“Everyone deserves the opportunity to be proactive with their own self-care and make small changes that can significantly affect one’s overall health,” says Anne Dimon, co-founder, president & CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association.
Now in its 11th year, Global Wellness Day will be celebrated on June 11 as an impetus to raise awareness about living well and increase motivation, not just for the day, but for the remaining 364 days of the year. Celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year, the event takes place in more than 100 countries simultaneously and promotes a balanced lifestyle around the globe.
Global Wellness Day is an entirely not-for-profit day, a social project dedicated to living well. The purpose of the day is to ask the question, even if for just one day, “How can I live a healthier and better life?” and to direct the thoughts of both individuals and society towards “living well” and raise awareness.
Dimon, also founder and editor of Travel To Wellness, adds, “Launched when self-care was still considered a selfish pursuit and something that was not necessarily attainable to everyone and anyone, the significance of Global Wellness Day is that it helped change that perception.”
According to Dimon, the world has witnessed many new travel trends since the annual celebration took root. Among the most notable are:
1. While spa treatments and yoga sessions continue to be important options under the umbrella of wellness travel, they are not mandatory for someone embarking on a wellness vacation.
2. Wellness travel products are no longer all about the luxury experience. Wellness travel has become and will continue to be more inclusive and accessible.
3. Spending time in nature has become recognized as an important wellness pursuit and is the one thing that is most often mentioned in WTA Wellness Travel Consumer Surveys.
4. More people have become more knowledgeable about the science that tells us it’s the small changes we make in our daily lives that lead to better health. They have adopted more wellness practices in their day-to-day lives and these are the consumers who are driving demand for more wellness options when they travel.
5. The pursuit of wellness is in high demand as travel resumes.
6. Authentic experiences that reflect the local culture and history of the destination are more in demand.
Eden Roc Cap Cana, the famous Caribbean resort known for its bespoke wellness experiences and for putting the Dominican Republic on the map as a wellness hot spot, is hosting the official Global Wellness Day event. Pedro Castillo, director of Eden Roc Spa & Wellness Center, says, “Well-being is a way of life and we’re excited to spotlight this through the Global Wellness event.”
