Special Feature – Leisure, Wellness & Hospitality

A Sector Evolved

The global wellness tourism market size is expected to reach USD 2.1 trillion by 2030 and the market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.42 per cent from 2023 to 2030. Here, RLI takes a look at a selection of concepts and spaces that highlight the importance of wellness in the modern world.

The leisure, wellness and hospitality sectors comprise an all-encompassing field that is being driven by expanding individual, community and corporate market opportunities. The benefits of attaining a greater sense of wellbeing are growing daily as people become more in-sync with their mental health. Destinations, services and products serving this industry are on course to continuing growing and evolving.

A report entitled ‘Wellness Tourism Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Service, By Travel Purpose, By Travel Type, By Region And Segment Forecasts, 2023 – 2030’ by ReportLinker, the award-winning market research solution, highlights that improving patient awareness about health and personal care will be one of the major drivers for the market. Promotional campaigns arranged by various governments are also encouraging wellness tourism across the globe. Wellbeing services offered by players help customers find solutions to improve or maintain their personal health and wellness. The rising number of health-conscious people is contributing to the increasing demand for wellness activities at popular travel destinations.

Wellness tourism includes various activities such as spas, mineral springs, skiing, hiking, pilates, yoga and others. In recent years, increasing demand for wellness therapies has resulted in a rise in the number of spas, mineral springs and wellness retreats. With work from anywhere becoming the new normal, people are taking wellness vacations to resorts where they can work while enjoying nature’s beauty. Popular tourism destinations are providing all the facilities to allow working professionals to grow their business prospectus through remote workcations.

Earlier this year, KidZania has launched a new concept called kinezis, a gym-style destination merging fitness, wellness and entertainment. kinezis offers three unique experiences – kinezis fitness, which focuses on physical training, kinezis fun, which includes adventure activities and kinezis health, which provides wellness experiences. kinezis fitness is a boutique gym area with classes led by trainers. It uses state-of-the-art equipment and provides immersive activities. kinezis fun features adventure activities, from climbing walls to zip lines and kinezis health is a wellness area with a spa, personal trainer and nutritionist. The first kinezis location has opened in the Mundo E shopping mall in Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico. The $23M venue is the first of many, as KidZania plans to open additional locations in Mexico and across the world. KidZania is an interactive edutainment brand with 27 locations across the world. KidZania venues are interactive miniature cities for children, who can independently explore the cities and more than 100 careers.

Last year, Hilton announced the signing of an agreement with CKR Resorts Private Limited to launch Hilton’s flagship brand in Hyderabad, with Hilton Hyderabad Resort & Spa. Hilton continues to expand its presence in India and currently operates 24 hotels, seven of which are Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties. The resort is spread across 15 acres and is situated in Shamirpet, Hyderabad, near Genome Valley – a high-tech business hub focused on pharmaceutical research and development. With 115 rooms and 13 villas with private plunge pools, Hilton Hyderabad Resort & Spa aims to offer an exceptional guest experience. Additionally, with its green lawns, modern architecture and design, along with its banquet and meeting spaces, the resort will offer options for guests to host corporate events, meetings, social events and weddings. The resort will be equipped with a fitness centre and a spa, as well as multiple specialised outlets and a bar to cater to food connoisseurs.

City of Dreams Mediterranean, Europe’s first integrated resort (IR), is expected to be the largest premier integrated destination resort in the region. It will feature a fourteen-storey luxury hotel with 500 guest rooms and suites, over 8,000sq m of MICE space, an outdoor amphitheatre, a family adventure park and a variety of premium dining outlets and luxury retail. Its interior design will be based on Melco’s international luxury standards, specifically customised for the Cyprus IR, while the exterior design will feature distinct Mediterranean influences. A world-class development, a landmark for Cyprus but also for the wider region, the integrated resort is set to enrich Cyprus’ tourism product, attracting thousands of new tourists annually and significantly contribute to countering seasonality, while establishing the island as a year-round all-season destination. Set to open next month by developer Melco Resorts & Entertainment, City of Dreams Mediterranean will take modern resort luxury to new heights and it is set to become a game-changing development, poised to revolutionise the island’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Melco has also announced a special soft opening period for hotel and invited guests and this will commence on 12 June 2023, followed by the public opening on 10 July 2023.

A new partnership between Red Sea Global, the major Saudi multi-project developer and Clinique La Prairie, the Swiss longevity clinic will see a new resort launched at the upcoming ultra-luxury tourism site Amaala. Clinique La Prairie Health Resort in Amaala will be a wellness-focused property located in Amaala’s Triple Bay hub and will include 13 villas, as well as 52 rooms and suites. With an emphasis on longevity, the 36,115sq m resort features a central ‘Longevity Plaza’ leading to four distinctive areas of the resort corresponding to each one of the brand’s pillars – medical care, nutrition, movement and wellbeing. The resort will also feature a diagnostics lab, museum, beach club, workshop and training rooms, a private dining space and even a cooking school. The medical pillar of the brand will see Clinique include an advanced diagnostics lab and radiology, neuroscience, dermo and aesthetics wings. On the wellbeing front, it will provide cryochamber, hyperbaric suites and IV infusion, alongside other therapies. Upon completion, Amaala will be home to more than 3,000 hotel rooms across 25 hotels and approximately 900 luxury residential villas, apartments and homes, alongside retail establishments, fine dining, wellness and recreational facilities.

Launched in November last year, The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort in Doha is composed of 59 rooms and suites as well as 32 chalets and villas at Katara Cultural Village in Qatar’s capital city, Doha. The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort, Doha, Qatar shall occupy a beachfront setting within the landmark 100ha Katara Cultural Village district that includes theatres, concert halls, exhibition galleries, mosques, restaurants, shops, a park and an open amphitheatre. The area is a magnet for well-heeled travellers and Qataris who are keen to explore the cultural heritage of the region. All of Katara’s pedestrian-friendly attractions are accessible from the property, either by foot or buggy. The 32 villas dotting the extensive landscaped gardens in the Katara Hills range from one to five bedrooms, all with private gardens and swimming pools, offering privacy, luxury and tranquillity in the heart of the city. On the beachfront promenade, a long swimming pool accents the principal resort building while a second infinity pool offers a relaxing environment for families to enjoy a wide variety of snacks and fresh juices at the stand-alone Beach Club.

Promising the finest experiences life has to offer, Sindalah will be the first physical showcase of NEOM. An incomparable island destination, it will be an exclusive gateway to the stunning Red Sea. It will welcome the global yachting community, as well as visitors looking for exquisite luxury. A place where enhanced nature meets responsible design, advanced technology and inspirational architecture, Sindalah will feature unforgettable experiences above and below the water and great connectivity to the nearby Mediterranean, in addition to spectacular golfing, Sindalah will provide year-round delights thanks to its perfect climate. Whether you are looking for vibrancy, a buzzing atmosphere or pure adrenaline the diverse offerings on the island will cater for you. The resort will include a beach club, yacht club, spa and wellness centre plus 51 luxury retail outlets – in addition to luxury hotels and a large marina. Expect only the best in this new year-round destination, where the weather is always enjoyable – meaning your enjoyment will no longer be dependent on the seasons.
Launched last year, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som is a pioneering destination in the Middle East that blends Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine with a holistic health and well-being philosophy, established by Chiva-Som, the internationally acclaimed wellness resort in Thailand. They welcome guests from all over the world to their coastal home on the northern tip of Qatar, where they offer two distinct yet interconnecting experiences. Zulal Serenity is dedicated to adult guests seeking an immersive health and lifestyle reset, while Zulal Discovery invites families to connect and embark on a wellness journey together. They aim to inspire people with positive and sustainable lifestyle change.

Uniquely located within a renowned London Square addressing Oxford Street, Harley Street and Regent Street, the four-storey subterranean development Cavendish Square will be a world first wellbeing destination incorporating healthcare, retail and commercial space. Cavendish Square London by developer Reef Group is the world’s first mixed-use development specifically for the health and wellbeing industry. Set over four levels below the historic Cavendish Square Gardens, the scheme will total 280,000sq ft with floors of up to 80,000sq ft. Distinct entrances to Harley Street, Regent Street and Oxford Street, offer occupier and customer flexibility; one square, three addresses. Tenant hand over is scheduled for this year.

Set to open in 2025, Therme Manchester will be the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort and it will be an immersive experience that benefits the mental and physical and wellbeing of all who visit. In addition to a ‘next-generation’ waterpark, thermal bathing and a wellbeing spa, Therme Manchester will include experiences such as immersive digital art, an on-site urban farm and botanical gardens. With unique design features including an all-season urban beach and the world’s first living waterslides. Therme Manchester will be a landmark development for the city and it is set to become an iconic symbol of the North-West of England. In addition to its site in Manchester, the company has an ongoing portfolio that includes a new wellbeing resort in Washington, DC. Per a press release, the aquatic attraction will be Therme’s flagship site in the US. The company is exploring potential locations in DC and will engage with council members, business leaders, community partners and residents. Therme’s new experience in DC is expected to create 7,200 construction jobs over a two-year period, 700 to 800 permanent operations jobs upon facility stabilisation and an estimated $1.1bn in DC nominal tax revenue flow over 25 years.