooted spirituality and its Gross National Happiness index – a measure indicating the wellness of its people that guides the government.
Most recently, the inaugural World Wellbeing Policy Forum – part of the World Happiness Summit – was held in the UK (see www.spabusiness.com/wwpf). Based on the belief that “wellbeing progress should be the main objective of societies”, the event saw international leaders explore the role that government, business, politics and education have to play in improving global wellness.
Coincidentally, both the happiness report and forum are backed by the United Nations, which champions happiness and believes it to be a “fundamental human goal”.
Such high-level recognition – and action – in the pursuit of happiness can only be a good thing for our industry. By aligning services with this in mind, stakeholders can position themselves as indispensable contributors to individual and societal wellbeing.
photo: Jack Emmerson
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
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.
