Luxury wellness travel is having a moment, and with the popularity of TV shows like The White Lotus, there are few places more associated with wellness travel than Thailand. To learn more about luxury wellness travel, we connected with Steve Johnson, Marketing Manager from Tourism Authority of Thailand (NY Office), who shared his insight into this booming travel trend.
Why is luxury wellness travel so popular right now?
Post Covid, the world has experienced a paradigm shift, with people prioritizing their overall wellbeing. Wellness travel is seen as essential to these overall wellness goals.
What are the top things to know when booking a high-end wellness retreat?
First, always plan with reliable travel experts. Second, choose a retreat that centres on your wellness goals. Finally, make sure to reserve time to explore outside the resort. Discovering a new part of the world is a form of wellness as well!
Why is Thailand a leading wellness destination?
Thailand offers some element of wellness the entire length and breadth of the country. In every province, every town, you will find some unique wellness experience at all budget levels being offered.
What is a unique wellness experience that more people should know about?
Sleep therapy and various forms of mental detox, which can leave you feeling like a new person. What’s best is that you leave equipped with practical coping mechanisms that you can incorporate into your daily life back home.
What’s a hidden gem destination for wellness?
Hua Hin is mostly unknown to North American travellers. It’s often promoted as a beach destination, but the wellness makes it stand out. It’s where you’ll find Chiva-Som, one of the best luxury wellness retreats in the world.
What’s a common misconception about wellness travel?
That wellness experiences only include massages and yoga. It’s so much more than this! It’s all encompassing and deeply personal. It allows you to discover something new about yourself.
What is the most memorable wellness experience you’ve had?
I remember a non-verbal exchange with a farmer in Mae Hong Son that truly reaffirmed my faith in humanity. I was sitting in a hut when a farmer climbed up from the rice paddy and silently sat alongside me. After several minutes, he got up and went along Su Tong Pe Bridge, motioning for me to follow. Growing up in New York, you learn to be wary of strangers, but since I was in such a beautiful location, I obliged and followed him. The farmer took me back to his house just off the bridge and served me hot tea and a type of ripe banana that I had never had before. He then taught me to shoot a bow and arrow before he bid me farewell and I continued on my way. This short, but meaningful exchange reminded me of our shared humanity and that the spirit of generosity and curiosity is alive and well.
You might say that Aren was destined to become a globetrotter after his family took him to Germany two times before he was four. If that wasn’t enough, a term spent in Sweden as a young teenager and a trek across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand confirmed that destiny. An independent writer, director, and film critic, Aren has travelled across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. His favourite travel experience was visiting the major cities of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, but his love for food, drink, and film will take him anywhere that boasts great art and culture.
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