Wellness Wellbeing retreats
Making the most of marketing Sharon Kolkka, general manager and wellness director of Australia’s Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, urges spas to clearly define their retreat offering in order to be able to meet guest expectations and capitalise on current demand “
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pas considering a wellness retreat offering should first consider the outcome they want to achieve for guests. For example, if they intend to offer a healthy holiday with some wellbeing options, then that is different to transformational travel. “Operators should be careful when they position and market their retreats, so guests can understand clearly what they will be experiencing. The meaning of the word ‘wellness’ is in danger of being lost in the many different contexts it is being used, so spas need to be very clear about what they are trying to achieve and how the guest experience is impacted. “At Gwinganna, the experience is fully immersive and aimed at several outcomes, including lifestyle change, so our positioning is on a transformational travel. In order to achieve physiological, mental and emotional changes, our environment needs to be conducive to this and set up seamlessly to allow the guests to feel very different from when they first arrive to when they depart. “All of our guests arrive on the same day to join the programmes for that week. Our longer stays of between 5-7 days are the most popular – mostly, guests want a programme that allows them to escape their busy life and rest, refocusing on their health and lifestyle.”
One of Australia’s leading voices in the field of wellness, Sharon Kolkka is general manager and wellness director of Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, a globally recognised wellness destination located in native Australian bushland on Queensland’s Gold Coast. www.gwinganna.com
A special relationship “There is currently an increase in demand for experiences such as Gwinganna, as well as an upswell in interest in less transformative, hosted retreats at hotels and resorts. “For us it’s not about the latest fad or a catchy theme, rather it’s about meeting our guests’ needs. We have a strong research element as part of our large wellness team, so many of our offerings provide evidence-based wellness advice. “It is important to develop a special relationship with guests and have SHARON’S TAKEAWAY conversations about what is happening in “Short-stay retreats involving yoga are set their life and their challenges. This enables to be exceptionally popular for 2019, along you to then be able to evaluate their responses with anything Ayurvedic. and develop a programme, a treatment or an “Spas thinking about staging retreats activity that can provide solutions to help should should prioritise investments that them live a healthy, happy life. ensure their guests will leave feeling a “Gwinganna provides the ideal environment noticeable difference – such as a renewed sense of energy or a feeling of clarity for guest transformation, with strong and calmness. foundations for a shift in cellular health. Our “Another major goal to consider is to guests are incredibly nurtured by our team, create authentic wellness experiences but, of course, we set clear boundaries. Those that motivate and inspire your guests to who seek a shift in their perception, and who continue to make changes to their lifestyle want to feel amazing in a short amount of when they return home.” time, support us with unreserved gratitude.”
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