Even as the wellness industry recovers, the future of wellness tourism looks uncertain. In order to elucidate possible motivations for taking wellness vacation post-pandemic, the Wellness Tourism Association administered a three-month consumer survey from April to June 2020. Nearly 4,000 consumers from 48 countries and territories responded to the organization’s second consumer survey, which was performed in collaboration with WTA member Danny Kessler, Ph.D., from Youngsan University in South Korea. 54 percent of the respondents were female, and 73 percent were between the ages of 26 and 74.
The survey found that the top motivation for booking and planning a wellness vacation was the desire to return to everyday life feeling rejuvenated, as indicated by about 38 percent of the respondents. The second most commonly answer, selected by 26 percent of those who took the survey, was the impulse to escape the demands of everyday life. A close third was the desire to experience outdoor activities, indicated by 25 percent of the surveyed consumers. Other top reasons included desiring social connection, as well as wanting to learn to be proactive about their own health, both physical and mental. Most notably, more than 20 percent of the respondents indicated that they would be extremely likely to book a wellness-focused vacation within the next two years. Says Anne Dimon, president and CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association, “We know the results of this survey will provide both suppliers and travel advisors with crucial consumer data on motivations for Wellness Vacations post-pandemic.”
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