Health & wellness is not a niche category but a key aspect in the lives of the luxury consumer demographic. An APAC-wide insight report by Reuter: Intelligence, the leader in luxury insights & research, has been created in partnership with ILTM, the luxury travel business event specialists. Mindstyle: The Next Generation of Health & Wellness Travel, discovered that health & wellness is top of mind in diverse areas of daily life.
With wellness both the mindset and lifestyle, the defining word is ‘mindstyle’, which means ‘the cumulative attitudes and consistent habits of thinking that a person develops about her or his chosen lifestyle’.
Mindstyle is the ideal label to frame the wellness world – put simply: during luxury travel, your customers expect the same health & wellness experiences – or further elevated versions thereof – as they already have around them.
This excerpt looks at the rise of women-only travel, as the ‘sheconomy‘ booms. Find the full report here, available for free download.
Empowerment and Self-discovery
Also known as the ‘sheconomy’, women are the decision-makers for different forms of luxury. On China’s leading booking platform Ctrip, 70 percent of hotel bookings are made by female users, and women accounted for 53.2 percent of decision-making in high-end tourism consumption in 2019.
Among these female travelers, the percentage of solo women travelers outnumbers that of men at 63 percent vs. 36 percent. They seek trust-worthy and safe travel experiences, as well as hoping to empower themselves both physically and spiritually.
Women-only wellness retreats are trending as well, as brands such as Escapada and SuperShe create spaces and communities for women to invigorate body and mind, discovering connections, friendships and fun, immersed in self-caring and soulful experiences.
Looking across the Asia-Pacific market, hospitality and wellness destinations such as Soul Sanctuaries facilitate female travellers as they look for luxury wellness retreats throughout Asia.
Travelling together with other women is expected to be the next new trend. Also interestingly relevant is the power of women reflected in the increasing number of women employees who join the global travel industry, contributing to a ‘sisterhood’ environment and drive for increased safety guidance and care.
Expert voice:
Janine Hall, Founder & Owner of Escape Haven, Bali.
Women’s only retreats are an incredible way for women to rejuvenate and fill up their own cup. At Escape Haven we believe that every woman has the ability to transform and blossom into the most radiant version of herself when given time, space and support of a nourishing, uplifting environment. By investing in their wellbeing, women can live up to their full potential and ultimately, give back to others.
With our proximity to Australia and New Zealand, we do welcome women from these countries the most. Our most common demographic is around 35 years old, however every retreat week is a mix of all ages, we welcome women in their early twenties, and also ladies who are in their sixties. Many women come on a retreat looking for some time to relax and rejuvenate. Many have busy demanding jobs, while others balance being a parent and working.
We also find that women come on a retreat at transitional stages in their lives – when changing jobs, going through a separation, or moving into a new stage of life.
In an age when being busy is glorified, we have more roles, responsibilities and obligations than ever before, plus the modern pressures that come with social media and always being ‘switched on’, the need for women to retreat is higher than ever. Self-care is becoming more and more important and so too are things such as getting back to nature, being around other women, and taking time to simply be present in each moment.
This is why practices such as yoga, meditation, and even surfing are such a big part of the retreat – they bring us into the present moment. With the need for women to retreat becoming so important, we envision shorter retreats becoming quite popular, and also for retreats to become even more personalized as women all have unique goals and needs.
