Exclusive interview with Jean-Guy de Gabriac, Founder of World Wellness Weekend sharing his top insights for luxury travel in 2025.
World Wellness Weekend (WWW) has grown into a global movement. What inspired you to launch this initiative, and how do you see it benefiting luxury hotels, resorts, and wellness businesses?
World Wellness Weekend was launched in 2017 to support the United Nations Agenda 2030 and especially its 3rd objective “Good Health & Wellbeing for All”. In 2019 and 2020, I was invited to speak during the World Economic Forum at a think tank in Davos about the importance to grow a culture of wellness not just for clients, but also for colleagues and underserved local communities.
In 2024, WWW was celebrated by 9,300 venues in 155 countries and generated 39 million views with over 800 mentions on Television, Radio, Print publications, Webzines and more than 16,000 posts on social platforms.
85 properties from the TAJ Hotel groups; 19 Ritz-Carlton properties (from Santa Barbara to Bangalore), and 15 Heavenly Spas by Westin (from Cairo to Bali) organized fun, meaningful and inclusive experiences. Across the three days of celebration, clients, colleagues and local hospitals, schools or orphanages enjoyed how great it feels to be well with salsa, Zumba, candle light yoga under the stars or journaling.
Luxury hotels, resorts, and wellness businesses used World Wellness Weekend as a communication platform to promote their properties and Signature programs, as well as give their staff a big “thumb up” with team-building activities. From sunrise in Fiji on Friday with Navutu Stars Resort until sunset at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort in Maui, they all celebrated Wellness For All. Not just Wellness for all who can pay… Wellness for ALL!
Many high-end travelers seek not just relaxation but transformational experiences. How can luxury properties go beyond traditional spa offerings to integrate wellness more holistically into their guest experience?
Change is good, but transformation is better! Affluent travelers do not want to simply visit to the four corners of the world to bask in the sun by the pool and bring back photos of local curiosities, they want to feel like temporary locals.
World Wellness Weekend encourages millions of people each year to explore the five Pillars of Wellness: Sleep & Creativity; Nutrition & Immunity; Movement & Vitality; Mindfulness & Serenity; Sense of Purpose & Solidarity. In that vein, HYATT curates bespoke Experiences to pick up rice, cook with locals, and donate meals to orphanages. Award-winning Fivelements Retreat in Bali welcomes clients and locals to join a fitness class and a yoga session, and then invites them to donate a pint of blood with the Red Cross so that free wellness activities can meaningfully save lives.
Wellness-seekers will always enjoy a good massage or facial, but they really crave the immersion into another culture, a different rhythm, a fresh perspective on how to live well and fully.
Wellness tourism is booming, yet many hospitality brands struggle to differentiate themselves. What are some of the most innovative wellness concepts or programs you've seen that set a property apart?
Six Senses has always been pioneering the wellness space with eco-chic destinations: first with the “no shoes, no news” concept, and life-transforming programs in idyllic locations with stunning views (Yao Noi or Bhutan), or an upcoming residence in the heart of London.
AMAN group is another stunning example, launching the JANU lifestyle concept with the biggest fitness & wellness facility in the most expensive district of Tokyo, ramping up a pipeline of openings in Dubai, Alula (Saudi Arabia), Montenegro…
Luxury and sustainability are often seen as competing priorities. How can high-end resorts balance the demand for opulence with the rising expectation of eco-conscious, wellness-driven travel?
Lefay Resorts in Lago de Garda and in the Dolomites have sustainability at their core, setting the benchmark with best practices to manage clean energy, treat water, and reduce waste. The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia with 121 rooms, suites and villas is also an example of how to deliver world-class experiences and protect the lush tropical rain forest.
On the one-hand, some luxury travelers demand fresh sheets every day, yet a growing number of guests are curious about how the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations are used in the building materials and rolled out to respect the environment and support local communities with education and charities.
You've worked closely with some of the world's most iconic hotels and spas. Could you share a standout example of a property that has truly redefined wellness in a way that surprised or impressed you? Over the past 23 years as a consultant and educator, I’ve had the chance to travel extensively to work with absolute gems, including auditing some of the most luxurious properties in the Maldives, or consulting for the Conrad Spa in Bora Bora.
The two properties that recently left me speechless and in absolute awe were Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in the Maldives with stylish beach villas and over water villas that you can stay at for a honeymoon, or own to gather your family; healthy culinary experiences that make you celebrate the flavours of Life while staying fit; great activities for kids and teen-agers with the DEN (sports, arts & crafts, weekly pool-party); and of course lavish Spa treatments for those who want to unwind during their vacation, and a world-class Integrative Medecine department with bio-hacking, regenerative modalities, even stem-cells treatments.
From your experience judging the World Spa & Wellness Awards, what emerging trends do you see shaping the industry in 2025? Are there any unexpected shifts luxury travelers should prepare for?
Biohacking is definitely one of the biggest trends that Wellness Weekenders and Age-benders are looking for to make their biological age younger than the birth date on their passport! Contrast therapy is one of the hottest trends with bathing with friends at Peninsula Hot Springs in Australia; forgetting about time in the iconic locations of AIRE Ancient Baths in Europe or USA; enjoying the benefits of Sauna and aufuguss rituals at Farris Bad in Norway; or brushing off jetlag with the revitalizing Parenie treatments at Banya N°1 in London, and Tbilissi.
With the rise of "workcations" and digital nomad retreats, how do you see luxury wellness resorts adapting to accommodate high-performance travelers who seek both productivity and rejuvenation?
According to Nomad Capitalist 40 million remote workers in 2024 (three times more than in 2019) represent a whooping 787 Billion USD market. Digital nomads are expected to reach 55 million by 2026, looking for affordable cities with rich cultural activities and co-working spaces with high speed internet.
This is a strategic opportunity for destinations like Fuerteventura and cities like Medellin, San Miguel de Allende, and Santo Domingo which are implementing wellness programs for the people living, working, studying, retiring and visiting.
If you could predict one major shift in the way luxury travelers approach wellness in 2025, what would it be?
Sobriety is definitely a rising trend with alcohol consumption declining worldwide, especially among Gen Z. After the golden era of sommeliers pairing dishes with fine wines, I am witnessing the appearance of “sobreliers” and mixologists pairing wellness menus with non-alcoholic beverages.
A striking example is The Purist, a new lifestyle concept launched by ACCOR at Cures Marines de Trouville, with many projects in the pipeline.
Curiosity and the desire of healthy social gatherings are creating a demand for adaptogenic drinks infused with ingredients like collagen, magnesium, and herbs, as they are said to improve focus and cognitive functions, while providing balanced energy without alcohol. Total Win – Win with Wellness!
Follow World Wellness Weekend https://map.world-wellness-weekend.org/ and stay tuned for more information regarding the 2025 edition of the program.
