Exotic destinations, family travel and unique experiences again top the list of luxury travel trends heading into 2015, but one of the overarching themes across the sector will likely be the continued merging of pampering and wellness.
Wellness is the word that's on practically every luxury hospitality company's mind heading into the New Year, with health- and fitness-related programs and packages spreading from exotic spas to cruise ships, urban properties like New York's iconic Waldorf Astoria and even meetings-focused destinations.
A panel of experts at the International Luxury Travel Mart in Cannes, France, in early December predicted that by 2040, 90% of luxury tourism would include some aspect of health and wellness.
"Wellness travel is a huge movement that is here to stay and only growing," said JoAnn Kurtz-Ahlers, president of Kurtz-Ahlers & Associates, a marketing consulting firm for luxury hotels and travel companies. "You see evidence of that in all of the new construction, both in city properties and resorts, both in properties being constructed and in existing properties."
Six Senses, one of the early leaders in the spa and wellness travel space with its entrance into pristine Asian beach destinations, is continuing its global expansion with the opening of three resorts and four spas in 2015.
And properties from California to Paris are adding or updating spas with wellness centers and special fitness and health programs.
Four Seasons, for example, launched Energy by Four Seasons, a program that it describes as an "integrated and customized approach to wellness" that gives guests "access to a locally inspired collection of spa treatments, dining options and other energy-boosting solutions curated specifically to promote greater overall well-being both inside and out."
It also launched an aggressive social media campaign and a 30-day wellness challenge.
But perhaps the clearest example of this evolving trend will be the 2015 opening of what is being billed as the largest luxury hotel fitness and health club in America at the Four Seasons resort in the Dallas suburb of Las Colinas.
The 175,000-square-foot Well & Being Spa will include three fitness studios, personalized nutrition and preventive health programs, integrative health services like acupuncture and private diagnostics by expert fitness coaches.
It's the second Well & Being facility to be opened by Trilogy Spa Holdings, which said it expects to open two more in Las Vegas in 2015 and two dozen more over the next three years. The first is at the Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The company has also worked with existing spas, such as the Guerlain at New York's Waldorf Astoria, to incorporate wellness and fitness programs into its spa and meetings offerings. The programs might include a session of laughing yoga to break up a long day of meetings or a conference lunch that includes a nutrition and cooking lesson.
Trilogy said its research revealed that the number of Americans concerned about their health has grown from 50% in 2008 to 73% last year.
Mideast interest
Travel experts also say family travel and exotic destinations will once again be popular in 2015.
The latest survey by the American Affluence Research Center, which polls the households with the top 10% of American wealth, said vacation and travel continue to top the categories in which the wealthy intend to increase their spending in the year ahead.
While exotic destinations like Vietnam and Myanmar have been at the top of luxury lists for the last several years, experts expect to see growing interest in the Middle East and beyond as Etihad, Qatar and Emirates airlines have made it easier to get to these emerging destinations, Kurtz-Ahlers said.
Virtuoso said its demand for the United Arab Emirates in the winter season is up more than 335% over last year, and early 2015 air bookings are up 54% year over year.
In fact, the United Arab Emirates was the destination for Virtuoso's Nov. 10 Annual Chairman's Recognition Event for top-producing agencies and advisers, a huge nod to the increasing interest from the around the world.
While Western travel to the Middle East has traditionally been dominated by Europeans, the Virtuoso trip included agents from Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the U.S. Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew Upchurch called it a "standout experience" full of "exceptional adventures."
"We were welcomed with warmth and in awe-inspiring ways," Upchurch said, "ensuring our members had the experience of a lifetime."