Every year the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) releases its much anticipated Wellness Trend Forecast. The 9 trends outlined for this year are expected to have the most meaningful impact on the multi-trillion-dollar global Wellness industry.
Wellness has been on the map more than ever before, in fact, the health and Wellness industry is growing nearly twice as fast as the global economic growth according to the Global Wellness Institute.
A concept that is gaining significant importance in the industry is the democratization of Wellness also referred to as “Wellness for All”. Big media platforms and tech companies are penetrating the Wellness industry leveraging the current momentum and interest in preventative health & wellbeing. Powerful brand collaborations fueled by celebrity endorsement and exposure on popular media platforms such as Netflix & Spotify are contributing to the unprecedented reach and affordability of Wellness programs and experiences.
Moreover, the report speaks about the Future of Immune Health and encourages us to stop boosting and to start balancing to achieve optimal health.
Another key takeaway is the report’s focus on the significant connection between the built environment and our physical health and wellbeing. In recent years, the industry has promoted WELL building standards and the performance of Wellness Real Estate can’t be ignored by Real Estate developers any longer. GWS’s outlook adds another dimension and speaks about architecture’s ability to touch our souls and our health. Scientific studies have proven that the built environment impacts our health including hormone production, inflammation, gut and respiratory health, stress levels, cognitive performance, social interactions and relationships as well as emotional wellbeing.
Being a big believer in the effectiveness of Breathwork we are also excited to read that top medical schools are endorsing Breathwork as a powerful health tool. The convergence of health and wellness is encouraging a new era in healthcare, which GWS powerfully labels as “The Self-Care Renaissance”.
The Wellness Playbook also defines the new trend for meetings and events. Featuring Wellness at its core, events, and meetings after the pandemic will not only focus more on collaboration & brainstorming but also the design of meeting & event layouts will change. Imagine not sitting on traditional banquet chairs anymore but rather on stylish home bike trainers while listening to a keynote speech. Established Wellness conferences such as the Global Wellness Summit and Dave Asprey’s Biohacking Conference shifted their conference online in 2020 and have stated that this was a true gamechanger and that they will continue to embrace the new hybrid model encouraging both online and in-person participation. As a result, we believe that booming platforms such as Hopin, currently valued at USD 2,1 billion, are here to stay – even in a post-pandemic world.
Last but definitely not least, the trend report predicts that all travel will turn into Wellness travel after the much-needed break in 2020 from manic business trips and getaways. Since we will all be more selective and conscious about our travels in the years ahead, we absolutely agree with the GWS’s forecast that this new mindset will ultimately reboot travel for the better.