What is a wellness centre and how can it attract visitors to your tourist destination?

What is wellness?

Wellness is, according to the Collins Dictionary, defined as “good physical and mental health”. However, that can mean different things to different people.

Wellness is a lifestyle choice whereby our habits (diet, sleep, meditation, self-esteem, etc.) lead us to feel more energetic and healthier. One way to achieve this is with aquatic and wellness spaces. Regardless of whether they are urban wellness centres, spas, sports clubs or thalassotherapy centres, they bring enormous value. These spaces share a philosophy to always focus on the holistic care of the individual.

Wellness originated in the United States in the 1950s when Dr. Halbert L. Dunn coined the phrase “high-level wellness“. However, it was not until the 1970s that wellness became the overarching concept underlying a new health movement. Indeed, in the face of spiralling public health costs, the US government began to use it to hold citizens accountable for their health and balance of spirit.

What advantages does it bring to the user?

Wellness areas, which can be found in the spa of a hotel or in the relaxation area of a tourist facility, provide many health benefits.

Here are some of the most significant advantages it offers:

1. Stress reduction.
   Practising wellness allows you to relax while being more calm and serene both physically and mentally.
2. Increased self-esteem.
   Wellness has been shown to increase feelings of self-worth, confidence and inner-strength.
3. Elimination of anxiety.
   The atmosphere of wellness spaces, with their intimacy and dim lighting, promotes disconnection and the elimination of nervousness and anxiety.
4. Recharging energy.
   Wellness is essential for recharging inner batteries and obtaining the energy necessary to continue with the hectic pace of life. It also helps people find better methods of relaxation in their downtime.

These are all advantages that people find in a spa, one of the main wellness spaces that hotels use to attract the public. Further to the health benefits that a wellness space offers, it also provides businesses with a competitive edge.

What advantages does it offer a business?

Wellness has become firmly established in global society. In fact, there is now talk of a globalised wellness industry, with wellness tourism as one of the main commercial drivers in the sector. Therefore, having wellness areas in hotels, resorts, camping sites, etc., has become essential in gaining an edge over the competition. However, they must be designed with the right specifications that are based on a realistic and effective business plan. Furthermore, they must be launched with an active and creative marketing strategy.

The wellness industry, a very dynamic market

According to the latest data published by the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness economy is worth $4.5 trillion, which represents 5% of the world’s economic output and is almost half the size of all healthcare spending worldwide.

The wellness business is growing rapidly and much of this sector’s success lies in the value that aquatic centres bring.

Wellness centre: Profitable wellness spaces

It is important that a wellness space be designed with an adequate surface area to boost profitability. This space should be designed in line with the expected number of users and level of usage. A well-designed wellness space offers opportunities for leisure, health, preventative care, beauty, relaxation, tourism, work, etc.

Building wellness spaces with the users in mind

Beyond regulations and technical specifications, wellness spaces must meet the needs of consumers. These consumers are increasingly demanding and have very high expectations of quality. In addition, the peculiarities of each facility must be taken into account. This will depend on factors such as size, the target market, the services offered, the location and the interior design.

The added value of water and the user experience

The very origin of the word “spa”, coming from the Latin expression “salus per aquam“, already indicates that water is the most important part of a wellness circuit. The water area in a wellness centre is not only essential, but it is its main feature. It is the area that most people use and is where they spend most of their time during visits.

The water area provides a good “selling point” for wellness establishments. It also offers added value for those concerned about their health. This is due to the contrast of temperatures, the functional value of the treatments and because it allows users to relax for a few minutes and enjoy a sensory experience.

Unlike cabins or massage areas, the spas, pools and sensation showers found in a wellness centre are generally located in more open spaces. Whether indoors or outdoors, this makes them extremely appealing, architecturally. In addition, choosing to have a water area allows for a wide range of activities to be carried out. Adding extra aquatic activities makes the experience more fun for users.

The size of the water area in a wellness centre conveys what kind of wellness the guest can expect. Investing time, effort and capital in a water area allows the guest to witness the dedication to wellness. Customers want to see the seriousness and professionalism with which wellness is treated.

Many people have been disappointed to arrive at a wellness facility and discover that it was reduced to just a sauna and a small spa. Undoubtedly, the water element is the space’s raison d’être but our expectations do not end there. It should awaken in the visitor a desire to discover every corner and to feel what is seen at first glance.

How to maximise the experience of wellness pools

If you want to design a wellness space in a hotel, sports centre, resort or adult wellness centre, you should take into account different design suggestions.
Design recommendations

• Geometry: Freestyle.
• Temperature: 34 – 36℃ for heated indoor pools.
• Depth: From 0.9 to 1.2 m. In pools with hydromassage benches, a depth of 0.9 m is recommended. And in those pools where users are expected and encouraged to experiment with the different types of waterfalls, jets, air bubbles, etc., a depth of 1.20m is recommended.
• Recirculation time: It is recommended that the water be recirculated often. This is because water temperature tends to be high and there is convection between air and water. For instance, according to British standards, the recommended recirculation time is between 5 and 20 minutes.
• Water treatment: This type of pool requires precise water treatment care to ensure an excellent user experience. The recommended systems are based on hypochlorite dosage together with an additional UV disinfection system. This keeps the regeneration of chlorine by-products to a minimum and therefore improves the well-being of the users.
• Surface finishes: A ceramic or vitreous coating is recommended.
• Water recirculation: An overflow system around the entire edge of the pool is the most efficient method of water recirculation.
• Construction system: Concrete basi
• Regulations: It is essential to make a design that is particular to each project and to comply with the technical regulations of the country where the project is located.

Wellness centres add many streams of value

Wellness centres add value to a facility by not only increasing its profitability and providing users with extra opportunities to make purchases, but they also increase their attractiveness. Nowadays, when people are searching for destinations online, they want to know about its wellness facilities before they book.

If you want your tourist facility to benefit from the advantages of having a wellness centre, Fluidra can help you design the wellness space that your business needs.