Wellness

Tag Archive for: Wellness

Why is Wellness Tourism Growing so Fast?

Wellness tourism has a global worth of $639 billion. In 2017, there were over 830 million wellness trips representing 17% of all global tourism. Plus the average wellness traveller spends more per trip than the average tourist. Spending by wellness tourists is 53% more when travelling internationally and 178% more for domestic travel.

What’s more, is the forecast for growth. Global wellness tourism is growing at an annual rate of 7.5% which is notably faster than the overall tourism growth prediction. The industry’s value is set to reach $919 billion by 2022 and surpass the 1 billion wellness trips per year.

So why is wellness tourism growing so fast?

What is Wellness Tourism?

Wellness tourism is a vacation, holiday or short break that puts your wellbeing at the centre of your experience. Travellers seek to relieve stress, regain a balance, pursue a personal passion or life goal or to simply kick-start a new healthier lifestyle.

Examples of a wellness trip include:

Wellness tourism infographic

Holidays that give the opportunity for reconnecting with nature either through their location or through activities they offer such as
Yoga retreats are popular choices as they combine physical and spiritual stimulation with relaxation, calm and inward reflection.
Activity-based holidays aimed at those seeking physical exhilaration.
Creative-themed holidays where travellers can attend creative writing boot camps or artists’ retreats.
Cultural experiences that seek to connect people with other cultures or religions.

Wellness destinations are not health farms where the objective is weight loss. Neither is it travelling to another country seeking medical treatment. A wellness hotel – one that promotes quality sleep, healthy food and freedom from stress is a simple example of a wellness destination.

So, why is wellness tourism growing so fast?

Wellness is the tonic to the stresses of modern life and is a growing trend. Wellness dumps the fad diets and fitness crazes for a more holistic approach to health. People are realising that they are in control of their own good health.

Wellness promotes healthy ageing

Our population is ageing. In 2015, 12.3% of the world’s population was aged 60 or over. That’s around 901 million people. By 2030, this is projected to increase to 1.4 billion or 16.4% of the world’s population. And he over 85s age range will show the biggest growth.

The baby boomer generation, those currently in their 60s and early 70s, want good health to get the best out of their later years. Plus they have the money, time and conviction to make their health goals a priority.

Being in better health as we age means that our growing population will not create an equal impact on healthcare. We don’t want to be a burden or to lose purpose as we age, and the pursuit of wellness allows us to remain independent and vibrant.

Wellness empowers people

The pursuit of wellness is not dependent on firstly consulting healthcare professional. People are able to make well-informed, proactive decisions about their lives independently.

One of the biggest shifts in healthcare is the balance or power or knowledge between a patient and their doctor. The wealth of information available to us as individuals is partly responsible for this shift.

People are realising that prevention is better than cure. So improving our health means that we are in control of our health choices. We are less dependent on a prescription or drug and therefore a faceless, third party like Big Pharma.

The wellness industry is booming

Naturally, as the overall wellness industry grows so too does wellness tourism. The popularity of mindfulness apps and plant-based diets are growing and many aspects of wellness are accessible and low cost.

Wellness brings global philosophies

Exploring other cultures can give a traveller a connection to the past, a fresh understanding of themselves or a simple sense of the one world identity. New ways of thinking can bring rejuvenation and a new zeal for life. We can access tai chi in Western countries but nothing beats the authenticity of morning practice in Bejing, for example.

How can Floresy help?

We can help create a welcoming environment for your wellness guests using our experience as interior plant landscapers. Wellness tourists may have expectations on the style and quality of the venues they choose and we can help your business meet that expectation. Find out more about our artificial plants for hotels or contact us today to speak to one of our customer managers.

Trends

What is Interior Landscaping?

Interior landscaping is an expression in use by many interior designers who work exclusively with indoor planting schemes to describe what they do. You’ve probably heard of landscaping – the physical process of reshaping the land. Hard landscaping refers to structures such as walls, pergolas, patios and even follies. Soft landscaping is the term for the planting within the landscaped garden.

So, interior landscaping is a bit of an oxymoron. Afterall, there isn’t any land to be ‘scaped! Instead, it is the process of adding plants and greenery to work with the angles, dimensions and light inside buildings and internal structures. Perhaps ‘plantscaping‘ or ‘interiorscaping‘ are more accurate terms. All three of these expressions are rather interchangeable with businesses and designers using them to describe their own unique services.

Despite sounding trendy, the term has been in popular use within the industry for a considerable amount of time. The terms emerged in the 1970s following the publication of Richard Gain’s book ‘Interior Plantscaping‘. Some people choose to use the term exclusively for interior spaces will others use them to describe gardens within buildings.

Interior landscaping is the design and possible implementation of a planting scheme that compliments an interior space. It isn’t the maintenance of those plants although some companies will offer both these services. It also is less about a potted plant of your desk but more about structural planting that works directly with architectural details of a building.

Examples of Interior Landscaping

Done properly, you probably won’t notice that an interior has been ‘plantscaped‘. We expect interiors in hotels, shopping centres or business foyers to have a certain look and feel.

A popular interior feature is the Green Wall or Living Walls. Usually imposing and certainly spectacular, green walls are plants grown vertically such as this example from Biotecture for Centrica’s office in Windsor.

Interior landscaping includes impressive installations like his green wall

For large interior spaces – those with considerable ceiling height – using tall indoor plants, such as trees can be just as spectacular. Trees are ultimately architectural plants due to their size. And trees indoors certainly have the wow-factor.

Interior trees can be difficult to maintain due to how very, very thirsty they can be. Some have extensive roots systems that extend out from the trunk for almost as far as the tree is tall. So the solution is to use certain species that could be grown in containers. Or, the alternative solution to this problem is to use tall artificial plants and artificial trees indoors.

Bespoke artificial trees match your individual requirements

How does Interior Landscaping benefit me?

Interior landscaping offers the same benefits as any interior styling. Without a planting scheme, a room or building may seem off or cold and clinical. But, hey, if cold and clinical is your brand – go with that. Interiorscaping is more obvious when it is missing. Here are some of the benefits of interior landscaping:

Brand

Help define who you are and what you do from the moment someone walks into your shop or lobby. Plants and their containers can add humour, elegance or even a tropical vibe.

Ambience

The atmosphere is important in any setting. A structured, neat and uniform planting scheme will add a professional and serious note to an office or lobby. Softer planting can help people feel more relaxed and less anxious which is a great thing in a dentists waiting room.

Function

Plants can help define a room’s function: Lines of container plants will define doorways or walkways. Add discretion and privacy to areas for seating and talking by using the plants as screens or room dividers.

Many studies conclude how important connection to nature is. It has a direct impact on the overall wellness and happiness of people working in any environment. Plants help add the greenery needed for that connection. The wellness experienced by workers leads to increases in productivity and fewer sick days.

Noice reduction

Big open spaces are echoey. You can help improve the acoustics of large spaces by adding a planting to dampen the sounds. This is great for open-plan offices and hotel lobbies. But also for busy restaurants. Less so for libraries.

Interested in learning more? Check out these posts on the benefits of artificial plants in commercial spaces and biophilic design.

Floresy has an interior landscaping offering as part of our bespoke services. By working closely with you, we will use our knowledge and experience to design a scheme that works for and for your space. Contact us today for more information on how we can help.

Trends

Biophilic Design – what is it?

Biophilic design is a concept that strives to incorporate nature into our homes, workplaces and community spaces. It embraces the connection between humans and nature by creating a harmonious space that is fulfilling yet still functional and efficient.

The awareness of biophilic design in the workplace is increasing. It comes as we acknowledge how prevalent mental health disorders and cardiovascular disease are in our western societies. The World Health Organisation predicts that these stress-related conditions will be the two biggest health problems by 2020.

The traditional designs of offices and other workplaces focus more on how cost-effective the floor space can be instead of how well people can exist in the space. Furthermore, the increase in technology-dependence and ‘screen-time’ and we lose our connection with nature for significant proportions of our lives.

Biophilic design puts the human experience and well-being at the centre of any design. It is based on the observed concept of biophilia.

What is biophilia?

Biophilia was first noted by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in his 1973 book The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness. He described it as “the passionate love of life and of all that is alive”. The term was then popularised in the 1980s by the psychologist, Edward O Wilson, in his book, Biophilia (1984). Wilson proposed that humans innate desire to connect with nature is, in part, genetic. He observed how we were becoming disconnected from the natural world because of increases in urbanisation.

Examples of Biophilic Design

Perhaps the most famous examples of biophilic design are the creative playgrounds that global corporations like Google call ‘offices’. However, biophilic design is not limited to billion-dollar industries. Proponents of biophilic design include designers such as Oliver Heath who’s projects have included a garden school in Hackney, London.

Google’s office in Dublin shows examples of biophilic design in the workplace.

Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne has a large-scale aquarium in its atrium. Photograph: John Gollings

What is the WELL Building Standard?

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a leader in the global wellness movement that focuses on the ‘design, operations and behaviours’ of buildings. The standard is a holistic approach to well-being and is based on seven core concepts:

Air – promote clean air and reduce in sources of indoor air pollution
Water – provide safe and clean water for various uses
Nourishment – encourage better eating habits and food culture
Light – protect the body’s circadian system and support good sleep quality
Fitness – integrate physical activity into everyday life and reduce sedentary behaviours
Comfort – distraction-free, productive and comfortable indoor environments
Mind – optimise cognitive and emotional health through design and technology

Any building can apply for the WELL certification. It is a fantastic tool, especially when used to improve the well-being of the building’s occupants.

What is Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)?

Sick building syndrome is a recognised medical condition relating to poor air quality in workplaces such as offices. The symptoms include headaches, dizziness and nausea as well as irration to the eyes, nose and throat. The majority of cases are considered to be linked to flaws in a building’s air conditioning, heating and ventilation. Contamination including microbial and chemical are also factors.

Because of these factors, addressing the main causes of SBS is likely to involve a serious overall of a building’s infrastructure. However, opening windows and giving the building a good clean are the first steps in addressing problems. The introduction of plants into the building will also help with poor air quality.

What can biophilic design do for you?

There are many studies that show that biophilic design can have a positive impact. Commercial, civic and residential buildings in addition to public spaces can benefit:

Biophilic workplaces show increases in worker well-being of up to 13% and in productivity of up to 8%.
Healthcare spaces see post-operative recovery rates reduce by 8.5% and a 22% reduction in the need for pain medication.
Customers are willing to pay up to 12% more for goods or services when a retail unit is situated in an area with vegetation and landscaping.
Urban spaces with greater access to nature have less crime by around 8%.
Guests staying in hotel rooms with views of nature including greenery or water are willing to pay 23% more than for rooms that don’t.
Concentration levels, rates of attendance and test results all increase in educational spaces with biophilic elements. The negative impacts of ADHD decrease.

In a 100% organic nutshell, biophilic design can have a positive impact in so many areas of our lives. Studies have shown that the simple act of adding plants to an office can have a positive measurable effect. The mental well-being of workers improves through reductions in stress, depression and anxiety.

Floresy design services are here to help you provide the right biophilic solution for your building. The addition of the colour green will create more relaxing and calm spaces for your workers. Plants and greenery will help improve the customer experience for your guests and clients. Contact us here so we can get started today.