World Travel Market introduces wellness tourism programme

Left: Image courtesy of Champneys

The World Travel Market is adding a programme dedicated to wellness tourism to this year’s event. The programme, which will run across three of the four days of this year’s World Travel Market on November 3-6, is being introduced off the back of feedback from last year’s event. 

Micaela Juarez, head of marketing and communication at the World Travel Market, said: “The introduction of a wellness tourism programme came from the findings of our post-event research, which showed that participants would like more information on this fast-growing sector.” 

The programme is organised in association with Spafinder Wellness 365 and the Global Wellness Tourism Congress, held under the auspices of the Global Spa & Wellness Summit. The first day will look at what wellness tourism is and the reasons it’s growing faster than the travel and tourism sector at large. 

The second day will outline the difference between wellness tourism and medical tourism and examine the opportunities inherent in both sectors, while day three will see a discussion of how governments and businesses have successfully incorporated wellness tourism into their marketing strategies. 

John Bevan, managing director of Spafinder Wellness 365, said: “I am excited by this opportunity to increase the exposure of the wellness tourism industry to the wider global travel industry at the World Travel Market.” Announcements on the programme speakers will be made during the year.