This is a global tourism trend aligned with an amplified perspective of the concept of well-being. In addition to providing a complementary vision to the planning and promotion of smart destinations, Mabrian analyzes how destinations can take advantage of this expanded definition of wellness tourism, beyond relaxation and contemplation.
Maó, April 23, 2024.- Understanding how the concept of traditional wellness tourism is evolving to the idea of active well-being is key so that destinations can develop strategies adapted to the new motivations and interests of travelers. travelers, arising after the pandemic. Through the complete analysis of the main factors that build the demand for wellness tourism, Mabrian, the world's leading travel intelligence company, has delved into the evolution of this segment and its main drivers.
Based on the analysis of 6.7 million TripAdvisor comments, recorded between 2019 and 2023, on activities that travelers can enjoy, Mabrian has identified five key drivers of demand: on the one hand, sports disciplines, gentle hiking (excursions and walks) and water sports, which show a clear growth trend in the last 4 years; and on the other hand, other traditional wellness and relaxation activities (SPA, hot springs) and gastronomic experiences.
Mabrian presented the concept of active well-being at the 12th World Congress on Snow, Mountain and Wellbeing Tourism, organized by the UNWTO and the Government of Andorra. This definition is the result of a more extensive analysis of all possible drivers of experiential demand, based on the redefinition of the wellness traveler, which includes preventive, proactive and lifestyle-oriented activities, such as fitness, nutrition healthy, relaxation, and healing treatments.
Turning active well-being into tourism products
Data from Mabrian's tourism intelligence platform confirms that travelers are changing their relationship with destinations, because they prefer to enjoy activities that combine exploration and recreation, which also actively contribute to cultivating a balanced and healthier lifestyle.
In fact, and as reflected in Mabrian's analysis, the drivers of wellness demand that show the strongest growth trend are gentle hiking (+5.1%), sports disciplines (+4.7%), and gastronomic experiences (3.5%).
These demand drivers offer an opportunity for destinations to develop
tourism products and complementary offerings that are easy to implement; combining outdoor activities and natural resources, to offer experiences that reflect global trends of high demand, with the needs of current travelers, with a more proactive profile. Furthermore, this holistic approach to planning and promoting this segment has the potential to improve smart destination planning and promotion strategies.
Europe, at the forefront of active well-being
The European market is a good example of the strength of this segment. Drivers aligned with this concept that revises traditional wellness tourism, bringing it closer to experience-based travel, increased by 8.2% since 2019 and currently represent 48% of European travelers' motivations for choosing a destination.
The pandemic has transformed consumer habits and lifestyle, and this has transferred to tourism. This change in trend is particularly intense in tourism experiences related to nature and the outdoors, and in activities related to an active lifestyle.
Carlos Cendra, partner and CMO of Mabrian, points out that "the traditional and passive tourist is evolving towards a proactive traveler; who is no longer a contemplative visitor to assume a more participatory role, interested in being part of the dynamics of the destinations. For "That's why we need to rethink the concept of the wellness traveler to add active well-being experiences: our data shows that outdoor activities and contact with nature should be at the core of the tourism value proposition." As Cendra points out: "It's not about building complex products, but about using the resources we have: as simple as creating hiking routes, which do not require special skills or equipment."
Fuente: Mabrian Technologies.