Wellness and travel — do these 2 words go hand-in-hand in your book? Sure, travel can come with a bit of splurging. But there’s a growing number of travelers interested in intertwining business travel with improving their overall wellbeing.
Out with the old — work-around-the-clock and ordering room service when on a business trip, and in with the new — travel and social wellness.
Think meeting locals at a yoga studio or trying new cuisine with a coworker. Social wellness, according to Advantage Care and UC Davis, involves building healthy, nurturing and supportive relationships as well as fostering a genuine connection with those around you.
Fostering an Environment Focused on Travel Wellness
Employers are acknowledging their roles in social wellness when it comes to the health of their employees and their organization. In a recent Deloitte study, 80% of the nearly 9,000 surveyed ranked well-being as either important or very important in terms of their organization’s success.
We’re seeing wellness programs that were once solely focused on biometrics and gym time shift to a broader view to include emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. While exercise is still important, programs incorporating mental health initiatives, meditation, and the chance to engage in new experiences are finding success.
The growth of the travel wellness industry and the changing mindset of the modern worker show that HR professionals need to highly consider creating more well-rounded wellness programs. When employee wellness is not at the forefront, employers risk burnout, lacking engagement, and underperformance in the workplace.
One simple example is tacking on additional vacation time to business trips. The employee feels appreciated while being allowed to disconnect and take in enriching experiences. And employers can more easily attract top talent and improve retention rates with the upgraded benefits package.
Wellness in the Workplace — A Trend That’s Here to Stay
Sure, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this movement. But it’s proving to not just be a trend. Key contributing factors are a worldwide increased focus on wellness along with rising levels of disposable income.
According to Allied Market Research, the “Global Corporate Wellness Market” is expected to grow to a $66.2 Billion industry over the next 6 years. And Human Resources Today specifically states “employers are increasing their investment in mental health programs (88%), stress management and resilience (81%), and mindfulness and meditation (69%)” in a 2021 employee wellness trends report.
Embracing Corporate Travel Wellness Initiatives
When it comes to employee wellness initiatives, think outside the box. By using a digital wellbeing app, you can cultivate experiences over a broad array of employees. Those telecommuting or working remotely should be encouraged to ditch the home office now and then and challenged to see their city in a new light.
And corporate travelers appreciate embracing the sites and sounds of wherever your business may lead them. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is motivated by peoples growing desire to live a “healthy lifestyle, reduce stress, prevent disease, and enhance (their) wellbeing”.
It’s more than salary negotiations and career trajectories, supporting your staff's overall well-being is essential to your business’s success in 2021. For more ideas on how to incorporate wellness into the lives of your traveling employees — visit the J+F app for never-ending inspiration from around the world.