Looking for a mind-body-soul experience that will leave you rested, recharged, and restored? You’re not alone. As a thirst for wellness tourism grows, hotels and resorts are upping their wellness games — and we’re all the healthier for it.
Previously, wellness tourism was equated with fresh-pressed juices at the poolside bar and maybe a spa session or two. These days, thanks to a reckoning on the perils of stress and a canonization of healthy habits, the wellness tourism industry is poised to hit $1.5 trillion.
What is “wellness tourism”? A better question might be: What is it not? Peruse the New York Times’ Travel section or the pages of Condé Nast Traveler and you’ll see buzzwords like “sleep tourism,” “intimacy retreats,” “blue zone travel,” “biohacking beach vacations,” and “menopause tourism.” Even traditionally hedonistic trip traditions like bachelorette parties are getting a well-ness makeover, with white-swimsuit-clad brides-to-be eschewing raucous hotspots for quieter destinations that allow them to connect with their loved ones and prepare for the big day — mind, body and soul.
But while it may seem trendy — and indeed, it is — there’s some science to support the rise of wellness tourism. Turns out there’s something to that “greener pastures” mentality: Seeking out new places, particularly in the company of loved ones, provides a boost to our mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Combine a new place with the power of sound, the power of connection, the power of discovery, the power of water, and the power of holistic healing, and you’ll get more than a boost. You’ll emerge transformed.
THE POWER OF sound
A slower heart rate, reduced muscle tension, sounder sleep, increased energy — all thanks to the meditative frequencies of sound. Sound therapy may sound like a newfangled therapy (or even a too-good-to-be-true one!), but in reality it’s been regulating humans’ autonomic nervous systems for thousands upon thousands of years through the power of vibration.
Intrigued? Head to Mountain Shadows Resort near Scottsdale, a modern and luxurious stay nestled under the cover of Camelback Mountain — boasting breath- taking views at every turn. Here, guests can reserve a private sound healing experience led by a local wellness expert in the comfort of their guestroom or suite, or outside on the resort’s property, perhaps in the shade of a grove of palo verde trees or in a poolside cabana as the sun begins to rise.
THE POWER OF discovery
That feeling you get when you’ve arrived at a new-to-you destination? That’s the “novelty center” of your brain (called the substantia nigra/ventral segmental area, or SN/VTA, if you’re curious) responding to the thrill of discovery with a rush of dopamine and an onslaught of new neural connections. You can keep your SN/VTA firing long after arrival by dedicating your vacation to the pursuit of something new — maybe hang gliding above the soft Outer Banks dunes at Sanderling Resort in Duck, North Carolina, just a stone’s throw from where America first took flight. Whether you dip your toes in with a beginner hang gliding lesson or go all-in and achieve a tandem glide that sails to 2,000 feet (or higher!), you’ll experience the feeling of honest-to-goodness flying — a sensation your SN/VTA isn’t soon to forget.
Another experience that combines sensory input — the sound of rushing water, the glint of the sun on an eddy — with the mastery of a skill is fly fishing. At The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vermont, not far from where avid outdoorsman Charles Orvis started his fly-fishing empire on the shores of his beloved Battenkill River, guests can enroll in the Orvis Fly Fishing School, venturing out with expert anglers to try their hand at knot tying, fly selection, current analysis, and casting. Orvis’s passion was taking the intimidation out of the sport, so even fly-fishing newbies will feel comfortable taking their place in the storied waters of the Battenkill.
THE POWER OF connection
A strong relationship could literally save your life.
Research has shown that being married or involved in a similar intimate relationship can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease. But it’s not just the status of being married that protects your heart — it’s the strength of your connection that matters.
The pursuit of wellness, then, is not just about our connection to ourselves, but also about our connection with others. This idea is part of the playbook at La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio Texas, where a “Destress Together” package at Loma de Vida Spa & Wellness beckons couples to leave the stress of the day-to-day behind and settle in for moments of deep relaxation care of a CBD-rich botanical soak in a tub for two overlooking the resort’s Hill Country vistas, a touch therapy session, a foot scrub with reflexology, and a customized couple’s massage, paired with Champagne and CBD-infused chocolates. Or retreat to the Spa Villa at Naples Grande Beach Resort on Florida’s aptly named Paradise Coast for a bespoke experience in a private couple’s treatment area that includes a secret garden-esque courtyard with your own whirlpool plunge pool.
Bolstering your connection with your person doesn’t have to happen at the spa, though. Spend an evening stargazing from the serenity of a treehouse at Skamania Lodge in Washington; cozy up by the fireside at Tivoli Lodge in Vail, Colorado; or paddleboard or kayak out to ship wrecks, private islands, and secluded beaches at Bermuda’s Cambridge Beaches and watch those sparks fly.
THE POWER OF water
You’ve likely heard of “blue zones,” those corners of the world where people tend to live beyond 100 years and have fewer chronic illnesses — but have you heard of a “blue mind”?
A “red mind” is one consumed by the chaos of stress; a “gray mind” is one blurred and dulled by burnout. The “blue mind” movement holds that, as humans, we are drawn to water because we are, well, mostly water — and that time spent by water or immersed in it helps usher our harried minds into a state of blissful calm. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop. Dopamine and feel-good oxytocin levels increase. Our brain is free to focus and connect with the beauty in the world around us.
Perhaps that’s why, at Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa in Vero Beach, Florida, yoga sessions take place at sunrise on the beachfront, as rolling Atlantic waves lull you into serenity. It’s a deeper take on the sun salutation, bending and flowing as the sun peeks its forehead above the ocean’s horizon. When the sun reaches its zenith, continue your connection to the water by paddling through the waves on a kayak or paddleboard, or simply soaking up the ocean views on an umbrella-shaded lounge chair.
At the tippy top of the U.S. Atlantic coast, at Spruce Point Inn in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the blue-mind curious can practice in the pool, which is nestled into the boulders just above the tide, or on the ocean, whether it’s sailing, whale watching, lobstering, oystering, or kayaking out to an iconic Maine lighthouse. Those seeking some serenity will relish the peace and quiet of Stonewall Jackson Lake from a lakeside cottage at Stonewall Resort in West Virginia.
THE POWER OF holistic healing
If you’re wary of trends and prefer for your wellness pursuits to be rooted in, say, 3,000-year-old Indian traditions, Ayurveda may be the ticket. In Sanskrit, “ayurveda” means “knowledge of life,” and that pretty well sums it up: It’s a holistic approach rooted in purification, herbal remedies, massage, meditation, and yoga that aims to put the body back in balance with the mind, soul and earth.
At Garden of the Gods Resort and Club’s Strata Spa in Colorado Springs, massage practitioners lean heavily into the art of balancing doshas, a key principle of the Ayurvedic tradition. Doshas are the three constitutions that govern the body, and a dosha that’s out of whack is believed to throw off the system, leading to poor stress and chronic illness. Using warm, herbal oils and ancient modalities, Strata Spa’s Ayurvedic treatments seek to leave the body and mind balanced and purified. Pair your spa session with a sunrise yoga class held in the shadows of the towering Garden of the Gods, and then rinse and repeat. You’ll emerge from your vacation a totally new person — and forever a wellness-tourism believer.
Written by: Katie Bridges
