Here’s Why Consumers Take Wellness Vacations
by Daniel McCarthy /
A new study from the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) released last week revealed consumer motivations for taking a wellness vacation, a good resource for travel advisors as the industry rebounds from COVID-19.
The study, which surveyed nearly 4,000 consumers from 48 countries and territories in April, May, and June, asked respondents what their main motivators are for taking a wellness vacation. The survey audience was made up of 54% females and 73% between the ages of 26 and 74.
The most common answer to the question was “to return to everyday life feeling rejuvenated,” which 38% said was the most important factor for taking a wellness vacation. That was followed by “to escape the demands of everyday life” at 26% and “to experience activities outdoors” at 25%.
Other answers included “to look and feel better” at 24%, “to connect with nature” at 24%, “to find peace and quiet” at 21%, “to get a better night’s sleep” at 17%, and “to learn general ways to improve my health” at 17%.
The WTA study also found the likelihood of consumers looking to the wellness segment once they return to travel—over 20% said they would be “extremely likely” to book a wellness vacation within the next two years, while 24% said that wellness either “could” or “will” be a focus of their next trip.
“As the industry begins to recover, 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,” said WTA President and CEO Anne Dimon.
According to Dimon, the 2020 survey, which is the second of WTA’s consumer surveys, “reinforces the importance of nature/the outdoors as a key pillar of Wellness Vacations” when compared with the previous survey conducted in 2018.