Editor’s Letter: The Many Kinds of Wellness Travel

Had I ever seen so much bare flesh in one room? Naked in a mixed-gender Austrian sauna, I sat opposite two dozen other nude people on wooden benches. Even after more than a year of living in Europe, as an American, I still felt a little uncomfortable sitting there in nothing but my own skin.

Tamil Nadu, located in the south of India and renowned for its majestic temples, showcases its diverse persona and targets Germany as a strategic market by participating in the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) 2024 from March 5, 2024 to March 7, 2024. In line with its tourism growth objectives, Tamil Nadu aspires to be a top international destination. To showcase the attractions of Tamil Nadu’s tourism, a designated pavilion for Tamil Nadu Tourism will be set up at ITB Berlin. The pavilion will highlight the lively culture, picturesque landscapes, and architectural marvels located throughout Tamil Nadu offering a comprehensive overview of the state’s tourism and hospitality services.

Hawaii is the latest destination to consider taxing visitors to help address the effects of climate change and overtourism, two issues that are particularly front of mind in the Aloha State following the devastating Lahaina fire.

This year more folks are prioritizing travel and newfangled experiences. We’re inspired by beloved television shows à la Emily in Paris to reexamine cities we’ve previously visited. Scoring tickets to see our favorite musical artists, like Taylor Swift, fortuitously opens up the prospect of flying to a different country. A rising wellness and longevity movement encourages travelers to seek alcohol-free vacations. Slower and more intentional travel—quality over quantity—is important and sustainability and eco-minded experiences are at the forefront.

Lufthansa is being sued by a passenger who says he fractured his back when severe turbulence threw him against the ceiling of the plane during a flight in March 2023.

On a steeply pitched road in Grosses Walsertal valley, it was snowing – heavily – as if the heavens had shattered. I was two hours west of Innsbruck, deep in the Alps in midwinter, but the view was free from the rows of snow-laden hotels, après-ski bars and resort chalets that I was used to seeing on previous ski trips.

In a first step toward a broader legalization of cannabis, and after long delays due to strong opposition from lawmakers in the ruling coalition, Germany is set to approve the decriminalizing of cannabis for recreational use by parliament on Friday, paving the way to take effect on April 1 (and not an April Fool’s Day joke).

One of America's most beloved cruise operators, American Queen Voyages, has shut down.

This Mother’s Day, treat your Mum to the luxurious wellness retreat she deserves so she can be the healthiest version of herself. With Mother’s Day on 10th March, Health and Fitness Travel, the wellness holidays specialists recommend the top retreats to take Mum away to. With a luxurious stay in Lithuania from £370 to an awe-inspiring adventure to Austria valued at £1,700, there are healthy breaks to cater for a range of budgets for all Mums to enjoy this Mother’s Day. So, whether it’s a serene snowy retreat in a captivating treehouse resort nestled in the Dolomites of Italy or a lavish spa experience in the sunny Algarve of Portugal, these unforgettable destinations are perfect for each and every mother.

In the recent years, the world has experienced a major shift towards wellness with a deep desire for a healthy lifestyle. In the wake of this global surge, Palm Jumeirah is set to welcome a one-of-a-kind brand: Serenity – The Art Of Well Being, recognized several times as the best spa and wellness centre of Europe.

The sun is shining bright on Florida’s tourism industry. 

Melodic mantras and warm oil repeatedly poured across the lower back are parts of Kati Vasti, an Ayurvedic therapy that Karina Steward, founder and chief wellness officer of Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand, swears would put anyone in a pleasure coma. “It's like when you rub oil on the back of a baby and they just pass out,” she explains. But for women experiencing menopause, who are subject to nervous system overload, adrenal burnout, and sleeplessness, such treatments can feel especially powerful, Steward notes. It's one of many tools in Kamalaya's new Radiant Bliss program, a combination of Eastern and Western therapies. Stewart designed it to address women's health concerns at all points in the biological cycle, but the program particularly helps those enduring the mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain, and insomnia that are part of what was once referred to as “the change.”