Key takeaways from conference in Morocco include architecture and design reboot, generational and gender seismic shifts, the loneliness epidemic and the rise in wellness tourism
New York, NY – September 16, 2014 – Over 45 nations gathered
at the 8th annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) in Marrakech, Morocco last
week, shining a spotlight on the future of the US$3.4 trillion wellness
industry. The conference’s future-looking agenda tackled topics including
architecture and design’s influence on experience and sustainability, the
seismic generational and gender shift, the impact of technology on human
interaction, Africa’s role in wellness and more.
“This year’s GSWS agenda included futurists, marketing gurus, and, of course,
spa and wellness experts,” said Susie Ellis, chairman and CEO of the GSWS. “The
journey we took together into our future was full of game changers, and we’ve
identified ten major shifts that will impact how we will approach wellness in
the future.
Architecture and Design Reboot
For decades, the spa industry has relied on Asian-influences to guide not
only spa menus but also the look and feel of its facilities. Dutch architecture
maverick Bjarke Ingels told delegates: “You not only have the ability, you have
the responsibility to change the spaces we live in.” His envelope-pushing
designs promise to inspire a complete re-think in how to approach spa
architecture and, importantly, create sustainable designs that increase, rather
than decrease enjoyment. Ingels’ waste-processing-plant-cum-ski-slope is a case
in point.
Authenticity in Overdrive
Authenticity, the seeking of local, indigenous experiences, has long been a
rallying cry in spa and wellness treatments but mass urbanization and the rise
of the Millennials have ratcheted up an insistence for “can’t get anywhere else”
experiences.
“Increasingly, it’s not the destination that matters, it’s the experience,”
said Peter Greenberg, CBS travel editor. “Generic luxury no longer satisfies
most of us; there is a growing desire to find the heartbeat of a place and
culture and then share it with the rest of the world on social networks.”
Greenberg noted that this social, “experience one-upmanship” creates a buzz that
traditional marketing can’t and, ultimately, the experience itself markets the
destination.
Outsmarting Your Genes: Personalized Preventative Medicine
“Predictive, personalized, preventative healthcare will transform the
landscape of healthcare over the next decade,” said Dr. Nasim Ashraf of DNA
Health Corp. “Epigenetic testing is essentially the science of outsmarting your
genes.”
Dr. Asraf pointed out that much of our wellbeing is not destiny and can be
influenced by environment. And as personalized genetic testing continues to get
not only more sophisticated but also more affordable, it’s possible to know what
chronic diseases and conditions (cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, obesity,
etc.) individuals are prone to and then prescribe not only the right treatments,
but, importantly, the lifestyle changes that can prevent their expression.
Epigenetic testing is already being performed at medical and destination spas
around the world.
Generational and Gender Shift to Youth and Women
Spa and wellness marketers need to cast a wider net by focusing more on
emerging generations – Millennials and generation Z (for want of a better
term)–that are different than the aging, time-rich Baby Boomers most wellness
marketers have focused on to date. (For example, generation Z is the first to
have never lived without the influences of social media and technology.)
A massive demographic shift from male to female is also occurring. Due in
part to their longer lives, and increasing wealth and education (70 percent of
students in universities today are women), women will grow rapidly in influence.
“The population of women in cities is massively on the rise and wealth is
being transferred from men to women,” Kjell Nordstrom, the Swedish economist and
co-author of Funky Business, told delegates.
Urbanization to Supersede Suburbanization
The future will have a marked move away from suburbanization to urbanization,
and in 2030, 80 percent of all people will live in urban settings. Nordstrom
told delegates that the perception of the world as 200 countries will quickly
shift to one of 600 cities, and, in a world ruled by cities, inhabitants will
crave nature and simplicity but also extreme fitness, beauty and wellness.
The Loneliness Epidemic
“We used to die of old age, soon we’ll be dying of loneliness,” said
Nordstrom. Urbanization,technology and demographic shifts are driving an
overarching sense of “aloneness” that spa and wellness centers will help abate.
Thirty years from now, 60 percent of households will be single.
(In Stockholm, 64 percent of households are already single and in Amsterdam, 60
percent.) As an industry of touch, spas can combat this trend, delivering
connectedness in a world that has created a dependence on screens for company.
Wellness Tourism Momentum Continues
Less than a year ago, the GSWS and long-term research partner SRI
International launched the concept of wellness tourism to the world. Today,
governments and companies are embracing this key market segment with an
estimated value of US$494 billion and growth of 12.5 percent year-on-year[1].
Unique approaches to wellness tourism are being seen across the globe:
VisitFinland markets silence as its biggest resource, and a Congolese safari
company promises to put a child through school with each booking.
Authentic African Renaissance
Indigenous and authentic experiences will lead many travelers to countries
they’ve never experienced before, and Africa, a continent most of the world has
little understanding of and is often associated with disease and chaos by the
mainstream media, will be at the heart of this wellness tourism explosion. This
will be furthered as there becomes a clearer recognition of the cultural
identities and unique approaches to health, wellbeing and beauty in the over 50
countries that make up Africa.
Spa revenue in Africa is already on the rise with new data showing a
staggering 186 percent growth from 2007 to 2013 in Sub-Saharan Africa. African
panelists warned delegates not to subvert Africa’s unique spa and wellness
identity in a spa like sheen.
“Don’t bring your Swedish massages to Africa and ask us to ignore the healing
traditions we’ve had for thousands of years. Africa has its own health, beauty
and healing arts that must be respected,” said Magatte Wade, a Senegalese
entrepreneur named one of the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes
and awarded the first-ever Leading Woman in Wellness award at this year’s
Summit.
The Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT), the host country sponsor
of this year’s Summit, has put spa and wellness front and center in its tourism
initiatives. With US$253 million in annual spa revenues, the country ranks 2nd
in the MENA region.
Technology on Fast Forward
According to Paul Price, keynote speaker and retail and marketing expert, for
good or bad, technology will not only remain at the forefront of our world but
it will embed itself even deeper, altering the way we do everything–from how we
shop to how companies market to us. Price told delegates: “Don’t be seduced by
bright and shiny objects and don’t let the technology drive your decisions.
Instead, consider moving your tech department into your marketing department so
the IT team is driven by the marketers and not the other way around.”
Price also noted that new currencies will be developed, 3D printing will
deliver products on demand, wearable technology will shape wellness, and
location specific marketing will push offers. Breakthroughs in new materials
will change how our world is shaped and artificial intelligence will change how
we interact. And, at some point, information overload will send people looking
for a health and wellness concierge to assist in sifting through all the
information and to simplify our choices.
During the conference, a “Tech Jam” session was held for sharing personal,
wellness technology – highlights included a breathalyzer that plugs into a
smartphone and a HAPIfork that monitors eating habits. Simultaneously with GSWS,
Apple Watch launched, providing a unique platform for personal monitoring. “This
platform delivers a great opportunity to help people understand how technology
and wellness can be integrated,” said Ellis.
Wellness Communities Make Comeback
Before the economic downturn there was a lot of talk of “spa real estate” but
many of these projects crashed and burned right along with the economy. Now
whole communities – and even whole cities – are being designed and branded with
wellness at their very core. (Research released at the 2014 Summit showed that
this market is now valued at US$100 billion.) Mixed use properties, the
combination of hotels and residences, have emerged as a potentially viable
financial model in this sector, though one that still requires careful planning
and understanding of its nuances.
Serenbe, a community outside Atlanta, GA, has been designed from the ground
up with well-being informing every decision–creating a new kind of community
with sustainability, green building, organic farming, culture, arts and fitness
at its core.
Delos Living is leading the charge with its WELL Building Standard, a
building standard that focuses on seven “wellness” aspects (air, water,
nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind) and is being embraced by the
mainstream medical community. Delos has teamed with the Mayo Clinic on a WELL
Living Lab, whose research will focus on the interaction between health,
wellness and the building environment.
About the Summit: The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) is
an international organization representing senior executives and leaders joined
by a common interest in driving economic development and understanding of the
spa and wellness industries. Delegates from diverse sectors, including
hospitality, tourism, health and wellness, beauty, finance, medical, real
estate, manufacturing and technology attend the organization’s annual Summit,
held in a different host country each year and attracting delegates from over 45
countries. After just seven years, the GSWS is now considered the leading global
research and educational resource for the $3.4 trillion spa and wellness
industry. It’s known for introducing major industry initiatives such as the
Global Wellness Tourism Congress, whose global forums bring public and private
stakeholders together to chart the course of the fast-growing wellness travel
sector, and WellnessEvidence.com, the world’s first online portal to the medical
evidence for common wellness approaches. For more information, visit
www.gsws.org.
