Wellness tourism boon – should you get in on it?
The steep decline in international travel has been a boon for the wellness holiday industry in Australia, with island resorts, yoga retreats and health centres doing unprecedented business.
And Queensland’s luxury tourism market is booked out for months ahead as southern tourists replace their overseas travel with remote island and retreat-style holidays.
Michael Johnson, the CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia, says while a lot of wellness retreats are far from the most affordable holiday option for Australians, there has been a surge in their popularity in recent months following border closures.
“The health and wellness retreats can often be often quite expensive,’’ Mr Johnson said, “but while people aren’t spending on the international trips it seems they are quite happy to spend a bit more on a luxury Australian experience.
“Interestingly, we are seeing a lot more yoga retreats coming up and they are heavily booked.
“COVID has meant that a lot of people can’t go overseas and many holidaymakers are now looking for fresh-air vacations as opposed to traditional holiday sightseeing experiences.
“There is a lot of pressure on people today with what’s going on in the world with COVID, so many people are looking for holidays that focus on relaxation more than anything else.
“They want a holiday experience where they come away feeling better and healthier.”
Some of Queensland’s expensive island resorts are booked out as far as July-August while high-end retreat accommodation is booked for up to eight months in advance.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind told news site In Queensland there was a multi-speed tourism market operating and one of the few “silver linings” was the demand for luxury holidays.
He said the wealthy travellers still had money to spend and that meant there was significant demand for some “wellness” properties.
The pandemic has sharply increased global awareness of the importance of “wellness” in people’s lives. Even without a pandemic, attempting to achieve this state is the basis of a global industry said to be worth around US$4.5 trillion a year.
The travel side of this, “wellness tourism”, was estimated to be worth US$639 billion globally in 2017, a figure expected to increase to US$919 billion by next year.
Research by Katherine Droga, from the Global Wellness Institute, states that 42 per cent of Australians intend to take more wellness focused holidays once COVID-19 restrictions lift and that in terms of visitor spend, wellness travel was already growing at twice the rate of regular travel before COVID-19 hit.
Luxury yoga retreats are designed to cleanse the mind, body and soul and reset worn batteries.
Among the most popular in Australia is the Gaia Retreat and Spa at Byron Bay, where the Samira Yoga Lookout sits atop the highest point in the Ballina Shire. The stunning scenery from the Pacific Ocean to the Nightcap Range provides a stimulating backdrop as guests practice strength and flexibility with a personal yoga instructor.
Actor Hugh Jackman is one of the owners of the Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the Gold Coast.
His retreat offers intense hiking and creative dance classes, yoga and Pilates sessions.
At the Samadhi Retreat in Daylesford, Victoria, alpacas roam the magnificent grounds as guests go through the Mountain Pose or Downward Facing Dog.
The Eden Health Retreat at Currumbin Valley, on the Gold Coast offers relaxing yoga classes amid a lush green garden before a day’s healthy eating.
Almost 5000 kilometres to the west, the Injidup Spa Retreat at Margaret River, south of Perth, provides meditation sessions with a former Buddhist monk, along with yoga sessions and a variety of spa treatments.
Western Australia has seen a boom in wellness holidays, combining health-centred activities with some of WA’s most picturesque locations.
One of the most exclusive offerings is a private charter cruise aboard Ocean Dream to the Rowley Shoals, a little-known set of coral atolls off the coast of Broome.
The cruise includes daily yoga classes, breathwork, reiki therapy and wellbeing consultations alongside fresh meals from an on-board chef and cold-pressed juices.
Esperance, on the south coast of Western Australia, is also emerging as a sought-after wellness destination offering retreats and experiences including yoga, Pilates, meditation, guided hiking and nature walks and the Yoga Festival on March 27.
A handful of retreats have also put New Zealand firmly on the global wellness tourism map.
One of those is Resolution Retreats in Waikato, which was named New Zealand’s best wellness retreat in the 2020 World Spa Awards.
The women-only retreat was started by former chartered accountant Joelene Ranby in 2012, after she identified a gap in the market for a live-in retreat specialising in women’s health.
Since opening in 2014, the Glenorchy health resort, Aro Hā, has established itself as one of the world’s top wellness retreats, picking up a swag of international awards.
Five-night retreats start from $5575. A typical day involves sunrise yoga before breakfast and a subalpine hike before lunch.
Meanwhile, the Chatham Islands off New Zealand is the only place in the world reporting over-tourism during the pandemic.
The Chathams, 800 kilometres east of the country’s South Island, have become a hot getaway for Kiwis because remoteness is now an advantage for holiday destinations.
Grantlee Kieza OAM has won three Queensland Media Awards, two Australian Sports Commission Awards and has been a finalist for the Walkley and News Awards and for the Harry Gordon Award for Australian sports journalist of the year. In 2019 he received the Medal of the Order of Australia for his writing. You can find more of his work in our AccomNews & Resort News print magazines.
He has written 22 acclaimed books, including bestsellers Hudson Fysh, The Kelly Hunters, Lawson, Banks, Macquarie, Banjo, Mrs Kelly, Monash, Sons of the Southern Cross and Bert Hinkler.
