Cristina Galafate
Updated Friday, February 16, 2024-00:06
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It's not about traveling to Turkey to have enviable hair again. Nor are they dental vacations to Eastern European countries.
Wellness tourism
has
nothing to do with the doctor: its role is preventive and goes beyond the spinach smoothie and the
spinning
class at the hotel. Of course,
healthy food and physical exercise
are still part of the equation. But, if we have learned anything after a pandemic from which we were supposed to emerge better, it is that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to
reducing anxiety and stress levels
, achieving more and suffering less.
The data speaks for itself. On the social network TikTok, the travel agent of the 21st century, the search tag
#wellnessretreat
accumulates 39.8 million views and on Instagram the publications exceed half a million. The Global Wellness Institute estimated spending on this type of experience at 720 billion dollars in 2019 (around 661.46 million euros) and predicts that
it will rise up to 21% this year
. Recent times have taken their toll on our health, which (finally) includes mental health. Hence, travelers, in the era of climate change and internal noise, consider
slow
proposals and
accommodations with a sustainable outlook
more attractive and ecological than the rest. Welcome to the year of peace and disconnection.
MORE THAN WITHDRAWALS
The holistic program of Barceló Hotel Group.TRIPS
The
number one trend in wellness
is the retreat, which puts a twist on the typical weekend program with a famous yogi instructor. "The world moves very fast, is constantly changing and evolving, and our way of interacting with each other through technology, applications and social networks has generated in people the need for a
more authentic connection
; also a deep desire to feel and to have real, tangible and valuable experiences of body, mind and spirit again," explains Christopher Katke, head of Casa Tuya, one of the
most
exclusive
retreats
recently opened in Ibiza.
It remains open out of season with guests of different nationalities. "They seek
to reconnect with themselves and the environment
, in addition to addressing issues that concern them," says this famous photographer and interior designer who left everything for a dream. In short, enjoy the true luxury of being well with original services such as the necklace of silence, so that the guest can read quietly in the garden without being disturbed, or the figure of the "experience organizer", to design
the stay tailored
to the guest.
visitor and their wishes.
In addition to retirement as a destination, tourists in the city break with everything.
Urban retreats
are
the order of the day. For example, those organized by Sadhana Works in the European capitals of London, Lisbon, Berlin or, here, Madrid and Barcelona. "Under the title
Inner Peace and Radical Love , unique
transformation
experiences have been designed
," reveals Mariana Salinas, a Kundalini yoga instructor who collaborates with the Ayurvedic doctor Deepak Chopra in this wellness company.
For its part, the Radisson Collection Hotel wants to offer another side to the pleasant Seville of fried
fish
and the April Fair by proposing a
wellness
pack
for the Andalusian city. Discover enclaves such as the María Luisa Park, place a Born Living Yoga
mat
to exercise in the room and propose an incredible vegetarian menu at Basque by Eneko, with
succulent suggestions
such as beet tartare or avocado in tempura, which demonstrate that eating healthy is delicious.
FEEL GOOD
Casa Tuta deseasonalizes tourism on the island of Ibiza with retreats that can be enjoyed all year round.TRIPS
It is the desire for projects like the one presented in 2024 by the CoolRooms chain. These are experiences that include two-night stays in their luxury rooms, healthy breakfasts,
personal training and yoga sessions, exclusive access to
wellness
areas
, relaxing massages...
"In recent years we have observed a growing interest in guests in the
search for well-being
on their trips, in order to reset body and mind to find a full balance: quality of sleep, balanced diet with local products, sports activities, meditation ,
spa
, cabin treatments, outdoor sports activities...", lists Lydia Pérez García-Ruescas, communications and marketing director in charge of launching the Cool Being package, with this type of experiences in its hotels in Madrid, Seville and Asturias. An invitation to pamper yourself with the
physical and mental tune-up
that the person needs.
Barceló Hotel Group is also taking part in this trend with WeBalance. A
healthier, more active and fulfilling
way of traveling
. "It is a 360 project, which adds to the purpose of participating in a more regenerative tourism, maximizing our positive impact on society and betting on the
care of the environment and people
," says Sara Ramis, CMO of Barceló Hotel Group. It is based on
six pillars
: nutrition, rest, positive thinking, meditation, breathing and movement.
Isidoro de la Cruz, an expert in consulting and training professionals in the field of well-being, has collaborated on the most practical approach: with
simple exercises to stretch
in the room through an
app
that can be easily followed or with a
guide to healthy habits
. He even extends it to workers. "The experience is transformative for everyone. We leave the gym and deliver a cart with a mat, dumbbells, an elastic band to work on strength and even a ballet bar. Your body is all you need," says the
coach
who authored the videos.
Another chain that is involved in this sense is Only You, which coordinates, together with trainers such as the Peruvian Ale Llosa, creator of the KO method, days that include
a hard workout rewarded with
a healthy breakfast, or organizes Sunday yoga
brunches
with the model and yogi Aida Artiles and the Blue Bamboo platform.
FLEE FROM THE MASSIFIATION
The CoolRooms chain launches its wellness getaways, with healthy breakfasts, workouts and a 'spa' with treatments.TRIPS
The sunset of Santorini, a walk through Kyoto or the canals of Venice are the best attraction for the idyllic Instagram postcard, but the truth is that those destinations full of charm popularized on social networks have gone
viral
with all their consequences. A fever that can ruin the traveling experience. Which is why more and more
people are fleeing from the colorful towns
, the gondoliers passing under fairy-tale bridges and the
selfie
circus .
The
culture of posturing
continues, yes, but in the middle of nowhere. In
bubbles of decongestion
that proliferate like mushrooms, although well isolated. To get an idea of the growth of this bet, the data provided by Alejandro Bosch, co-founder of Miluna Open Rooms, with a full lineup on numerous weekends, such as the key ones on Valentine's Day and Easter. And that still remains. This
bubble hotel
is defined as the contrast between the most intimate and the wildest. "Clearly, the
glamping
sector
is booming, as people are looking to
live experiences
beyond the conventional. We started in 2015 and there were only three companies dedicated to this business. Today there are around 25 in Spain," he says. on the other end of the phone from Hormigos, a small town in Toledo (Castilla La Mancha).
"We chose this place because it is
away from light pollution
and surrounded by nature. And what is most demanded is that exclusivity, in which no one from the outside can see you and you, however, are enjoying the immense panoramic view of a night starry". Other options are similar in style, such as MasQi, an
energy house
, which could be translated as energy house, in the beautiful Sierra de Mariola Natural Park (Alicante). It has organic gourmet cuisine, programs around yoga and meditation or bioenergetic therapies. In Navarra, Basoa Suites offers
high-altitude shelters
that have little or nothing to do with the typical tree cabin. A magical place to rediscover your partner or start an adventure. Or the unique Dreamsea tipis: 21
very stylish tents
on the cliffs of Cala Moraig, in Benitatxell, right between Xàbia and Moraira, for
non-conformist but less bohemian
surfers , and from which you can enjoy unbeatable views of the sea.
ADVENTURE
Hotels are not a place to sleep, but rather a refuge that takes care of its environment and the guest with care, as shown by the triumph of 'glamping' experiences in nature such as Miluna Rooms.TRIPS
Gone is that of not being able to go on vacation because you don't fit in with your partner or friends. One is left over and
it is enough to disconnect
. There are more and more people who, when considering taking a plane, are not only looking for a tourist experience, but also a social one. And derived from teleworking,
digital nomads
like the writer and marketing expert Patricia de la Calle have decided to live traveling, regardless of the destination or the company, discovering themselves. "If I feel like stopping in a nice place to read, I do it. Nobody challenges me and I have the ability to make decisions at all times. I listen to myself, I do what I want without being subordinated to others and I constantly
leave my comfort zone
," confess. She doesn't mind going to repeated destinations, like Edinburgh, a city she is passionate about. "I have met people who, traveling accompanied, I would never have spoken to and with whom I continue to keep in touch and send me postcards," she slips.
Tatiana Rodríguez de la Paz, another solo traveler, tells of her journey on the account @viajarsolatedaalas, which functions as a forum for women. "We are more
vulnerable
that something could happen to us." With applications like Civitatis or Get your guide you can book guided tours, sometimes even in your language, he recommends. "Being alone opens your mind to a
more local experience
. More authentic."
Psychologists like Pilar Conde already talk about the benefits that these
solo travelers
obtain : "Travelling alone means facing various challenges and adversities that may appear, occupying time, functioning in a new environment... which
increases confidence and security.
staff".