July 22, 2020 (Denver) – Nearly 4,000 consumers from 48 countries and territories responded to the Wellness Tourism Association’s second consumer survey, revealing their motivations for taking a Wellness Vacation as the industry begins to recover. The three-month (April, May, June 2020) online consumer survey was administered in collaboration with WTA Member, Professor Danny Kessler Ph.D. from Youngsan University, Busan, South Korea. Respondents were 54% female with 73% between the ages 26 to 74 (Millennials and Baby Boomers), and with close to 78% indicating they already include wellness activities when they travel. President & CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association, Anne Dimon says, “As the industry begins to recover, we know the results of this survey will provide both suppliers and travel advisors with crucial consumer data on motivations for Wellness Vacations post-pandemic.”
In order to get a clear understanding of consumer motivations for planning and booking a Wellness Vacation, we asked two main questions:
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When it comes time to book a Wellness Vacation/Holiday what would be your main motivations? We asked them to rate a series of 28 statements on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 representing Not Important and 7 representing Most Important).
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As a result of Covid19 affecting your life, what are some new motivations for going on a Wellness Vacation not mentioned in previous questions. (This was an open-ended question that generated over 17,000 plus words from 2,435 individual respondents.)
From question #1, here’s what respondents revealed to be the top Eight Most Important Motivations for booking a Wellness Vacation (figures are rounded off to the closest percentages point and indicate the number of respondents who selected the statement as the Most Important).
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To return to everyday life feeling rejuvenated – 38%
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To escape the demands of everyday life – 26%
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To experience activities outdoors – 25%
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To look and feel better – 24%
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To connect with nature – 24%
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To find peace and quiet – 21%
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To get a better night’s sleep – 17%
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To learn general ways to improve my health 17%
From the open-ended question which allowed respondents to describe any other personal motivations for taking a Wellness Vacation in the wake of the pandemic, the top three themes were:
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Social connection and the desire to be with like-minded people
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The desire to be in nature
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To improve mental health
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To learn to be proactive about their own health, wellness and well-being (wellness relating to health, well-being relating to happiness)
Two additional and notable results of the survey:
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Over 20% indicated they would be Extremely Likely to book a Wellness Vacation within the next two years.
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Over 24% indicated that wellness “could” or “will” be the focus of their next trip.
Dimon points out that “when compared to the 2018 survey with 2,500 plus respondents, the 2020 survey reinforces the importance of nature/the outdoors as a key pillar of Wellness Vacations.”
Methodology
Administered in collaboration with Professor Danny Kessler from Youngsan University in Busan, South Korea as part of Mr. Kessler’s Ph.D. in Wellness Tourism, the three-month, online consumer survey drew a total of 3,931 responses from 48 countries and territories, with 80% from North America. The survey included 77 questions related to Wellness Vacation motivations, quality of life, subjective wellbeing, along with basic demographics. The survey was a follow-up to the 2018 survey which explored the topic of Top Must Haves for a Wellness Vacation. For the purposes of the survey, respondents were allowed to assume their own definitions of a Wellness Vacation.
The survey was promoted with the help of WTA Members and Partners, and all respondents had the opportunity to win five prizes selected at random from all those who responded. A full and complete analyses of the survey will be released later this year. For more information on the survey, please contact the WTA email [email protected]. For more information on the Wellness Tourism Association, please visit www.wellnesstourismassociation.org.
