The Global Wellness Institute has released positive data on inbound wellness travel in the Middle East-North Africa region.
MENA wellness tourism is growing 6%, and spa revenues 10%, annually –with more than two-thirds of wellness travel spend coming from inbound tourists.
Despite security concerns for Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, MENA’s wellness tourism revenue grew annually from 2013-2015 (from $7.3 billion to $8.3 billion).
MENA’s spa market grew even faster: annual revenues jumped from $1.7 billion to $2.1 billion.
Globally 33% of wellness travel revenues come from inbound tourists, but in MENA, the inbound spend accounts for 68% of the market.
The UAE remains the regional powerhouse, with a wellness tourism market ($2.7 billion) twice as big as its closest competitors, Morocco ($1.5 billion) and Israel – and a spa market three times larger ($742 million) than second placed, Saudi Arabia ($255 million). Other growth markets include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
Trends to watch include-
- Move from generic luxury to indigenous wellness experiences
Wellness communities that are part hospitality, and part wellness residence
- Luxury wellness will include professionals trained in lifestyle change, stress reduction, mental wellness and indigenous traditions/medicines plus a focus on local offerings
- Medical wellness and cosmetic surgery plus wellness concept
- Hot natural thermal/mineral springs
- Domestic wellness travel growth. IMTJ
Comments are closed.