Global Wellness Institute

Last week, roughly 40 public and private sector leaders gathered at Swansea University in Wales for an open discussion on what the best wellness interventions would be for the country—and how they could be put into action. It was the first Global Wellness Institute roundtable for this small, but innovative, nation, and the conversation was wide-ranging, from Ruth Hussey, Wales’ chief medical officer explaining the ways the country is pushing for a healthier population and economy, to keynote speaker Franz Linser arguing that the “luxuries of the future will be invisible: time, silence, mindfulness and space” (a few “wellness resources” Wales knows well…).

“While for now Greece is a stranded, non-functioning economy – long-term, its wellness tourism sector should continue to perform well…” This is the prediction of GWI research partner, economist Thierry Malleret. We all watched Sunday as Greek voters said a firm “no” to the harsh “cash-for-increased-austerity” bailout terms from its European creditors – with headlines swirling about how the nation’s gamble will ultimately play out. With a world focused on the complex, difficult future ahead for Greece, it’s worth stressing how utterly critical tourism (and wellness tourism) are for the nation now…and going forward. According to the WTTC, an amazing 17%+ of the country’s gross domestic product depended on tourism last year. And while Greece is a small country, it drives roughly 4.5 million wellness-focused trips a year. Read more to see why Malleret argues that in the long-term, wellness tourism should perform at least relatively well in Greece, and just how large the Greek wellness tourism market is today…

This is an interesting take on how a spreadsheet and data can help a person lose weight. It’s a new approach to dieting based on economics and the notions of incentives and commitment.

In a world of declining productivity and real incomes, economist Thierry Malleret takes a look at the tourism/wellness tourism industries, where significant skill and talent gaps threaten to magnify this declining global productivity trend. Read more to learn just how many jobs this “talent gap” will cost the world—and why so much more education and training for these industries is needed!

The goal of the Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) ongoing roundtables is to lead the “wellness conversations” the world most needs to have. And on the morning of July 15, the organization will hold an invite-only roundtable on the topic of “Redefining Workplace Wellness.” As discussion around this sector continues to heat up, this roundtable has attracted high-level leaders, from Dr. Michael Roizen, head of preventative medicine at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, to Emily Dery, head of the Global Health Track at the Clinton Global Initiative. Also in attendance will be the chief medical and innovation directors from companies like Johnson & Johnson, Virgin Pulse, Weight Watchers, Citi and Goldman Sachs. They will sit down to have an honest, wide-ranging conversation about the best way to move the workplace wellness concept forward in the future.