Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 were released at the beginning of the year, our 12th annual reporting on the trends defining the travel industry.
11.01.2024 - 11:53 / forbes.com
Traveling in search of wellness is not a new concept. As early as 5,000 years ago, people trekked to India to seek benefits from Ayurvedic medicine, a holistic approach to physical and mental health. Although traveling for wellness dates back thousands of years, wellness tourism as a global industry is relatively new, notes the Wellness Tourism Association.
The wellness tourism landscape is evolving rapidly. Hilton’s 2023 travel report shows that 50% of travelers are looking for travel to address either physical or mental wellness. While spas and fitness centers have traditionally been staples of wellness travel, today's travelers seek more authentic and profound wellness experiences, and hoteliers must adapt. This includes remote retreats for holistic healing and rejuvenation, healthy food and beverage options, connecting travelers with the local community and overall peace of mind with a growing focus on sleep wellness.
As everyday stress mounts and continues to impede the nation’s ability to rest, “sleep tourism” is on the rise to offer tired travelers the ability to enjoy restorative sleep. Haley Payne, Head of Commercial at Pure Wellness, says, “As the market for nature-based healing continues to grow, hoteliers have a distinct opportunity to enhance their guests' experience by addressing air quality. Beyond providing a clean breathing environment, improved air quality actively contributes to guests' health and wellness. Favorable air conditions not only reduce stress but also facilitate relaxation and, notably, enhance sleep.”
Tara Cappel, founder and CEO of For the Love of Travel, a group travel company for millennials, says, “If 2023 was the year of revenge travel, I think 2024 will be the year of slow, intentional travel, with more of an emphasis on personal well-being, social connection and meaningful experiences. Travelers will be more intentional about the trips they’re taking, prioritizing those that make them feel happy and fulfilled, whether or not friends and family want to join. I also think we will see more buzz around eschewing phones for mental health purposes in 2024 and that will extend to travel. Travelers will embrace phone-free days and digital escapes for their mental and emotional well-being.”
The Wilde Resort & Spa, Sedona, AZ
Nestled at the foothills of the renowned Thunder Mountain, the striking rock formation resembling a lightning bolt, The Wilde Resort & Spa embraces Sedona's rich healing heritage. Offering a holistic approach, Haven Spa guests are invited to indulge in a spectrum of treatments that rotate seasonally, guided meditation in Sedona’s only outdoor labyrinth, mindful tea ceremonies, yoga and intuitive readings. Wellness intertwines with nature at Haven Spa
Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 were released at the beginning of the year, our 12th annual reporting on the trends defining the travel industry.
As president and CEO of one of Europe’s most prestigious flag carriers, Pieter Elbers was at the top of his game. He successfully navigated Dutch airline KLM through the 2010s and the worst of the pandemic – it seemed like there was little he couldn’t do.
In an exciting milestone for Skift, we are thrilled to bring our first-ever Skift India Summit to India, happening on March 19-20 in Delhi-NCR. The decision to host a groundbreaking Skift event in India has been a long time coming and reflects why now is such an important moment for India’s growth and its impact on the global travel industry.
Happy Thursday, folks! Hope you’re having a great week so far. Has it been as busy for you as it’s been for us? Today our lead item comes all the way from the Middle East. Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia brings funding news, linking the UAE and San Francisco. Also on the agenda today is Airbnb’s new housing council – Executive Editor Dennis Schaal has the deets.
Will 2024 be a Goldilocks year for the global travel industry? We’ve gone from “too cold” during the pandemic to “too hot,” as demand for revenge travel outstripped capacity. Could 2024 be “just right?”
When the Moroccan financier Aziz Nahas decided to buy and regenerate a farm outside Marrakesh about two decades ago, he underestimated how much would grow there. Now, the 10-acre plot produces organic vegetables and fruits as well as hosting an artist residency program and a ceramic studio, all under the name Sanctuary Slimane. In 2021, Nahas’s friend the French restaurateur Benjamin Pastor suggested they partner up to start a cafe and farm shop in the busy Marrakesh neighborhood of Gueliz. Last spring, they opened the coffee shop Blue Ribbon, with offerings including fresh salads served with halloumi or beets and almonds and a bánh mí sandwich on fresh sourdough. In the fall, they added a seating area next door and the Slimane Farm Shop, which sells vegetables and products like honey and dried herbs that are grown and produced on the farm. Up next: Farmers, a restaurant headed by Blue Ribbon’s chef and located in the same building. The 46-seat space, lined with colorful Popham tiles, is scheduled to open at the end of February.
On the heels of Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week—which takes place in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia from January 15–21, 2024—there are two other Restaurant Week events happening this month throughout Northern Virginia.
IBS Software is expanding its presence in the hotel tech sector with the acquisition of Above Property Services for $90 million.
A road trip through the remote, stunningly beautiful Himalayan valleys of Bhutan ranks as one of travel’s most exciting adventures.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) reports its best year for tourism ever, welcoming a record 1.22 million overnight arrivals to the nature Emirate in 2023, up 8% on 2022 numbers and bolstered by a significant 24% year-on-year pick-up in international visitors. The robust performance is underscored by RAKTDA’s strategic growth plans. From investment in tourism infrastructure, targeted initiatives to drive more visitors to the emirate, to developing an ecosystem rooted in sustainability, Ras Al Khaimah continues to reinforce its position as a destination of the future. Its key 2023 achievements include:
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Long gone are the days when social responsibility was seen as just a passing fad. Instead, more and more companies are looking for ways to make a real difference. Like Rosewood Hotel Group, which not only operates some of the world’s most exceptional hotels, but does so with a deep-rooted commitment to do good, both for people and the planet.