The Health Tourism Association defines a wellness destination as “a geographic area that fosters and promotes wellness as an integral part of the region’s community life and economy.”
Back in 2019, the WTA published a nine-point list of assets and attributes that should be present when marketing “wellness destinations” to consumers around the world. The list will be updated to 10 names in 2024.
Listed below are 10 requirements for a geographical area to be considered a “wellness destination”:
- An environment that is both perceived and real safe
- Provide clean and hygienic infrastructure for locals and tourists
- Quality of life for local people who benefit from tourism income – such as job creation within industry and market for locally made goods/products/services
- Natural assets such as hot springs/mountains/water bodies/forests/thalassotherapy resources or other natural assets within the destination and easily accessible to tourists
- As wellness tourism and wellness travel encompass the health of the planet, destinations must develop substantive sustainability policies and practices
- Availability and accessibility to a wide range of health professionals and practitioners, including those offering holistic and alternative modalities
- Select hotel restaurants and independent restaurants offer healthy cuisine, prepared by chefs committed to clean eating and working with local growers
- Offering a range of fitness activities and tours – such as yoga, hiking, cycling, fitness classes, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding
- A physical environment away from the noise that has become “everyday life” in the 21st century
- Local DMO continues to uphold vision and commitment of healthy tourism pillar
For wellness tourism to continue growing, nothing is more important than for consumers to know what awaits them when they travel. The WTA views the 10-point criteria as an essential foundation for any region claiming to be a “wellness destination” and recommends that tourism boards, CVBs and DMOs intending to call themselves “wellness destinations” own and/or possess these essential assets and attributes.