The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) research recently revealed the hot springs market had reached $50 billion, spanning 26,847 properties worldwide. And while taking the waters goes by many names globally—from “agua calientes” to balneotherapy—markets share one thing in common: they’re surging.
Thermal/mineral springs locations without spa services represent two-thirds of locations—but read on to see just how much MORE hot springs facilities with spa treatments bring in revenue-wise.
This article could have been written as an advertisement expounding the benefits of massage! Touch is the first of the senses to develop in the human infant, and it remains perhaps the most emotionally central throughout our lives. Numerous studies show that if we often experience friendly or loving caresses, “it’s safe to assume that we have a strong social network, which is itself one of the best predictors of happiness, health and longevity.”
I was recently asked to give a presentation on current trends in the wellness industry at the annual Professional Spa & Wellness Convention in London. As we all know, some trends are like waves in the ocean: They come and go and come and go and come and go. Yet others seem to be more predictable: predominantly those trends are derived from well-observable and stable socio-cultural shifts in our societies.
Over the past decade, wellness has become a major priority for corporations. Companies both large and small are recognizing that employee wellbeing significantly affects productivity, innovation and reputation. In response, they are incorporating prevention-based initiatives (such as healthy eating, stress management and smoking cessation) into their corporate cultures.
Identical twins, of course, share the same genes (and typically backgrounds), so medical studies on them allow researchers to more precisely isolate the impact of a behavior on health. And a very interesting new study from a Finnish university reveals that when one adult twin exercises—and the other doesn’t—the result is a major difference in their bodies and brains.
Central banks in the Eurozone (EZ), Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark have just moved to negative interest rates; thus casting investors into a world of negative yields already amounting to $2 trillion (comprised of both sovereign and corporate bonds, like Nestlé or Shell). As much of the world flirts with either “lowflation” or deflation, this situation will endure, with two main consequences: (1) It pushes many investors into risky assets; (2) It makes the life of insurance companies and pensions funds a misery – no longer able to match returns (often expected at 8%!) and liabilities.
