Stress Management

Whether it is your physical, mental or spiritual well-being that needs attention, our transformative healing hotels will help restore you to optimal health and wellness. Focusing on treating the person as a whole and promoting overall wellness, these healing hotels from Spain to Thailand, will regain balance and renew your energy. Return home after indulging in a series of healing treatments and wellness activities tailored to your needs, having revived and boosted your well-being.

As we focus on the latest fitness crazes and packing our diets with superfoods, it can be easy to forget that emotional health is just as important for living a healthy and happy life. Being emotionally healthy is about more than being free of anxiety or depression; it is feeling content with life, creating rewarding relationships and adapting to change. You may not be able to buy happiness, but embarking on a healing holiday can boost your mental well-being and leave you with an improved sense of overall wellness.

Take in the rejuvenating mountain scenery on a spiritual and holistic healing holiday, where you can experience complete rejuvenation and revive your energy levels with relaxing treatments in the best mountain spa destinations around the world. Discover the beneficial effect of traditional holistic spa therapies on your health, as you revive your mind and body during signature Ayurvedic massages, Reiki, abhyanga and more.

For many of us, today’s fast-paced, high-intensity lifestyle induces self-neglect and lethargy. We all desire an opportunity to heal; regaining both mental strength and rebooting physical health can be life-changing. A rise of meditation retreats offer the tools and expert guidance to cope with stress and put to use practical techniques for staying present, balanced and calm. 

Stress is not necessarily a bad thing.  After all, it’s because of this distinctive ability to feel stress that our species have survived for billions of years. It triggers our ‘fight or flight’ response whenever we’re under attack or in the brink of danger, keeping us safe from potential threats. However, when left unchecked, stress becomes overwhelming – leading to a host of mental and physical problems that may consequently be detrimental to our health.

Between hectic work schedules and making time for family and friends, we often forget to take time for ourselves. As indulgent as it may seem, self-care is crucial for us to stay on top of our physical, emotional and mental well-being. In fact, pampering yourself can act as a good defence against poor health. It is said that 75 to 90 per cent of illnesses are stress-related and being able to manage stress helps to fight that.

When most people hear the words ‘spa holiday’, they automatically envisage women. However, men are becoming increasingly passionate about health and wellness, with more blokes taking well-deserved spa breaksthan ever before. With the pressures of the modern world weighing down our minds and our souls, it has never been more important to relax, unwind and rediscover the inner-strength needed to cope with life’s challenges.

Elena Taffuri, wellness manager at Ti Sana in Italy, shares with us the best ways to manage rising stress levels caused by the constant pressures of modern day, hectic lifestyles.

Whether you’ve recently welcomed your first child or a new addition to the family, having a baby is a beautiful, although stressful, time of your life. Make this transition easier on one of our family friendly wellness retreats, tailor-made to provide you and your family with just what you need to start a healthy and happy life together.

If you’ve been suffering from symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression, the world can seem like an intimidating and isolating place. But there is no need to shut yourself away, as a wellness recovery holiday could be needed after suffering from stress-induced burnouts by offering a de-stressing escape in secluded and peaceful spa destinations worldwide.

The habits of travellers have changed, more people are favouring a wellness staycation, there are new demands for immunity boosting retreats, socially distanced wellness trips, private jet wellness journeys and working remotely on holiday; personal health and fitness are now top priority for travel. Embracing the future of wellness travel, our specialist team at Health and Fitness Travel continue to forecast the biggest wellness travel trends. With 2021 set to be the year when travellers push for a return to normality and with more people choosing longer, even season-length health and fitness escapes, the pandemic has changed how we travel.  

Healthy Hibernation Holidays  

The winter months are going to see a boom in people taking long stay healthy hibernation holidays to enjoy a double dose of summer. Winter sun destinations with lower Covid-19 risk and Covid-19 safe certified wellness resorts are going to be the most popular. St Lucia, Mauritius, Vietnam, Maldives, and Thailand provide safer environments for long winter stay wellness escapes. Healthy hibernation holidays provide attractive benefits that will entice people despite the uncertainty of travel restrictions. Season length holidays are a chance to escape; to improve one’s immunity in a healthier climate and have some much-needed fun after spending a year in isolation. Instead of becoming unattractive, the prospect of seasonal migration is being made more enticing by travel restrictions.

Top Wellness Destinations: St Lucia, Thailand, Mauritius

Staycation Wellness Boom

2021 is going to see an unprecedented rise in the number of travellers looking for Due to a continued hampering of consumer confidence in foreign travel, people are searching for holidays to improve their health and fitness without always having to go overseas. With a 22% increase already on bookings for the same point last year – whether it’s a healthy break to de-stress or an active holiday to boost physical well-being in the scenic beauty of the British countryside;  wellness staycations are proving to be the perfect opportunity to kickstart, or maintain a healthy lifestyle and boost our immunity, all from the comfort of our own country.

Top Wellness Destinations:

Immunity Booster Retreats

Our immunity is more important than ever. Until a vaccine is available, our immune systems will need to adapt unaided to Covid-19. We all want a long and healthy life, to be free of disease and to limit health conditions. As a relaxing and reliable solution to the prominent health concerns of today, healing holidays designed to boost the immune system are becoming increasingly popular. Immune boosting retreats are offered in many locations for a secluded, social distancing friendly getaway to focus on personal well-being. Weight loss programmes, fitness classes, specialised treatments and sunnier climates are all married together to aid your body’s natural defences as a break from the lang au}{/lang}winter. Those who prioritise personal wellbeing and still wish to travel are choosing immunity boosting holidays as a way of healing, physically and emotionally, with the help of doctors, nutritionists, and health practitioners.

Top Wellness Destinations: Euphoria Retreat, Kamalaya, Galo Retreat

Self-Care Now an Essential Part of Travel

What was a necessity during lockdown is now becoming a driving factor in holiday planning. The threat of serious illness was a powerful motivator for many to focus on their own health and fitness. Many had to learn the art of self-care during lockdown, whether that’s healthy eating or regular exercise, and now have a desire to turn that wellness project into a lifestyle. Wellness retreats are rare opportunities for devotion to personal care through yoga, guided meditation, spa therapies and other wellness treatments and activities. This type of self-care travel can be tailored for any location and made bespoke for any group. Healthy holidays with intent purpose of fostering personal betterment are going to grow in relevancy through 2021, and long into the next decade. After all, it is unlikely that being unhealthy is going to become popular any time soon.

Top Wellness Destinations: Training Paradise, Conrad Algarve, Longevity Health & Wellness Resort.

Working Remotely on Holiday to Stay Healthy

With the rise of remote work and the ongoing restrictions of Covid-19, many are leaving their home offices for the chance of working from a picturesque wellness holiday destination. Technology has facilitated many workers to perform their job effectively from anywhere there is phone signal and a strong Wi-Fi connection. Instead of working remotely from home, we are starting to discover that leaving the UK winter behind and working from holiday has remarkable benefits. Productivity is not hampered we become more efficient; many destinations like St Lucia and Madeira are far safer havens for the pandemic than places like the UK or USA. Clients can also facilitate their work schedule around their health and fitness programme on holiday so they can attend morning and evening activities and spa treatments scheduled around their working day with greater flexibility over the weekends.

Top Wellness Destinations: BodyHoliday, Kamalaya, The Retreat Costa Rica

Social Distance Wellness Trips to Far Flung Locations

A greater number of holiday makers are choosing socially distance wellness trips to destinations further afield than previous years. The greater the health risk of travel and the greater the effort, means people are more inclined to book one big holiday. Instead of choosing European city breaks, holiday goers are favouring longer healthy getaways that are further away but less risky and more secluded. Social distance holidays are popular with families, couples and solo travellers, as they provide quiet time away to strengthen relationships and focus on personal well-being. Social distance is well accommodated by many luxury hotels, providing they are in low risk Covid-19 spots; Mauritius, the Maldives, St Lucia, island nations with low populations and plenty of space. Private villa resorts at these locations provide healthy retreats that are ideal for two weeks or more of self-isolating in a beautiful, remote location.

Top Wellness Destinations: Shanti Maurice, Ananda in the Himalayas, REVIVO

Mindful and Sustainable Travel

2021 will see a huge rise in the relevance that sustainability takes in the travel plans of consumers as they become more mindful than ever. The visible easing of CO2 emissions during lockdown, once again, reignited discussions on the pollution caused by worldwide tourism. Consumers saw the dramatic effect emissions were having on the planet and resolved to be more mindful about the environmental impact of their actions. Staycations or eco-friendly resorts with a greater commitment to eco-friendly practices are going to be more popular. Wellness resorts in Bali and Thailand are embracing a holistic approach to holidaying that reduces the environmental effects of a guest’s stay. Likewise, consumers are now more inclined to fly less frequently, preferring one long-haul holiday a year rather than multiple short hauls.  

Top Wellness Destinations: Komune Bali, Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti, SwaSwara.  

Multi-Generational Active Trips  

Multi-generational active trips will be more common in 2021 as people look to continue the time they have shared with their immediate family in lockdown. These holidays will be motivated by those eager to reconnect with the extended family members who they have been separated from. One of the silver linings of lockdown was the chance to spend more time with the immediate family, sharing healthy activities like cycling, walking, and running. Many will be looking to continue this healthy streak with more extended family on a multi-generational active trip. After months apart, summer 2021 is going to be the season for family reconnection as all generations rub shoulders on a healthy and active family holiday together.

Top Wellness Destinations: Pine Cliffs, Forte Village, REVIVO Family Retreat

Stress and Anxiety Reduction for Tailor-made Holidays

Tailor-made holidays for relaxation and recovery are becoming a necessity to ease the mental effects of months spent in lockdown. 2020 has been detrimental for our collective mental state 2021 will be an opportunity to release the pent-up anxiety of isolation with wellness holidays and stress management retreats. Tailored to the requirements of the individual, they offer an immersive experience of private fitness training, health screenings and luxury healing spa treatments with an educational programme. Holidays have always been an effective way of coping with pressure but in 2021, they are going to be the means of coping with post lockdown induced stress.

 *Figures from the ONS.

 Top Wellness Destinations: Absolute Sanctuary, SHA Wellness Clinic, Ananda 

Wellness Music and Sound Experiences

Wellness music and healthy sound experiences are going to redefine wellness travel in 2021. New evidence from medical journals suggests that music is invaluable in easing the side-effects of a variety of physical and mental conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and high-blood pressure. In the same vein, living in loud environments which most people do has been linked to rises in heart disease, obesity, low birth weight and cognitive impairment in children. Wellness retreats have recognised the health benefits of sound experiences and are incorporating them into their health plans. Shreyas Silent Retreat in India offers a traditional Indian Ashram experience where sound meditation is integral to the wellness journey of guests. As more research uncovers further evidence to the benefits of sound experiences, mindfulness retreats offering music therapies are becoming more popular.

Top Wellness Destinations: Shreyas, Escape Ritual, Santani

Private Jet Boom for Bespoke Wellness Travel

The decline of the commercial airline industry has created a vacuum that is being filled by a boom in private jet travel. From front door to hotel lobby, clients can skip the queues and uncertainty of airline travel today where possible exposure to Covid-19 is 30 times lower when flying by private aircraft. Former clients of luxury commercial airlines are defecting to private jet providers for a service where luxury and reliability can be guaranteed, when flying to a luxury wellness retreat or medical spa in Europe to booking a spectacular around the world wellness trip. 2020 was the worst financial year in aviation history, so when it comes to wellness travel in 2021, the private jet industry will continue to boom as more people switch to a service that prioritises wellness and personal safety.

Top Wellness Destinations: Italy, Maldives, St Lucia

Big Bucket List Wellness Trip

For many travellers, eager to rid themselves of the unhealthy habits picked up during lockdown, 2021 is going to be the year for a once in a lifetime bucket list wellness trip. Whist most people are just losing the timidity picked up this year, many seasoned travellers are keen for adventurous wellness getaways and weeks of lavish splendour. Destinations in south east Asia have been firm favourites in previous years, for the wonderful climate and incredible scenic beauty. Bali and Thailand sport a great selection of luxury wellness retreats with on-site spas and fitness facilities, often on pristine private beaches. With many people feeling their health suffered from the confines of lockdown, health conscious and ambitious travellers are seeing 2021 as an opportunity to return to that pre-lockdown level with a once in a lifetime wellness trip.

Top Wellness Destinations: Six Senses Kaplankaya, Fusion Maia, COMO Shambhala Estate   

Personal Health and Physical Fitness

As health consciousness has become more ubiquitous, we have seen a rise in the number of people pursuing travel to improve their mental and physical health. The collective health concerns of 2020 have had an impact on all other aspects of well-being, acting as a catalyst for people wanting to improve their physical fitness. Regular exercise is a key factor in avoiding the severe symptoms of Covid-19 caused by immune system over-reactions. Informed consumers are keen to prevent getting sick by taking wellness holidays with a focus on personal health and physical fitness. More people are pursuing socially distance friendly ways of achieving their health and fitness goals. Covid-19 safe resorts design their fitness programmes to be isolated, safe, and effective. Healthy holidays and fitness retreats are satisfying the demands for stronger physical health in the wake of the pandemic.

Top Wellness Destinations: The BNKR Ultimate Fitness, Lily of the Valley, The Fit Retreat

Talk to one of our Travel Specialists on or contact us here to discuss tailor-making your perfectwellness holiday. 

After all the stress and time spent Christmas shopping, it is no wonder that most of us over-indulge during the festive period to compensate. The inevitable New Year's resolutions will then be made, and the majority revolve around trying to live a healthier and more exercise orientated lifestyle in the forthcoming year.

With our father's stomachs slowly expanding and their backs gradually bending, Father's Day couldn't have come any quicker. The perfect gift this Father's Day is not only to express to our dads how much we care and how we actually do acknowledge their existence, but it is also the opportunity to encourage them to take more time out of their stressful routines and look after themselves for a change.

With the pressures of modern day lifestyles causing many of us to compromise our own well-being, Dr. Sutthi Sawetsutthiphan, Medical Director at Thanyapura in Thailand, tells us about the influential relationship between stress and weight gain.

With the pressures of modern day lifestyles causing many of us to compromise our own well-being, Nattha, Wellness Expert at Thanyapura in Thailand, tells us about the influential relationship between stress and weight gain.

Start to relieve your stress one spa treatment at a time on one of the world’s top stress-relieving retreats, designed purely for absolute rejuvenation and as an exceptional escape from your busy lifestyle. Focus on some uninterrupted ‘me-time’ in a luxury spa destination, from a secluded private beach in Greece to the unspoiled tropics of Indonesia, choose the relaxation retreat you deserve.

For those looking for the ultimate luxury spa experience, destination spas are the leaders in their field. These wellness experts promote a healthy and active lifestyle, at all-inclusive resorts in stunning surroundings from Spain to Thailand. Well-being comes from within, and at these destination spas nutritious cuisine is combined with fitness activities and personalised therapies to help you to reach your wellness goals. From Ayurvedic spa treatments, to traditional Chinese medicine and expert run medical spas, find everything to satisfy your spa holiday needs at the world’s best destination spas.

Why waste time lying around on a fly-and-flop holiday when you could invest in your well-being by embarking on a healthy summer holiday at one of our luxurious destinations around Europe.

Escape the chill and swap your woolly hat for a straw one with our top 10 sun-soaked wellness breaks guaranteed to put a smile on your face. With the short winter days meaning the only chance for some sunshine is a chilly dash outside at lunchtime, many of us spend our time daydreaming of long white beaches and balmy evenings. The British summer may still seem a long way off but you can book now to enjoy our warming winter escapes with tropical weather, exhilarating adventures and luxurious spa treatments, which are all just a plane journey away.

In today's chaotic world, people are constantly faced with problems of anxiety and stress, caused by, a poor diet, lack of sleep and difficult situations. Figures in 2009/10 have indicated that an estimated 435,000 people in Great Britain suffered from stress caused by their current or past work¹. Take the opportunity to escape the pressures of life and your regular working week with a de-stress holiday and appreciate the beauty of a worry free lifestyle.