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The pandemic was a wake-up call from many, about their physical and spiritual health. No surprise that travelers then are choosing wellness trips as their first getaways as restrictions loosen. Tour operators didn't miss a beat.
The last year was marked by lockdowns and quarantines for so many people. So not surprisingly, many people were envisioning 2021 as an opportunity to shed the baggage brought about by the difficult year.
And travel just might help them do that. Indeed, executives at tour operators specializing in wellness travel have seen growing interest in their products over the last year. While that's not surprising considering wellness travel was already considered a likely trend in 2021, the demand has been greater than expected.
Numbers absolutely indicate a post-pandemic boom in wellness travel — the Global Wellness Institute predicted it would be worth approximately $919 billion worldwide by 2022, roughly 18 percent of global tourism. Furthermore, a survey conducted by the Wellness Tourism Association earlier this year found that 74 percent of respondents said they had already made plans for a wellness vacation.
A recent boom has already occurred for one tour operator. "Our bookings surged in the spring once many Americans were vaccinated and feeling more confident about travel," said Elinor Fish, the CEO of Colorado-based tour operator Run Wild Retreats, which organizes running-centered excursions for women.
"As a result of the built-up demand, we're now almost sold out for 2021 — about 90 percent full. And that was after we increased our trip capacity by 88 percent over pre-pandemic levels."
Run Wild Retreats has gotten so many new bookings and queries that the company decided to hi
