Issue No. 96: Walden Pond 2.0

Coronavirus decimated wellness tourism. And the entire hospitality industry took a massive hit. But, as the pandemic persists, a new take on wellness travel has taken hold.

Enter wellness relocation. From white-collar employees to solopreneurs, remote work has given rise to a modern-day manifestation of Henry David Thoreau’s experiment in constructive solitude — with a few notable differences.

Instead of subsisting off the land, today’s semi-isolated adventurers aren’t sacrificing creature comforts. Whether it’s the backwoods of Montana, a cabin in Upstate New York, or a beachfront rental in Nantucket, a detached dwelling, outdoor space, and high-speed internet are must-haves.

Zooming out: Like Thoreau’s stay at Walden Pond, wellness relocation will be temporary for most. Still, the implications could have lasting effects. The antithesis of the wellness culture, simplicity, stillness, and space just might be the self-care habits we can least afford to live without.

Wellness Tourism, Revisited

In Issue No. 57, we explored the topic of wellness tourism.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is defined as travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal well-being. Of note, it’s one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the overall wellness industry.

• The wellness tourism industry was expected to reach $919B by 2022.
• In 2017, travelers took 830M trips that included a wellness component.
• Also in 2017, domestic wellness travelers spent 178% more/trip than the average tourist, while international wellness travelers spent 58% more than the average.

In short, wellness travel signals a shift away from vacation as escapism alone. Increasingly, taking time off is a means of jumpstarting, restarting, or strengthening a wellness routine.

The hospitality and travel sector has been quick to capitalize on this trend.

Westin added fitness equipment to select rooms. Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquired Miraval Group, a resort and spa operator, and Exhale, a provider of boutique fitness and spa services. And with the 2019 introduction of Equinox Hotel in NYC, the high-end health club chain seized the opportunity in the hospitality space.

But the experience extends beyond the accommodations. From in-flight perks like healthy meals, workouts, and guided meditations, air travel was leveling up. Meanwhile, wellness destinations were doubling down on immersive experiences, ranging from massage to mountain biking.

Then travel came to a screeching halt.

Destination Nowhere

The coronavirus crushed the travel economy. Months on, the fallout is extensive.

• The US hotel industry is projected to shrink by 45% in 2020.
• As of mid-August, domestic passenger volumes are still down 70% from a year ago; international travel is down 88%.

As states begin to reopen, consumers are still hesitant to buy a plane ticket or check into a hotel.

For context, nearly two-thirds of hotels remain half full or less. And Airlines for America says it took three years for air travel to bounce back after 9/11 and seven years to recover from the global financial crisis. So the industry is bracing for a long and painful road back.

In contrast, as hotels suffer, Airbnb is on the upswing.

A leading indicator of wellness relocation, Airbnb has seen longer-term bookings rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, rural rentals are booming. According to the company, hosts in rural areas of the US earned over $200M in June 2020 — an increase of more than 25% from the previous June.

Speaking to CNN, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky summed it up this way: “There’s this really new trend where traveling and living are starting to blur together.” Travelers, he said, are driving a few hundred miles to their new temporary homes.

Working from home and suspicious of shared spaces, remote Airbnbs are the next best thing to Walden Pond.

Walden 2.0

Reverting to the most basic aspects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, travelers set out in search of fresh air and physical space.

A temporary reprieve from overcrowded cities and overwhelming circumstances, an A-frame house, fire pit, and Adirondack chairs are a powerful salve. Likewise, a change of scenery can be energizing. A trail run, megadose of vitamin D, and picturesque sunset put it over the top.

An added benefit, receding from society affords a special kind of freedom. With room to move comes space to think. And in a world dominated by distraction, focus is a finite and highly coveted resource. Being removed from the chaos but in range of WiFi proves to be an unrivaled productivity hack.

No wonder Bill Gates routinely takes annual “think weeks” in the woods. A habit he has kept since the 1980s, twice a year, Gates heads to a cabin in the Pacific Northwest. Free from distraction, Gates immerses himself in research papers, books, and thought for up to 18 hours a day.

But optimizing for efficiency isn’t the point, it’s a byproduct. One that results from a therapeutic easing of the cognitive load. By reducing anxiety, quieting the mind, and curbing burnout, seeking refuge in solitude can have a cleansing effect.

At least that’s been the experience of great thinkers, writers, philosophers, and leaders throughout history. As author Ryan Holiday put it, stillness is the key. In a book by that title, Holiday calls for quiet in a noisy world, using anecdotes from Marcus Aurelius, Anne Frank, and JFK to demonstrate the benefits.

In many ways, today’s wellness relocators are seeking stillness. Free from distraction and manufactured outrage, the hope is that a healthier, more creative, and fulfilling life is within reach.

Less is More

Meister Eckhart, a German theologian and philosopher said, “The soul does not grow by addition but by subtraction.”

A hard reset of sorts, COVID has brought this sentiment to the forefront. Forced to distinguish between needs and wants, the essentials came into focus.

As the virus subsides, whenever that may be, it will be interesting to see if the lessons learned outlive the pandemic. More specifically, as it relates to wellness and the topic of travel, will the pendulum swing back to bloated self-care budgets and high-end experiences? Or, will simplicity, stillness, and space reshape what it means to be well?

The reality probably lies somewhere in the middle. With the latter being free, expect to see more brands attempting to package the Walden Pond feeling, one that can be sold to weary wellness seekers.