Voluntourism, wellness and exotic experiences have been among the fastest growing luxury travel trends in recent years. And a new partnership promises to combine all three.
Sallie Fraenkel, president of Mind Body Spirit Network, and Casey Miller, president of Travelteerism, a boutique tour operator that couples luxury travel with short volunteer opportunities in Latin America, Asia and Africa, have teamed to create exclusive excursions to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Belize next year.
The trips, they say, are designed to “create wellness experiences that enhance travelers’ connections to themselves and to people in the countries they visit."
Fraenkel calls it “well-balanced” tourism, something she says that, after nearly a decade in the spa and wellness industry, she discovered just a few months ago on a trip to San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala. It was on that trip that she first met Miller, who showed her a school made of recycled materials that is supported, in part, by Travelteerism trips.
“I realized that you can’t have true wellness without looking at the wellness of the world around you,” she said. “It was truly a transformational moment for me. I thought, 'this is what is missing.'"
From there, the partnership was born.
“We operate on the premise that you need to not just see the world but also serve it as well,” Miller said.
“People often don’t associate voluntourism with luxury,” he said. "There is a huge demographic that wants to do that but doesn’t want to stay in a village.”
Fraenkel and Miller have put together four trips -- the first to Mexico in November -- that are five to seven days and accommodate no more than a dozen guests. The accommodations are in boutique properties, with meals, spa treatments and activities all focused on experiencing the local culture.
Each trip has wellness and volunteer components, as well as adventure and healthy, local dining.
Experiences range from luxury spa treatments and shaman cleansing-and-healing rituals to volunteering at indigenous schools. Depending on the trip, itineraries include the opportunity to hike active volcanos, walk and shop in historic villages, sit at the tables of up-and-coming chefs and opportunities to delve into the socioeconomic issues of the country.
Rates are generally in the $500 per night range and are commissionable at 10%.