Global: Outdoor Adventures & Wellness—What’s Trending for 2024

GIRL ON ROCKIt’s been a full 3.5 years since the world came to a grinding halt, but there’s no doubt the entire episode has left us with a different brand of depleted—the kind that needs nourishment in mind, body and soul. Enter outdoor adventure travel and the wellness economy, two sectors that have returned with robust growth to help preserve our sanity and nurture our bodies. Outdoor adventure travel—kayaking, cycling, trekking, rafting, caving, etc.—in a natural environment with a good dose of cultural immersion thrown in is making considerable strides in popularity for its ability to promote sustainability while supporting local economies and bringing in revenue for the private sector as well. According to a report by Expert Market Research, in 2023, the adventure tourism market attained a value of nearly $336.03 billion and is estimated to reach about $998.37 billion by 2032. They point to rising spending on domestic and international travel, the growing trend of remote work and the surging interest in unique travel experiences as the primary market driver for the segment, with sustainable tourism and the increasing popularity of soft adventure activities and the exploration of off-the-beaten-path locations as key trends aiding its expansion. INTREPID TRAVEL PEOPLE ON ROCKS Meanwhile, the availability of tour customization has become the travel advisor’s best friend, allowing you to meet the demand for individualized, authentic experiences, with operators such as Intrepid Travel leading the way. Thanks to their Tailor-Made programming, you can modify their 1,000+ existing itineraries to suit your client’s needs or work with them to create a fully custom itinerary. “When the pandemic forced us indoors it drove a huge boom in outdoor adventures as people looked to stay active and much of this interest has stayed. Knowing more people are yearning to get outside and enjoy nature, we wanted to design itineraries that would allow them to do this while exploring incredible landscapes all over the world. Intrepid is known for its adventurous travel style and these new trips really bring us back to our roots,” said Matt Berna, president of the Americas at Intrepid Travel. One of the company’s newest Active Adventures itineraries is the 7-day Southern Greece – Hike, Bike and Kayak, where your clients can do everything from hike parts of the Menalon trail to cycle along the coast of Kefalonia island to sea-kayak and then relax on white-sand beaches. As for up-and-coming destinations for 2024, Intrepid Travel has South Korea, Peru, Corsica (ask about the 8-day Sardinia & Corsica Sailing Adventure) and Morocco in its sights.BEACH YOGA PEOPLE The wellness economy is also flourishing. According to the Global Wellness Institute, one of its key sectors, wellness tourism, is set to keep growing more than any of its 11 sectors, increasing by about 21 percent by 2025 to a whopping $1.3 trillion. And, more than ever, that wellness travel is going beyond the spa. “The desire to escape the noise and congestion of city life and escape into the peace and quiet of Nature will be one of the biggest trends for 2024,” says Anne Dimon, president/CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association. She reports, “In our 2023 Wellness Travel Consumer Survey, we asked the close to 700 respondents the question ‘What do you feel are the must-haves for your personal wellness vacation?’ Respondents were given a list of eight selections, and 76 percent picked accessible nature and outdoor activities.” Survey respondents were 59 percent from the U.S., 19 percent from Canada, and the remaining 22 percent represented 46 countries and territories worldwide.INFINITY POOL BLESS HOTEL At the chic 151-guestroom beachfront BLESS Hotel Ibiza the Beldon Wellness SPA offers a Turkish hammam, a hydrotherapy center, whirlpools and other holistic treatments, but they also have an entire menu of signature experiences, among them, BLESS My Soul, which takes guests from natural cocktails at the EPIC Infinity Lounge to the water area of its Magness Soulful Spa to yoga or meditation in their room with an Equilibrium KIT. In addition, they have an exclusive Opera Spa Night and discovery tours, including the Bohemian Journey: Following Hippie Trails around the Island and Formentera Essence: Discovering the Island on Bicycle. (Of note: The hotel boasts the Michelin-starred Etxeko Ibiza by renowned chef Martin Berasategui.) Stylish sister property BLESS Hotel Madrid, with 111 guestrooms, offers the only rooftop pool on the Golden Mile and is the only hotel in the city to offer the HOGO System 08 sleep system “devoted to the quest for perfect rest.” This unique bed is available in its BLESS Wellbeing Terrace Villa with Jacuzzi, a one-of-a-kind escape. Both properties are part of the Palladium Hotel Group. And there’s another interesting trend. A report earlier this year on CNBC showed family wellness trips are becoming a thing, mainly spurred on by the parents’ need for mental and physical health and supported by more and more resorts offering programs that offer these types of experiences for everyone. This can mean everything from a resort stay somewhere like Carneros Resort & Spa in Napa, which offers complimentary wellness classes for kids, or a more exotic family-friendly safari, such as Go2Africa’s adventure at Angama Mara, an award-winning safari lodge on the Masai Mara National Reserve.
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