Welcome to the Malverns

WELCOME TO THE MALVERNS – Take in the Air

Although the Malverns is an all year round tourism destination offering breath-taking scenery and wonderful air, it is the autumn and winter when the true essence of the land comes in to its own. Take long walks in crisp clean air over the Malvern Hills that divide the Counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and discover the fortifications of Iron Age encampments still visable on the landscape.

100 years ago Malvern was a key destination for watercure. Although you no longer need to take cold baths and run up the Malvern Hills before breakfast to experience wellness. You can still experience the quality that Malvern has always been famous for in its visitor accommodation such as the Malvern Spa Hotel and the Elms Spa Centre Hotel in nearby Abberley.

http://www.theelmshotel.co.uk/spa-hotels/ 

Malvern also has a growing community of wellness practicioners offering a wide range of natural holistic treatments.
http://malvernhillistic.co.uk/index.php

The Malvern Spa Hotel has a wide range of experiences including Britains first Kelo aromatic Wood Sauna.
 http://www.themalvernspa.com/christmas


The town and surrounding area is now becoming a key destination for those who enjoy quality wellness and relaxation all year round. www.visitthemalverns.org   

Wellness at World Travel Market in London

I have been attending World Travel Market (WTM) in London for many years and have seen the changes in business trends, the development of niche markets and the emergence of new destinations.

In November 2014, it was both fascinating and encouraging to see Wellness Tourism being promoted and discussed by the global travel industry.

The exhibition stands of such countries as Germany, Austria, Iceland, Hungary and the Czech Republic presented a colourful range of images and information relating to wellness whilst other destinations such as India and Thailand offered complimentary massages to weary visitors.

For all of us who are directly involved in Health and Well-Being in tourism destinations, we could rightly say that wellness tourism has existed for hundreds of years but for many exhibitors and delegates attending WTM, there was a sense of revelation about the size, scope and potential of this sector.

In particular, there was an interesting programme of seminars dedicated to wellness tourism which involved an impressive selection of experts and practitioners. The seminars were entitled:

·         What exactly is Wellness Tourism? Why is it growing twice as fast as tourism in general? How can the travel industry benefit? 

·         How is Wellness Tourism being newly integrated into both country and businesses’ market positioning? 

·         Defining the difference between Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism? 

Each seminar was well attended and stimulated a lot of questions and debate. The overriding conclusion was that Wellness Tourism will grow for the foreseeable future.

In order to make the most of these opportunities, there was however a strong message that the industry, whether it be well-being destinations, spas or individual businesses, needed to demonstrate quality, authenticity and professionalism.

I came away from World Travel Market with the positive feeling that ‘we are in the right place at the right time’.

Global Spa & Wellness Economy Monitor report now available

The new Global Wellness Institute, the parent organization of the Global Spa & Wellness Summit and the Global Wellness Tourism Congress, has just released its' latest  Global Spa & Wellness Economy Report at GSWS website

According to the report Wellness industry is a $3,4 trillion mega-industry. Today's people are seeking for healty, disease free life-styles and the wellness economy encompasses many industries that enable consumers to incorporate wellness into their lives.

 

 

 

Significant growth in spa industry

The spa industry has been growing by 7.7%

annually, from $60 billion in 2007 to $94 billion in 2013. According to GWI (2014,iii) spa industry is comprised of five interdependent segments. Spa facilities represent the largest segment, estimated at $74 billion in 2013 which means a 7,9% annual increase since 2007. Spa media, associations, events, education, consulting, and capital investments together add another $20 billion to the cluster.



 

Global Wellness Institute, Global Spa & Wellness Economy

Monitor, September 2014.

 

 

 

Read more from the report