As the third Global Wellness Day approaches, founder Belgin Aksoy tells Spa Business about the movement that’s been embraced by the spa sector the world over
Belgin Aksoy is the driving force behind the campaign
Three years ago, Belgin Aksoy, creative director of hotel management company Richmond International in Turkey, came up with an idea to combat depression and unhappiness by promoting the importance of living well. “According to many studies, depression is the most common health problem around the world,” she says. “It often manifests itself in sleep deprivation, stress, poor nutrition, inactivity, obesity, heart disease and more. To overcome this problem and lead a healthy, happier life we need an inspiring beginning. The name of that beginning is Global Wellness Day.”
Aksoy reasons: “We’ve honoured almost everything which is valuable to us with a special day, so why not have one that’s dedicated to the universally accepted importance of wellness?”
Make a change Held on the second Saturday of June each year, Global Wellness Day (GWD) is based on a simple premise – to increase our consciousness of living a better life, even if it’s just for one day, to draw our attention to healthier lifestyles.
It’s campaigning for people to change one aspect of their lives for that day and outlines seven possible manifests: • Drink more water • Walk for an hour • Shop locally & eat organically • Stop using plastic bottles • Do a good deed • Eat a family dinner • Go to bed at 10pm
Aksoy hopes that it will motivate people to keep up the good habits to “impact their wellbeing on the other 364 days of the year”.
Striking a chord What started as a vision is quickly becoming a reality with both celebrities and a growing number of spa professionals showing their support for the not-for-profit campaign.
Last year, Aksoy went back stage at the Emmy Awards where stars from TV shows such as Mad Men and Scandal visited the GWD stand and praised the venture.
The initiative is also striking a chord in the spa arena. There are now 39 spa industry leaders, from 30 countries, who’ve been appointed GWD ambassadors. From Noel Asmar (Noel Asmar Group) and Nicolas Ronco (Yelo Spa) in North America to Marianne Brepohl (Lapinha Spa) in Brazil and Sammy Gharieni (Gharieni Group) in Germany – all ambassadors have made a commitment to invite their community to become a part of GWD.
Asmar says: “Wellness is a necessity, not an option, and I felt I must be involved.”
Gharieni adds: “I’m excited about finally having one day when everyone thinks about wellness. It’s a sober claim that ‘GWD or one day can change your whole life’.”
In fact, many initiatives, partnerships and events are already underway or being planned behind the scenes in the run up to the third GWD on Saturday 13 June. Highlights include the possibility of a seal of approval from the Dalai Lama when he talks at the Happiness and its Causes conference in Australia on 11-12 June; while in Thailand, GWD has been included as an official event in the Tourist Authority’s calendar for 2015 and 2016.
In the USA, UK, Austria and Germany, word is being spread to spa and wellness-related organisations. And in Turkey the aim is to set up an official GWD association and to distribute GWD apples with in-flight meals to 80,000 Turkish Airline passengers on the day.
Wellness is the answer From its first tentative steps in Turkey, the GWD campaign has gathered momentum and moved across borders – five continents to be precise. So far, it’s collected signatures from over 5,000 people who support the campaign.
Aksoy concludes: “Ten years ago, wellness was considered a luxury. Today most of us know that we all need to adopt a better lifestyle and approach to wellbeing. Ten years from now, people will know that ‘wellness’ is the answer – we’ll go back to basics and learn to appreciate the silence within our minds, as well as how to transfer positive vibes to others. We’ll take actions to learn the simplicity of happiness. At least this is my dream for the future and Global Wellness Day will be a very important instrument to achieve this dream.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2015 issue 2
Interview: Kathy Van Ness
The COO at Golden Door tells Katie Barnes how she’s used her background in fashion to reinvent the destination spa
Wellness: In sickness & health
The Urban Zen Integrative Therapy programme by designer Donna Karan helps acutely-ill patients in health and social care settings. Julie Cramer reports
Design: Sense of arrival
Neena Dhillon talks to the spa designers and operators at the new Aman and Ritz-Carlton properties in Japan
Ask an expert: Neuromarketing
Could this field of market research hold the key to finding out what customers really want? Rhianon Howells investigates
Aksoy would love to hear from anyone who wants to become a GWD ambassador for their country. She’s looking for volunteers – especially influential industry leaders – who have “motivation and dedication”.
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...]
As the third Global Wellness Day approaches, founder Belgin Aksoy tells Spa Business about the movement that’s been embraced by the spa sector the world over
Belgin Aksoy is the driving force behind the campaign
Three years ago, Belgin Aksoy, creative director of hotel management company Richmond International in Turkey, came up with an idea to combat depression and unhappiness by promoting the importance of living well. “According to many studies, depression is the most common health problem around the world,” she says. “It often manifests itself in sleep deprivation, stress, poor nutrition, inactivity, obesity, heart disease and more. To overcome this problem and lead a healthy, happier life we need an inspiring beginning. The name of that beginning is Global Wellness Day.”
Aksoy reasons: “We’ve honoured almost everything which is valuable to us with a special day, so why not have one that’s dedicated to the universally accepted importance of wellness?”
Make a change Held on the second Saturday of June each year, Global Wellness Day (GWD) is based on a simple premise – to increase our consciousness of living a better life, even if it’s just for one day, to draw our attention to healthier lifestyles.
It’s campaigning for people to change one aspect of their lives for that day and outlines seven possible manifests: • Drink more water • Walk for an hour • Shop locally & eat organically • Stop using plastic bottles • Do a good deed • Eat a family dinner • Go to bed at 10pm
Aksoy hopes that it will motivate people to keep up the good habits to “impact their wellbeing on the other 364 days of the year”.
Striking a chord What started as a vision is quickly becoming a reality with both celebrities and a growing number of spa professionals showing their support for the not-for-profit campaign.
Last year, Aksoy went back stage at the Emmy Awards where stars from TV shows such as Mad Men and Scandal visited the GWD stand and praised the venture.
The initiative is also striking a chord in the spa arena. There are now 39 spa industry leaders, from 30 countries, who’ve been appointed GWD ambassadors. From Noel Asmar (Noel Asmar Group) and Nicolas Ronco (Yelo Spa) in North America to Marianne Brepohl (Lapinha Spa) in Brazil and Sammy Gharieni (Gharieni Group) in Germany – all ambassadors have made a commitment to invite their community to become a part of GWD.
Asmar says: “Wellness is a necessity, not an option, and I felt I must be involved.”
Gharieni adds: “I’m excited about finally having one day when everyone thinks about wellness. It’s a sober claim that ‘GWD or one day can change your whole life’.”
In fact, many initiatives, partnerships and events are already underway or being planned behind the scenes in the run up to the third GWD on Saturday 13 June. Highlights include the possibility of a seal of approval from the Dalai Lama when he talks at the Happiness and its Causes conference in Australia on 11-12 June; while in Thailand, GWD has been included as an official event in the Tourist Authority’s calendar for 2015 and 2016.
In the USA, UK, Austria and Germany, word is being spread to spa and wellness-related organisations. And in Turkey the aim is to set up an official GWD association and to distribute GWD apples with in-flight meals to 80,000 Turkish Airline passengers on the day.
Wellness is the answer From its first tentative steps in Turkey, the GWD campaign has gathered momentum and moved across borders – five continents to be precise. So far, it’s collected signatures from over 5,000 people who support the campaign.
Aksoy concludes: “Ten years ago, wellness was considered a luxury. Today most of us know that we all need to adopt a better lifestyle and approach to wellbeing. Ten years from now, people will know that ‘wellness’ is the answer – we’ll go back to basics and learn to appreciate the silence within our minds, as well as how to transfer positive vibes to others. We’ll take actions to learn the simplicity of happiness. At least this is my dream for the future and Global Wellness Day will be a very important instrument to achieve this dream.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2015 issue 2
Interview: Kathy Van Ness
The COO at Golden Door tells Katie Barnes how she’s used her background in fashion to reinvent the destination spa
Wellness: In sickness & health
The Urban Zen Integrative Therapy programme by designer Donna Karan helps acutely-ill patients in health and social care settings. Julie Cramer reports
Design: Sense of arrival
Neena Dhillon talks to the spa designers and operators at the new Aman and Ritz-Carlton properties in Japan
Ask an expert: Neuromarketing
Could this field of market research hold the key to finding out what customers really want? Rhianon Howells investigates
Aksoy would love to hear from anyone who wants to become a GWD ambassador for their country. She’s looking for volunteers – especially influential industry leaders – who have “motivation and dedication”.
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.
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