Spa & Wellness MexiCaribe 40, Winter 2020-21

TOURISM, WELLNESS REAL ESTATE AND
COMMUNITIES
Catherine Feliciano-Chon, CatchOn, Hong Kong spoke
with Anna Pollock of Conscious Travel, UK about
resetting and future-proofing tourism. The Pandemic
has highlighted the flaws in the way we have been living
and traveling, in addition to our disconnectedness from
the natural world. The economy and environment must
be considered simultaneously. A destination is a living
system, its purpose needs to be considered, all nature
is based on communities and every part works together
and we can adopt the same principle. Countries and
economies that are dependent on foreign income and
travelers must adjust their expectations and adapt
economies previously viable in that region. It is no longer
feasible for any destination to rely solely on travel and
tourism. "Nature has certain rules, if we break those
rules, we pay the consequences. We are not separate
or superior.”
Amanda Ho of Regenerative Travel, Hong Kong
explained how the concept of 'regenerative travel'
includes the replenishment of environments suffering
from over-tourism; the conscious consumer wants
to travel in a different way. This takes into account
the cultural traditions of the area, the ecosystem, and
how to sustain and develop alongside a thriving local
community. Travelers want to make a positive impact, an
upcoming white paper, directed at hoteliers, will outline
the various ways resorts and properties can adapt their
practices to cater to this demand.
A panel discussion on the future of wellness real estate
and communities was moderated by Nancy Davis of GWS,
included Dilip Barot, Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences,
Alfredo Carvajal, Delos Living, Jeffrey Abramson, The
Tower Companies, Craig Collin, Tavistock Development
Company, Judy Mackey, STRATA Integrated Wellness,
Dr. BK Modi, Wellness 2020 Singapore, Steve Nygren,
Serenbe, and Veronica Schreibeis-Smith, Vera Iconica
Architecture.
Alfredo outlined the concept adopted by Delos; to
create the best environment for human nature and the
body inside the four walls of any building. They started
with high-end luxury residential and are now working
to democratize the concept into residential properties
for the population at large. They will also start to focus
more on mental health in their innovations. Jeffrey
shared an impactful quote: "The person who manages
your building has a bigger impact on your health than
your doctor.” Veronica illustrated her unique approach
to building and the 'feel' of each space and its ability
to energize and relax us via the vibrational frequencies
of building materials. Nudge architecture encourages
residents to make healthy choices throughout the day.
Steve shared the success Serenbe has had connecting
their residents with nature, incorporating organic farms
and maintaining 70% of their land without buildings,
allowing open, rural space.
www.spawellnessmexico.com