Wellness Goes Global for Fifth Year

global wellness day eventsFrom sunrise in New Zealand to sunset in Hawaii on June 11, Global Wellness Day (GWD) will bring the wellness world together. Brainchild of Belgin Aksoy, the first GWD was celebrated in 2012 at Richmond Nua Wellness-Spa (Sapanca, Turkey). Since then, GWD has grown in leaps and bounds. This year, more than 3,000 properties are expected to celebrate it in more than 100 countries. “Spas and hotels that choose to celebrate GWD events are developing new services to present to their clients, such as hiking, yoga, meditation, reiki, dance, healthy diet, art therapy, and breathing therapy,” says Aksoy. “Including these free-of-charge activities in GWD celebrations helps them to enrich their services and improve customer satisfaction, as they give importance to the wellbeing of guests.” And it doesn’t stop there. Aksoy has her sights set on an official United Nations observance of GWD as an international day in its calendar in 2017.

This year, GWD is especially meaningful, as it is dedicated to the memory of Charlene Florian, chief creative officer of Kerstin Florian, who passed away earlier this year. “Throughout her life, Charlene was always an ambassador of wellness, leaving an indelible footprint on the industry and giving her full support to GWD from the very beginning,” says Aksoy. “Charlene has always been a nature lover, and one of her passions was to make the world a better place.” To continue her legacy, Aksoy has partnered with the Turkish Foundation For Combating Soil Erosion for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA) to plant 2,000 trees in Turkey as the Charlene Florian Forest. To see how GWD is growing and flourishing around the world, check back for our continued coverage.