China’s long, extremely restrictive lockdown was just lifted, and the return of mainland China’s outbound travel market is arguably *the* hottest topic in tourism. Finn Partners, with research consultancy Consumer Search Group, just released a study on more affluent Chinese consumers’ travel plans. First, they plan more overseas travel than their pre-pandemic pace: roughly half of them plan at least five trips this year. After…
Unriddling Happiness: Why “Gloomy” Finns Beat High-Spending Americans By Thierry Malleret, economist In the new World Happiness Report, the Scandinavian/Nordic countries—as always—dominate the top-ten list of happiest nations, with Finland taking the #1 spot again. But there are numerous countries (wealthy and highly developed) that simply don’t rank as high as one would expect. The US ranks 15th, the UK 19th, France is 21st, Italy…
GWI to Release First Wellness Policy Toolkit on Physical Activity April 14 The GWI’s new Wellness Policy Series was born out of a profound reality: the private wellness market and consumer action alone cannot bring wellness to all and address our global skyrocketing health crises. Public policy is essential to fill the gaps. The series includes seven forthcoming wellness policy toolkits (from healthy eating to wellness in…
In the most comprehensive review (2023) of global studies to date (1,097 trials, 128,000+ participants), University of South Australia researchers found that exercise should be the “first choice treatment” for depression, anxiety and psychological distress, as it improves symptoms 1.5 times better than both leading medications and talk therapy. Every type of exercise—from walking to resistance training to yoga—proved beneficial. The benefits were seen in every…
The “Premiumization” of the Wellness Market: A Worrisome Trend By Thierry Malleret, economist Rich economies are now gentrifying as businesses narrow their focus on the wealthiest consumers: doubling down on premium, exclusive goods and experiences for high-end customers with stripped-down offerings for the rest. The wellness economy is at the forefront of this new gentrification. Whether it’s pricey new fitness clubs, wellness resorts, or well-tech,…
A new study from Stanford University compared different stress reduction techniques (each was done five minutes a day for a month): mindfulness meditation and three types of breathwork (cyclic sighing, with its greater focus on exhaling; box breathing, where inhaling and holding are done for an equal time; and one focusing on longer inhalation). They found that all three types of breathwork had a faster,…
