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Health & Wellness<br />
As health and wellness travel continues its global growth as<br />
a sub-sector of the tourism and travel industry, South Africa<br />
is emerging as a prime health travel destination, both for<br />
corporate and private tourists.<br />
Wellness. Health. Meditation. Yoga.<br />
Hiking. Swimming. Chakra healing<br />
sessions. Daily massages. Open-air gym<br />
workouts. Relaxing sauna treatments.<br />
Spas. Wellness clinics. Health farms.<br />
Wellness retreats.<br />
These have all become buzz words in the booming, multi-billion dollar<br />
health travel industry that seems to have taken the world by storm. The<br />
Global Wellness Tourism Congress says the global wellness travel market<br />
is already worth more than $565 billion. It is expected that this market will<br />
grow 50 percent faster than the rest of the tourism industry over the next<br />
five years.<br />
Another study last year, by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), found<br />
that wellness tourism showed revenue growth of 14% between 2013 and<br />
2015—and now accounts for 15.6% of total tourism revenues. Wellness<br />
tourists spend 61% more than the average international tourist, and<br />
generates close to 18 million jobs worldwide, the study found.<br />
According to Beth Mcgroarty, research director of the Global Wellness<br />
Institute, spa-focused travel accounts for 41% of the market, with the rest<br />
coming from fitness activities, yoga and lifestyle retreats, thermal baths<br />
and hot springs, stays at healthy hotels and the purchase of healthy food.<br />
The Global Spa and Wellness Economy Monitor report says that with more<br />
than 32,000 spas, Europe had the highest revenue in this sector with $29.8<br />
billion, followed by the Asia-Pacific region with $18.8 billion and North<br />
America with $18.3 billion.<br />
South Africa, however, cannot be far behind with its world-renowned<br />
health and spa centres such as the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape<br />
Town, Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat in the<br />
Cederberg Mountains, The Hydro at Stellenbosch, Trogon House & Forest<br />
Spa at Plettenberg Bay, the Umngazi River Bungalows & Spa at Port St<br />
Johns on the Wild Coast, Karkloof Safari Spa in KwaZulu-Natal, the Mount<br />
Grace Country House & Spa in Magaliesberg, Namasté Detox Retreat at<br />
the Fordoun Hotel & Spa in the Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal, the Hoogland<br />
Health Hydro in Gauteng, and many more.<br />
Wellness or health travel to far-flung resorts from Costa Rica to Cape Town<br />
has become the new norm as people everywhere have grown more health<br />
and fitness-conscious over the last decade. Hamburgers by the pool have<br />
been exchanged for a salad and juice after yoga classes. Lazing drink-inhand<br />
in the casino, where the only exercise is pushing the spin button, has<br />
made way for gym workouts with a personal trainer in the health resort.<br />
And in South Africa world-class health facilities and excellent doctors that<br />
come cheap relatively speaking, given the rand exchange rate to the dollar<br />
or euro, have become favourite destinations for corporate entities sending<br />
their executives for medical treatment. It has long been the destination<br />
to which businessmen and politicians from all over Africa have come for<br />
health and medical reasons.<br />
Increasingly top hotels and resorts now offer their guests holistic healing<br />
centres where they can take advantage of anything ranging from gyms<br />
and personal trainers, to acupuncture, meditation classes, stress-relief<br />
Michaeljung / Shutterstock<br />
MZANZI TRAVEL| www.<strong>mzanzi</strong>travel.co.za|ISSUE 6 | 71
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