Mala McAlpin Why you can’t miss next week’s inaugural Wellness Tourism Summit.
We know that wellness tourism is a growing focus for our industry, but how is it affecting us here in Australia, and what can businesses do to dip their toe in the wellness tourism pool and benefit from this lucrative industry?
Well, the inaugural Wellness Tourism Summit is right around the corner, so the second-best thing you can do aside from attending is of course to stay tuned to our website, socials and weekly newsletter for all the inside information at the summit’s conclusion! In the meantime, we chat to Melanie Anderson, CEO for Tourism Noosa, on the current Australian landscape, and their upcoming partnership with this milestone event.
How do you feel about this exciting new partnership with the WTS?
Tourism Noosa is proud to be the destination partner for the inaugural Wellness Tourism Summit to be held in Noosa. Noosa has long been known as a wellness destination with many of our tourism operators working within this space so it was a natural fit for us to sponsor the first Wellness Tourism Summit for Australia.
Why is this an important event for our industry?
As a wellness destination this is a unique opportunity for our members to hear from global keynote speakers in the industry right in our own backyard. Being the inaugural event, the summit will also bring national and international attention.
Should all wellness-related businesses be focusing more on the growing wellness tourism market?
The wellness tourism sector is an area of opportunity for Noosa (and any brand) to evolve and expand and to attract a growing, high value segment of the visitor market. We know that wellness travellers are both domestic and international and research indicates they stay longer with a lighter footprint to other travellers respecting the local community and being attracted to local foods and experiences. This very much aligns with the Noosa brand.
What can you tell us about wellness tourism in Noosa or Australia overall? What are wellness travellers looking for?
We know from our operators working in this space that there is a growing interest in Noosa as a wellness destination. The Global Wellness Travel Association highlights the top 5 things that people look for in a wellness holiday as accessible nature, a variety of healthy food options, access to spa treatments, peace and quiet, and quality activities such as yoga, meditation, fitness.
What are you looking forward to most about the day?
There is an incredible line up of national and international speakers and it’s always good to be inspired from industry leaders. I am particularly looking forward to the session A Deep Dive into Wellness Travel Booking Trends as I think this will be particularly beneficial for our industry. The Indigenous Healing and Rituals session is also of interest as we are working closely with our local Kabi Kabi people to develop tourism opportunities.
There are plenty of other fabulous and immersive experiences that guests can look forward to on the day too – including:
- Free facials from Hydrafacial
- Refreshing elixir shots of nutrient-rich ingredients from Waterlily
- Fresh juices from Finn Cold Press
- Massages from Stephanie’s Luxury Spa
- Dilmah Herbal Infusions Tea will be doing wellness inspired tea infusion mocktails designed by celebrity chef Peta Kuravita
- Coconut inspired wellness by Philippines Tourism, with drinks, fresh coconut oil from the Philippines, and coconut chocolate tasting
The SPA+CLINIC team cannot wait to see you all there – come and say hi!
