Strategies to add $1 Million + in new hotel revenue with yoga and wellness retreat bookings. Turn your hotel into a hotspot for wellness seeking travelers and groups.
Navigating the Wellness Travel Landscape in 2024: How to Hire the Right Wellness Tourism Expert for Your Hotel
As the wellness tourism sector flourishes, it's crucial for hotels to adapt and capture this burgeoning market. However, successfully tapping into wellness tourism and attracting wellness groups requires specialized knowledge and a nuanced approach. This is where hiring the right wellness tourism expert becomes vital. In this guide, we'll explore what to look for in a wellness tourism strategist, the questions to ask, and how to find the perfect match for your hotel's unique needs.
1. What to Look for in a Wellness Tourism Expert
Industry Experience and Knowledge: Seek someone with a proven track record in the wellness tourism sector. They should understand current trends, customer needs, and have case studies or references to back their success.
Marketing Savvy: Your expert should be adept in both traditional and digital marketing strategies, specifically tailored to wellness tourism.
Customized Approach: Look for a professional who offers tailored strategies rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
Understanding of Your Brand: They should resonate with your hotel’s ethos and understand how to align wellness tourism strategies with your brand’s identity.
Creativity and Innovation: Choose someone who brings fresh ideas to the table, essential for standing out in a competitive market.
2. Questions to Ask a Potential Wellness Tourism Expert
"Can you provide examples of successful wellness tourism strategies you've implemented?"
"How do you stay updated with the latest trends in wellness tourism?"
"What is your approach to tailoring a strategy specific to our hotel's brand and goals?"
"How do you measure the success of your strategies?"
"Can you describe a challenge you faced in a previous project and how you overcame it?"
3. How to Find the Right Wellness Tourism Expert
Industry Networks and Events: Attend wellness tourism conferences, seminars, and networking events to meet professionals in the field.
Online Research: Look for experts with robust online presences, showcasing their expertise through blogs, articles, and case studies.
Referrals and Recommendations: Ask for referrals from other hotels or businesses in your network that have successfully implemented wellness tourism strategies.
Professional Directories: Utilize directories of certified and experienced professionals in the tourism and wellness industries.
Social Media Search: Platforms like LinkedIn can be valuable for finding experts with the necessary skills and experience.
Hiring the right wellness tourism expert is a critical step in ensuring your hotel successfully taps into the wellness market. By finding someone who aligns with your brand, understands the nuances of the industry, and can deliver creative and effective strategies, you can make your hotel a preferred destination for wellness groups. If you're ready to explore the potential of wellness tourism but need expert guidance, reach out to us at Coconut Creative Agency. Let's collaborate to elevate your hotel into a wellness retreat haven.
4 Favorable Advantages Boutique and Independent Properties have over Big Brand Properties
Unique accommodations with sophisticated-charm and influenced by the locale are not the only edges your independent hotel has over big name properties.
Here are 4 favorable advantages that boutique hotels, B&Bs and independent properties will always be able to take the lead on.
Unique accommodations with sophisticated-charm and influenced by the locale are not the only edges your independent hotel has over big name properties.
Here are 4 favorable advantages that boutique hotels, B&Bs and independent properties will always be able to take the lead on.
You Have More Flexibility
Bigger brand name properties have red tape they have to bypass even for seemingly simple decisions to be made.
You have the advantage of:
Running contests
Partnering with local businesses
Giving incentives
Hiring and letting go
Implementing new procedures as you need them
Shifting hours for restaurant, events, retail, spa, and experiences as needed
Making changes to operations, sales, marketing, food & beverage, and maintenance
You Can Make Fast Decisions
When you instinctively know something needs to be done now, you can do it without waiting for email responses from higher ups in different time zones.
You have the advantage of:
Jumping on time sensitive opportunities that would generate revenue
Course correcting as soon as you see something’s not working
You Have Creative Horsepower
You can think outside the box, literally. You aren’t tied to brand standards of colors, messaging or alliances.
You can align your property with causes and foundations you are passionate about.
You can utilize local relationships to enhance your guest experience. For instance:
Chefs you hire
Products you carry
Events you have
Services you offer
Experiences you create
You Can Add A Personal Touch
At smaller properties, guests can experience more touch points with owners and management, enhancing their positive perception and fostering stronger guest loyalty and admiration for your property.
Personal touches might look like:
Greeting them at check in
Having a complimentary bottle of champagne sent to their table
Having a conversation with them in the lobby
Showing them a behind the scenes look at the chef preparing tonight’s meal
Arranging for a special experience they showed interest in
Sending a handwritten thank you once the guest checks out
Need help maximizing your advantages to boost bookings and put your hotel on the map? That’s our speciality.
5 TIPS TO ATTRACT MORE WELLNESS RETREATS TO YOUR HOTEL
In this article you'll discover some significant stats about the wellness tourism industry, learn two very important facts about working with wellness retreat leaders, and find out five easy tips for attracting more wellness retreats to your hotel or retreat center.
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The U.S. accounts for more than one-third of all global wellness tourism revenues, and it is by far the largest national market.”
In this article you'll discover some significant stats about the wellness tourism industry, learn two very important facts about working with wellness retreat leaders, and find out five easy tips for attracting more wellness retreats to your hotel or retreat center.
So why should you be interested in wellness tourism, anyway?
“...it’s the fastest growing travel sector. The Global Wellness Institute predicts an impressive 21% annual growth rate, expanding the sector to an over $1 trillion market by 2024.”
Wellness Tourism Is High-Yield Tourism
Wellness travelers spend more per trip than the average tourist, and this holds true for both domestic and international travelers.
International wellness tourists on average spent $1,528 per trip, 53% more than the typical international tourist and this is an outdated stat from 2017.
The premium for domestic wellness tourists is even higher. At $609 per trip, they spend 178% more than the typical domestic tourist. - Source Global Wellness Institute
If you want to successfully attract wellness retreats, there are 2 important pieces of information you must first know about working with those that facilitate wellness retreats...the retreat leaders.
#1 Their Pain Points - A wellness retreat leader's biggest pain point is filling their retreat.
Once you understand what challenges a wellness retreat leader faces, you can anticipate their needs and find ways to support the success of their wellness retreat making it a win/win.
#2 Their Goals - A wellness retreat leader's biggest goal is profiting from their retreat.
The majority of retreat leaders break even or lose money on retreats they facilitate. Top reasons for this include lack of marketing and choosing the wrong property for their retreat needs.
Now that you better understand the pain points and goals of a wellness retreat leader, the following 5 tips will give you an advantage in attracting and selling them.
Tip #1 Visuals
Use images and video in your marketing and on your website of your wellbeing services.
Create a visual journey of what a multi-day retreat could look like at your property.
Tip #2 Great Copy
Channel your inner wellness travel writer.
Great copy should beautifully highlight all the amenities and features that would appeal to a wellness retreat leader. Environment, food, wellness, activities, accommodations...
Tip #3 Ease
Make the visuals and copy easily available on your website so the retreat leader can swipe and paste them into their own marketing materials to promote and fill their retreat.
This is of huge value to a retreat leader.
Tip #4 Showcase
Post testimonials from retreat leaders on your website. Retreat leaders follow and trust other retreat leaders.
If you want to speed up your wellness retreat bookings, land a recognizable yoga retreat leader or wellness guru to have a retreat at your property and leverage their testimonial.
Tip #5 Be Findable
What does a wellness retreat leader read?
Who do they trust?
Get featured in travel and wellness magazines and sites so retreat leaders can easily find you.
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Use these five tips as a checklist. The better you understand the needs of these particular types of travelers, the sooner you'll start booking more wellness retreats.
Need help boosting bookings from wellness traveler enthusiasts? We’ve been helping hotels, destinations and wellness retreat companies successfully do this since 2013. Contact us today.
Here’s a recent review from a client that is an international yoga retreat company:
“We’ve Grown Steadily To Offering 4x Our Original Business Plan.”