Global Spa & Wellness Summit expands with new Global Wellness Tourism Congress

Reflecting global growth in the wellness tourism market, a new event, the Global Wellness Tourism Congress will be held alongside the 2013 Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS).

Being held in New Delhi, India, from 5th to 7th October, the addition of the Global Wellness Tourism Congress on Saturday 5th October will bring together tourism leaders to shape the best strategies to promote and grow this fast-emerging travel category.

The Congress' full-day agenda will include the presentation of case studies illustrating unique, successful national wellness tourism campaigns along with critical findings from a new SRI International (the former Stanford Research Institute) research report, the first to analyse the scope of, and predicted future growth for, the global wellness tourism sector.

Ophelia Yeung, Co-Director, Center for Science, Technology and Economic Development, SRI International, explains "within the estimated $2 trillion global tourism economy, wellness tourism is a market that has explosive growth potential, given the demographic, economic and lifestyle trends in both high-income and rapidly developing countries.

"Yet, too few industry stakeholders and consumers fully understand this new travel category, leading to missed opportunities for both. By defining and quantifying the size and impact of global wellness tourism - and identifying best promotional practices - this Congress and new research will educate, and reverberate with, governments and wellness businesses around the world."

SRI International indicated that the value of the worldwide wellness tourism market was $106 billion three years ago, already more than twice the size of the much more heavily promoted medical tourism market ($50 billion).

The Congress agenda will include:

National Case Studies: Case studies from nations across Asia, Europe, North and South America and the Middle East/Africa will be presented. Those countries showing the most innovation and success in their diverse wellness tourism campaigns will share 'best ideas' on topics like attracting investment and promotional support from both the public and private sectors, and how to best market offerings to domestic and international tourists. The Congress will then synthesize the numerous ways that nations, tourism and spa associations and spa/wellness businesses are most successfully collaborating, with the goal of identifying a more cohesive global approach.

'Wellness Tourism Economic Impact Study': SRI International will present key findings from the most comprehensive research on wellness tourism undertaken to date. An invaluable new resource for communicating the value of wellness tourism to governments and businesses, the report will provide detailed insight into this rapidly growing market.

'Wellness Tourism of the Future' Forum: This moderated, collective 'brainstorming' session among assembled governmental leaders that are responsible for their nation's tourism strategies and wellness tourism experts will focus on designing wellness tourism models that could most powerfully capitalise on this rising travel trend. A discussion of how wellness tourism is distinct from medical tourism will also be on the agenda.

Patients Beyond Borders Chief Executive Josef Woodman, explains "throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America, the wellness traveler is driving new paradigms for both healthcare and tourism.

"We're seeing rapid change and big opportunity, as stakeholders seek to capture market share in the evolving wellness tourism category."

For more information contact Alexandra Plessier, GSWS Logistics Coordinator on +1 212 716 1205, E: alexandra@gsws.org, www.globalspaandwellnesssummit.org

18th July 2013 - INDIA TO HOST 2013 GLOBAL SPA & WELLNESS SUMMIT

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