By Team Ayurved Sutra February 9, 2015

Global Wellness Institute Teams with UNWTO to Bring Wellness Tourism Increased Recognition

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9 February, 201519 February, 2015 Team Ayurved Sutra 0 Comment

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is an international think-tank that develops research and resources to positively impact the global wellness industry. It is the umbrella organization that runs both the Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) and the Global Wellness Tourism Congress (GWTC). The GWI is considered the leading global research and educational resource for the $3.4 trillion spa and wellness industry.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a United Nations specialized agency, is the leading international organization with the decisive and central role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how. Its membership includes 156 countries, 6 territories, 2 permanent observers and over 400 Affiliate Members.

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) signed an MoU with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations during London’s World Travel Market to jointly implement projects that address the role wellness tourism can play in helping increase tourism overall. According to recent GWI research, wellness tourism is worth over $494 billion and it grew almost twice as fast as global tourism overall in the last year. As a UNWTO Affiliate Member, GWI is part of a global network of more than 400 private tourism companies, NGO’s, destinations and academic entities, contributing to knowledge and expertise to promote the development of responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism.

One of the key focuses of the affiliation is to strategize and make recommendations about how wellness tourism can be effective in overcoming seasonality. Wellness offerings are a natural and creative way to attract more business during ‘low’ season. Other projects that the UNWTO and GWI will cooperate on include defining standards for wellness tourism, research and clarifying the differences between wellness tourism and medical tourism.