Healthy growth for wellness market

GETAWAY packages to wellness destinations seem to be taking root in the South African market. According to Lee Painter, national sales and marketing manager for Marriott Hotels in Southern Africa, the wellness destinations linked to the chain's hotels in the East and in India are becoming increasingly popular with business travellers. "Of corporate travellers nowadays, 40% are women who, like all business travellers, include leisure time in their itineraries. We are therefore seeing definite growth to the health spas in Thailand, and the resorts in India renowned for their spirituality." Stefan Braun, ceo of the Arrabella Country Estate at Hermanus in the Cape where an Arrabella Sheraton hotel incorporating a wellness centre is currently under construction, said a definite trend can be seen in the wellness sector. "Wellness centres incorporate hydros and health spas with medicinal treatments, rehabilitation, reflexology, homoeopathic and beauty treatments. They are not plastic surgery farms." Braun added men are also becoming more health conscious and no longer think of beauty treatments as "women's stuff". Heino Reuling, gm of the Romney Park Wellness Centre that opened last year at Greenpoint, Cape Town, said a wellness centre must focus on body, mind and soul. "We focus on a natural, holistic approach to healing, and we try to suggest a way of living to the client. The centre forms part of the Relais Hotel Romney Park. Reuling said specials are run on a monthly basis, and a variety of two-, five- and seven-night packages are available starting from R1 900 per person sharing. (Johann Hattingh)