GWI Releases New Report on Wellness Tourism Market—Packed with Data & Trends

Yesterday, the GWI released a new Global Wellness Tourism Economy report at World Travel Market (WTM) in London. This is the study that put wellness tourism on the world’s radar, and the new edition is packed with more regional and national data and trends than ever before. A few findings: Wellness tourism grew from a $539 billion market in 2015 to $639 billion in 2017—a…

Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of November 6, 2018)

  Humanity Has Wiped Out 60% of Animal Populations Since 1970, Report Finds– The Guardian, October 30, 2018 This is about a new, widely cited report. According to the World Wildlife Fund (involving 59 scientists from all over the world), humanity has wiped out 60 percent of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970. The vast and growing consumption of food and resources by the…

The Fascinating Connection between Our Emotions and Our Heart Health

A book that just came out (Heart: A History, from Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist) sheds some fascinating light on the connection between wellbeing and cardiac issues. Put in the simplest possible terms: Stress can kill. As the author explains, the connection between our physical heart and our emotions is an intimate one. Sentiments, such as fear and grief, can cause cardiac injury by causing blood…

New Edition of Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards Book Released

The GWI’s Hydrothermal Initiative has just released a new edition of its popular Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards Expanded by 50 pages, the book provides a primer for anyone—whether designers, architects or builders—on designing thermal experiences and wet areas for commercial properties or residential homes. It covers everything from project planning to construction considerations, including recommended standards and materials—and new for 2018…

Wellness Evidence Study: A Sedentary Life More Deadly than Being A Smoker, Hypertensive or Diabetic

A large, new study (122,000 patients) led by the Cleveland Clinic had “extremely surprising” findings: A sedentary life is a massive risk factor for death and worse than being a smoker or having diabetes or heart disease. The researchers reported, “We’ve never seen something as pronounced and as objective as this,” and insisted that a sedentary lifestyle should be seen as a disease, with the…

Forces Shaping the Now $4.2 Trillion Wellness Economy

A recent article in Fast Company dove into the GWI’s new research report, the Global Wellness Economy Monitor, finding that the 10 markets that make up the wellness economy are now worth $4.2 trillion. GWI Senior Researcher Ophelia Yeung explains some macro forces that are now defining the wellness market: from people’s interaction with wellness now becoming less episodic and more holistic to how the…