What trends do you see? One of the most significant is the remarkable emergence of nature in the wellness space.
The clear message that has emerged from the pandemic is that nature is a formidable antidote to many of today’s ills. Nature makes us feel good, it eases psychological and physical pain and is associated with a multitude of benefits in terms of physical and mental wellbeing. In the foreseeable future, wellness companies that miss this obvious trend will find themselves in a precarious situation.
What have you been enjoying personally? Being based in the mountain resort of Chamonix in the French Alps, I’m very attentive to what happens in nature in the mountains, and the way in which this connects with the wellness industry.
For a while, I’ve been observing an explosion of wellness and fitness festivals. Typically, they combine trail or ultra-trail running with music, often good organic, food and immersion in nature. They constitute a new form of wellness practice, more focused on fitness but also associated with other forms of pleasure. I think these will grow exponentially in the coming years because they appeal very much to the younger generations.
What are the most critical challenges we’re facing? We face an abundance of issues that will radically alter how industries and companies operate, but the one that overrides all the others is climate change.
It’s no exaggeration to state that it’s an existential threat for many people and regions around the world and also that it’s going to get worse and exacerbate all the other issues – making conflict more likely, rendering inequalities more sharply and so on.
The wellness industry – like all the others – will need to change and adjust.
There are many ways to move forward, but only one overwhelming consideration: we must reduce carbon emissions and protect nature. The wellness industry, because of the values it embodies – must be at the forefront of this ‘battle’ – but this is not the case yet. The longer it waits, the greater the cost of the adjustment.
Will the war in Ukraine impact the industry? Apart from wellness operators actually in Ukraine, the war won’t change the wellness industry. However, it will dramatically change our overall appreciation of wellbeing (happiness, or ‘subjective wellbeing’ in the scientific jargon).
Today, there are many conflicts in the world, and each makes it plain that ‘feeling well’ in a situation of conflict is an impossibility.
Physical security is an absolute prerequisite to experiencing wellbeing and enjoying the benefits of wellness. This is true as in Ukraine, as it is in Yemen, Ethiopia and in any country and region which is a victim of a war or civil conflict. Wars are also anxiety-inducing for those not directly affected, but impacted by fear of the increased possibility of a conflict. In short: wars and conflicts destroy wellbeing.
What other threats and opportunities do you see? Forecasting is a perilous exercise. At the moment every nation and region faces its own challenges, which conflate with those of others. Take the example of the strong US dollar – this is up by 15 per cent over the past year against a basket of currencies and except for commodity exporters, global companies with US dollar earnings and American tourists this is making everybody’s lives more difficult.
There’s no immediate respite in relation to this situation in sight because it’s hard to think of what could break the multi-year strong US dollar ‘super cycle’. The dollar’s strength is an acute problem for many emerging markets with high levels of US dollar-denominated debt, whether sovereign or private.
For wellness and wellness travel markets, the biggest threat is not economic, but geopolitical: the world’s fragmentation, the retreat of globalisation and the fact that some countries are ‘retrenching’ and turning in on themselves.
Malleret says many global factors are affecting wellbeing
Global factors affecting wellbeing
Thierry Malleret shares insights
Economic uncertainty
Rates of inflation, how far will interest rates rise and global indebtedness
Geopolitical turmoil
Something that’s evident across the globe
Societal issues
Social inequities and polarisation
Environmental degradation
Nature and climate change are the two sides of the same coin, with dramatic problems flaring up everywhere
Tech innovation
Where will it lead us? Towards utopia, dystopia or somewhere in-between?
Climate change is a threat to many people around the world / Photo: Shutterstock/Rajat Chamria
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 3
Editor's letter: Salus per natura
Although great buildings lie at the heart of the spa and wellness experience, operators are turning to nature to deliver healing journeys, says Liz Terry
Spa People: Thierry Malleret
We talk to the economist behind Monthly Barometer about key trends emerging in the wellness sector, such as a greater connection with nature
Spa People: Verena Lasvigne
The founder of VLF Spa Consulting shares her learnings from a career running spas on three continents
Spa People: Kim Weller
The wellbeing director of Banyan Tree tells us about the rollout of the company's new brand, Veya – for mind/body wellness
New opening: Loisium Spa
A look at the new luxurious spa situated at the heart of France's celebrated Champagne region
Interview: Neil Jacobs
The CEO of Six Senses talks about creating an eco-system around the brand to deliver hotels, clubs, residential, offices and resorts
Project preview: Next generation wellness
We take our first look at Tulah, the new clinical wellness retreat brand about to make its debut in Kerala, India, and speak to its CEO
ISPA Research: Rate of recovery
Russell Donaldson digs deeper into ISPA's 2022 US Spa Industry Study and considers the industry's resurgence since the end of pandemic lockdowns
Sponsored: Gharieni: Delivering results
Innovation is the hallmark of Gharieni experiences, meeting the rapidly
evolving needs of wellness seekers within the spa and wellness environment
New opening: Lanserhof Sylt
Lisa Starr reports on the industry's eagerly awaited wellness experience – nestled within sand dunes on the German island of Sylt
Healing: Emotional rescue
As people increasingly seek support for their emotional wellbeing, Jane Kitchen talks to the operators who are digging deeper to deliver genuine transformation
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: Powerful contrast
Spa clients can enjoy super-cool relaxation and pain-relief at Sächsische Staatsbäder in Bad Brambach thanks to a TechnoAlpin SnowRoom
Concept: Soneva Soul
The CEO and co-founder of Soneva, Sonu Shivdasani, talks about the philosophy behind the company's new wellness concept, Soneva Soul
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
What trends do you see? One of the most significant is the remarkable emergence of nature in the wellness space.
The clear message that has emerged from the pandemic is that nature is a formidable antidote to many of today’s ills. Nature makes us feel good, it eases psychological and physical pain and is associated with a multitude of benefits in terms of physical and mental wellbeing. In the foreseeable future, wellness companies that miss this obvious trend will find themselves in a precarious situation.
What have you been enjoying personally? Being based in the mountain resort of Chamonix in the French Alps, I’m very attentive to what happens in nature in the mountains, and the way in which this connects with the wellness industry.
For a while, I’ve been observing an explosion of wellness and fitness festivals. Typically, they combine trail or ultra-trail running with music, often good organic, food and immersion in nature. They constitute a new form of wellness practice, more focused on fitness but also associated with other forms of pleasure. I think these will grow exponentially in the coming years because they appeal very much to the younger generations.
What are the most critical challenges we’re facing? We face an abundance of issues that will radically alter how industries and companies operate, but the one that overrides all the others is climate change.
It’s no exaggeration to state that it’s an existential threat for many people and regions around the world and also that it’s going to get worse and exacerbate all the other issues – making conflict more likely, rendering inequalities more sharply and so on.
The wellness industry – like all the others – will need to change and adjust.
There are many ways to move forward, but only one overwhelming consideration: we must reduce carbon emissions and protect nature. The wellness industry, because of the values it embodies – must be at the forefront of this ‘battle’ – but this is not the case yet. The longer it waits, the greater the cost of the adjustment.
Will the war in Ukraine impact the industry? Apart from wellness operators actually in Ukraine, the war won’t change the wellness industry. However, it will dramatically change our overall appreciation of wellbeing (happiness, or ‘subjective wellbeing’ in the scientific jargon).
Today, there are many conflicts in the world, and each makes it plain that ‘feeling well’ in a situation of conflict is an impossibility.
Physical security is an absolute prerequisite to experiencing wellbeing and enjoying the benefits of wellness. This is true as in Ukraine, as it is in Yemen, Ethiopia and in any country and region which is a victim of a war or civil conflict. Wars are also anxiety-inducing for those not directly affected, but impacted by fear of the increased possibility of a conflict. In short: wars and conflicts destroy wellbeing.
What other threats and opportunities do you see? Forecasting is a perilous exercise. At the moment every nation and region faces its own challenges, which conflate with those of others. Take the example of the strong US dollar – this is up by 15 per cent over the past year against a basket of currencies and except for commodity exporters, global companies with US dollar earnings and American tourists this is making everybody’s lives more difficult.
There’s no immediate respite in relation to this situation in sight because it’s hard to think of what could break the multi-year strong US dollar ‘super cycle’. The dollar’s strength is an acute problem for many emerging markets with high levels of US dollar-denominated debt, whether sovereign or private.
For wellness and wellness travel markets, the biggest threat is not economic, but geopolitical: the world’s fragmentation, the retreat of globalisation and the fact that some countries are ‘retrenching’ and turning in on themselves.
Malleret says many global factors are affecting wellbeing
Global factors affecting wellbeing
Thierry Malleret shares insights
Economic uncertainty
Rates of inflation, how far will interest rates rise and global indebtedness
Geopolitical turmoil
Something that’s evident across the globe
Societal issues
Social inequities and polarisation
Environmental degradation
Nature and climate change are the two sides of the same coin, with dramatic problems flaring up everywhere
Tech innovation
Where will it lead us? Towards utopia, dystopia or somewhere in-between?
Climate change is a threat to many people around the world / Photo: Shutterstock/Rajat Chamria
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 3
Editor's letter: Salus per natura
Although great buildings lie at the heart of the spa and wellness experience, operators are turning to nature to deliver healing journeys, says Liz Terry
Spa People: Thierry Malleret
We talk to the economist behind Monthly Barometer about key trends emerging in the wellness sector, such as a greater connection with nature
Spa People: Verena Lasvigne
The founder of VLF Spa Consulting shares her learnings from a career running spas on three continents
Spa People: Kim Weller
The wellbeing director of Banyan Tree tells us about the rollout of the company's new brand, Veya – for mind/body wellness
New opening: Loisium Spa
A look at the new luxurious spa situated at the heart of France's celebrated Champagne region
Interview: Neil Jacobs
The CEO of Six Senses talks about creating an eco-system around the brand to deliver hotels, clubs, residential, offices and resorts
Project preview: Next generation wellness
We take our first look at Tulah, the new clinical wellness retreat brand about to make its debut in Kerala, India, and speak to its CEO
ISPA Research: Rate of recovery
Russell Donaldson digs deeper into ISPA's 2022 US Spa Industry Study and considers the industry's resurgence since the end of pandemic lockdowns
Sponsored: Gharieni: Delivering results
Innovation is the hallmark of Gharieni experiences, meeting the rapidly
evolving needs of wellness seekers within the spa and wellness environment
New opening: Lanserhof Sylt
Lisa Starr reports on the industry's eagerly awaited wellness experience – nestled within sand dunes on the German island of Sylt
Healing: Emotional rescue
As people increasingly seek support for their emotional wellbeing, Jane Kitchen talks to the operators who are digging deeper to deliver genuine transformation
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: Powerful contrast
Spa clients can enjoy super-cool relaxation and pain-relief at Sächsische Staatsbäder in Bad Brambach thanks to a TechnoAlpin SnowRoom
Concept: Soneva Soul
The CEO and co-founder of Soneva, Sonu Shivdasani, talks about the philosophy behind the company's new wellness concept, Soneva Soul
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
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.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Alterface Alterface’s Creative Division team is
seasoned in concept and ride development,
as well as storyte [more...]
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
