Health and wellness fads come and go, but the idea of wellness tourism, where we head off on holiday to focus on our health or well-being (or both), shows no signs of slowing down. There’s been a marked uptick in wellness travel and travelers seeking to enhance their immunity, switch to a plant-based diet and enjoy more affordable and eco-friendly retreats.
In 2019, the Global Wellness Institute found that 936 million trips were made worldwide for spas and wellness. With it being nearly three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, wellness travelers are still prioritizing building resilience to disease with the help of medical experts and wellness therapies.
Wellness retreats for Black women are on the rise. Black women must constantly put energy into protecting our minds, bodies, and spirits. Whether you’re interested in yoga, a healthier living alternative, or implementing holistic wellness into your daily life, these workshops and retreats offer a little something for everyone. We’ve rounded up seven wellness travel trends set to dominate the wellness travel industry in 2023 for Black women to pour into themselves and the best destinations to visit to experience these emerging health-enhancing trends.
Sound Healing Journeys
Sound healing, therapy, and bathing go beyond simply being ambient, mood-boosting, or scene-setting noise. It’s an ancient practice, and Buddhist monks have used Tibetan singing bowls in their meditation practices for centuries. The sound bathing here consists of strolling along a jungle path with nine instruments creating different sounds and vibrations, ultimately leading to the resort’s Sound Therapy Hall, where music and vibrations selected by a renowned sound healer are said to restore your inner balance.
It first trended in the western world in the 1990s, but it’s a concept that’s back on many spa menus worldwide, where the combination of sound and vibration is said to help calm and focus us. The Maldives’ first truly dedicated wellness retreat, Joali Being, opened to much excitement in 2022. It’s a place that takes its approach to health and well-being seriously, with a vast range of therapies on offer, from personalized nutrition to alternative healing treatments.
Salt Float Escapes
Another accelerating trend is salt floats. Sometimes it can involve floating in an oversized bathtub with a lid or tank and is said to help us relax, improve sleep, and boost our general well-being. By cutting off sensory input, you’re better able to relax and de-stress, which can benefit your mental health and potentially ameliorate any stress-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, muscle pain, and tension headaches.
Samahita Retreat in Thailand offers you world-class float therapy with the most advanced float tank in the market, the Dreampod V2 Flagship. The tank is both slick and comfortable, with maximum sound-proofing and heat retention and a hidden passive air circulation system, to give you a superb floating experience. For further sensory reduction, you can use the earplugs provided and turn the tank’s lights off to achieve the deepest state of relaxation.
Digital Detox Trips
No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no problem. The chance to unplug from digital distractions has become a new luxury in today’s hyper-connected world. There’s been an increasing trend towards digital detoxing in travel, where we go on holiday to reconnect with our surroundings, consciously putting our phones away and experiencing being off-grid.
A stay in Alaska’s Sheldon Chalet is a chance to get away from it all in every sense:
- The lodge is only accessible by plane and helicopter.
- The nearest town of Talkeetna is more than 50 miles away.
- There’s no Wi-Fi or cell phone coverage available.
Perched atop a lone glacier some 6,000 feet above Denali National Park, the five-bedroom hideaway is an extreme yet luxurious base with activities like aurora borealis-watching, skiing, gourmet glacier picnics, and unforgettable mountain hikes.
Plant-Based Retreat & Vegan Vacations
Plant-based diets are steadily becoming more popular, and 2023 is thought to be no different. There is a growing demand for learning how to maintain a nutritionally dense plant-based diet, and more resorts will cater to this with their menus and retreat offerings in 2023. Resorts like the Sianji Well-Being Resort in Turkey offer a Raw Food Detox with various packages, including consultations with a doctor and a dietitian, unlimited detox soup, herbal teas, pH10 alkaline water, detox drinks, salads, and herbal supplements.
This is also leading to the growing trend of vegan vacations. For meat- and cheese-free travelers, finding restaurants in vacation destinations with compelling vegan options has usually been tricky. Vegetarian-friendly hotel database Vegan Welcome currently lists 135 hotels in 22 countries. Of those 135 venues, 18 are exclusively vegan. La Vimea in Italy is an adults-only, eco-friendly resort that prides itself as the first vegan hotel in Italy. The 40-room property uses local produce and organic ingredients to create vegan menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including plenty of pasta.
The Return of the Hammam
A hammam is a traditional steam bath followed by a black soap scrub, with roots tracing back over 2,000 years old when the Romans used them to relax and socialize. The Turkish bath or “hammam” tradition dates back to the Ottoman era as an essential ritual to cleanse, relax, and gather for social affairs. It’s a ritual that’s said to help our respiratory health and give us a natural detox. London hotel, The Ned, has its hammam available to its members and hotel guests, and it’s a relaxing six-stage process, starting with a foot cleanse, black soap wash, a kessa scrub, and a hair cleanse, followed by a facial and an application of oil and pure shea butter.
Raffles Istanbul, the first five-star rated property in Turkey, has rejuvenated the ancient tradition and offers the entire family’s experiences. The Family Hammam offer will be available for families who want to spend quality time together while refreshing and regenerating. The luxurious property has three Turkish hammams in the Raffles Spa, which features male and female relaxation areas with saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, experience showers, and ice fountains.
Sleep Retreats
A sleep-focused retreat could change your mind if you weren’t entirely on board with the hype around good sleep hygiene for overall health and well-being. Sleep-associated ailments, such as insomnia, low energy, and weight gain, are rising, with sleep quality falling across various demographics. Enter the sleep retreat. In these immersive programs, you’ll be led by a team of experts, helping you improve the quality and duration of your sleep through meditation, massage, and healthy bedtime rituals.
Comprising two beautifully restored colonial villas and a third modern villa addition, Cartesiano Urban Wellness Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Puebla, Mexico. The Circadian Health and Rebalance program is aimed at helping individuals identify their sleep-wake cycles and energy peaks during the day.
It’s suitable for individuals who experience sleep problems, stress, anxiety, or fatigue, as well as those who wish to understand better their body’s natural rhythm and the impact of sleep on their health, creativity, and well-being. The program helps participants align with their biological rhythms, enhance their sleep quality, and learn healthy habits to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand has a unique approach to wellness that combines ancient Eastern healing traditions with Western medical science to obtain life-enhancing results. You will have access to a team of health professionals ranging from Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, naturopaths, Ayurveda therapists, and spiritual mentors. You can also access exceptional visiting teachers, healers, and practitioners.
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Boitumelo Masihleho is a South African digital content creator. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes University in Journalism and Media Studies and Politics and International Studies. She’s an experienced multimedia journalist who is committed to writing balanced, informative and interesting stories on a number of topics. Boitumelo has her own YouTube channel where she shares her love for affordable beauty and lifestyle content.
