The world has become obsessed with the pursuit of wellness, and the travel industry is far from immune. In fact, wellness travel is one of the fastest-growing tourism industries today, with predictions that it will rake in $680 billion in 2017 alone.
Wellness travel is popular, of course, because it seeks to push “pause” on life’s chaos and recharge the body, mind and soul through physical activities, relaxation techniques or the cultivation of healthy habits. But this category of travel isn’t solely for jet-setting vacationers. It can also be incredibly beneficial for business road warriors.
It’s no secret that traveling for work exposes employees to a plethora of physical and mental health dangers, from tropical diseases and circulation issues due to long airline flights, to increased stress and jet lag. And there can be a cost: When travel sidelines an employee, business deals may suffer. Absences may increase. Productivity decreases. And company health costs spike.
To ameliorate these risks, businesses should consider new company policies to integrate aspects of wellness travel into every corporate trip. Here are four steps to do that.
1. Make wellness a company priority.
Prioritize wellness business travel by budgeting for extra expenses and scheduling extra time into trip itineraries. The Global Business Travel Association found that nearly 70 percent of travelers surveyed believed that it’s important to have the option of extending their business trips for some R& R. Giving employees the freedom and resources to have a little “me time” on trips will ensure they really take care of themselves when travelling.
Some travel companies have even found a niche answering the call for healthier, low-stress business travel, making it easier than ever to incorporate wellness aspects into employee travel.
Consider, for instance, how busy airports, such as San Francisco International, Dubai International, Los Angeles International and Singapore Changi, have added wellness elements like indoor green spaces, yoga rooms, quick-service spas and healthy food establishments. And some hotel chains, such as the Four Seasons, offer group…