Healthy holiday trend drives wellness tourism to become a $715bn industry by 2017

NEVER stayed at a health spa? You likely will soon. The $462 billion healthy holiday industry is tipped to almost double by 2017.

AUSTRALIAN hoteliers and tourism operators are the latest group set to cash in on our increasing preoccupation with health through the growing popularity of so-called wellness tourism.

According to a new Global Wellness Tourism Economy report compiled on behalf of the Global Health and Wellness Summit, this tourism trend is now worth $US438.6 billion ($462 billion) a year and is set to swell to $715.6 billion by 2017 - a 9 per cent rise each year.

This is nearly 50 per cent faster than the corresponding growth in the conventional tourism market, and Asia is expected to form the "epicentre" of the new wellness tourism market into the future.

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Wellness tourism is a burgeoning tourism category largely visible through the popularity of options like health spas and relaxation retreats.

However, it also takes into account people who travel solely with the purpose of tending to their health and the many more for who it is an important consideration when selecting a destination or accommodation.

With its proximity to Asia, Australia is perfectly situated to capitalise on this boom, according to Healthy Hotels Program spokesman Nicson White.

The Healthy Hotels Program is an accreditation system that measures the cleanliness and commitment to wellness of hotel operators across Australia and New Zealand, and which now covers 4000 rooms across more than 100 properties.

"(For example) China is our fastest growing and second largest market and people there have a large appetite for wellness," he said.

Australia is predicted to see between 5.5-8.5 million wellness tourists in the next five years, driven by both a greying population and increasing rates of illness, and a corresponding awareness among young people of the need to remain fit and healthy.

"The greying population is a trigger particularly along with the increase in serious illness," Mr White said.

"Culturally, people are also more aware of how to eat and the need to exercise and this probably is particularly embraced by younger people in the population."

Wellness tourists are also big spenders, according to the report. International wellness tourists to Australia spend 65 per cent more than normal tourists, while their domestic equivalents spend almost twice that of non-wellness tourists.

Despite this, Mr White said many major hotel chains were still unaware of the importance of the industry.

This contrasts with some international counterparts, such as the InterContinental Hotels Group, which launched its wellness focused EVEN Hotels concept last year that focuses on providing guests with healthy options in areas like diet, nutrition and exercise.

It plans to build 100 properties worldwide over the next five years

"What we're seeing is that wellness has now graduated from an alternative offering to something that most people are looking for," Mr White said.

Bluewater Point owner Vanessa Edge recently secured accreditation from the Healthy Hotels program.

Ms Edge said she had decided to seek accreditation for the 4.5-star resort on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, after considering her own experiences staying at other accommodation.

"I know myself when I travel that I like things to be clean and healthy," she said.

"I'd hope my guests feel the same when they travel."

She said she was seeking to provide assurance to guests with health problems that they would be able to enjoy a happy and healthy stay at the resort.

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Bluewater Point Resort on Queensland's Sunshine Coast is among hotels cashing in on the health and wellness travel trend.