Last weekend I went to the annual LA Times Travel Show. This big event in the LA Convention Center includes travel companies and visitor bureau reps from all over the world. Even Azerbaijan had a booth! And yes, I did have to look at their map to pinpoint exactly where that country is (north of Iran).
Being a bit of a health nut, I was interested in wholesome destinations involving natural beauty, exercise, yoga, relaxation, quiet, and vegetarian food. On travel trade day, I attended a presentation about medical and wellness travel. Diana Wright of the Global Spa and Wellness Summit gave an especially interesting talk about the components of wellness travel, which were pretty much the things I just listed above. Ah, I thought. I’m in the right place.
According to Wright, about 14 percent of all tourism dollars go to what could be considered part of the wellness tourism economy. However, this doesn’t mean 1 out of 8 people attend a yoga retreat for vacation. No, she’s counting what’s called secondary wellness travel. That is, a person might go on an ordinary vacation but be looking for healthier food, spa services, yoga classes, or other activities that fall within wellness. Spa services account for 41 percent of wellness tourism spending. Top five countries for wellness tourism? USA, Germany, Austria, France and Japan. But Wright predicts more wellness tourism in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East by 2017.
Linden Schaffer, the founder and director of Pravassa, a NYC-based tour company, organizes trips around wellness. Pravassa takes travelers on domestic and international trips in line with its five-point philosophy: physical activity, stress reduction, good food and nutrition, spiritual connectedness (often involving nature) and cultural/community involvement. Sign me up!
Walking through the exhibition hall made a travel lover’s head spin. Tour companies from every continent detailed their packed itineraries. I want to go there! No, I want to go there! Wait, can I go there, too?
Life is unfortunately too short to go everywhere. Plus, there’s always the question of $$$. Here are just a few places/groups/ideas of interest I stumbled upon at the LA Times Travel Show.
Muddy Shoe Adventures
Michael Bennett, founder and managing director of Muddy Shoe, takes travelers on combination adventure/life coaching trips. With Muddy Shoe Adventures, you might surf, go rafting, hike and eat dinner with a local family. This sounds like a good bet for people who think travel should change their lives.
Tours By Locals
Do you want a local tour guide to show you where to get vegetarian food in the Azores? To introduce you to the architecture of Dubai? Book through Tours By Locals, based out of Vancouver, and you can find a local guide to design your own special tour. Independent guides set their own rates. Tours By Locals started in 2008. Judging from their website, they cover a lot of the world already.
Tourism Fiji
Sure, I wanted to go to Fiji anyway. But these folks were so sweet and friendly! And I loved their booth full of flowers and tropical plants.
Literary Sisters
While I was walking between sessions, I met Ruth Bridges, who runs Literary Sisters. Ruth is a librarian in Chicago who organizes tours for book club women. Focused on African American, faith-based literature, past and future trips include San Francisco, Alaska, Washington DC and an extra special Senegal-Zambia-South Africa journey. What a cool idea!
29 Palms Inn
I love the desert. This hotel in the town of 29 Palms, on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park in California, really appeals to me. Guests stay in old adobe or wood-framed cottages. Some are painted pink or purple which to me is a plus. You can hike the nature trails and look for tortoises and migratory birds. At night, the stars are supposed to be phenomenal. I hope to visit 29 Palms Inn soon.
