World Travel Market introduces wellness lounge

The World Travel Market (WTM) is launching a wellness lounge in collaboration with Spafinder Wellness. 

Set to debut at the 2015 World Travel Market, held in London November 2-5, the wellness hub is designed to allow wellness exhibitors and buyers to met and do business. 

The lounge will be open on Wednesday November 4 and Thursday November 5 and will play host to a networking breakfast and speed networking sessions. 

Simon Press, senior director of the World Travel Market, said: “The wellness industry’s importance to the wider travel industry continues to grow every year.

“It expands annually as our lives get busier and more stressful and more people are increasingly concerned about boosting their physical and mental wellness during their leisure time.

“This has seen the wellness industry move from a travel industry niche into the mainstream. WTM is fulfilling this need by giving the wellness industry a platform to negotiate and conclude deals.”

The launch of the lounge constitutes an expansion of last year’s collaboration between the WTM and Spafinder Wellness, which included a wellness programme with three education sessions. 

John Bevan, chief operating officer of Spafinder Wellness, said: “Spafinder Wellness is delighted to be partnering with the World Travel Market again.

“For too long, the wellness and travel industries worked side by side but never crossed paths. But thanks to the foresight of World Travel Market, we have put together a programme that will allow the two industries to meet and do business.”

In 2014 the inaugural Wellness Travel Awards, organised by Spafinder Wellness, were held at the WTM. This year, the event will once again host the World Travel Awards announcement and reception, taking place on November 4.