Travel Wellness Roundup: Summer 2022

In 2022, both leisure and business travel have come roaring back. It all feels like a blur. Just a year ago, many of us were hesitantly dipping our toes back into travel. Now, although restrictions and safety practices remain in place, travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels. As our mission is to help you travel well & stay fit while you fly, we make sure to stay up to date with what’s happening in the travel wellness world. Here are some of the best reads of the summer so far.

This is the Travel Wellness Roundup – Summer 2022 Edition. We’re sharing the most interesting travel wellness content that the Sanctify team has encountered in the last few weeks. Travel well!

Travel as Healing – New York Times

Instead of hitting as many tourist sites as they can in a week, travelers are opting for more relaxing, wellness-focused vacations in 2022. The New York Times says that in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no surprise that travelers want to work on their mental and physical wellness during their time off.

“In a recent American Express survey, 76 percent of respondents said they wanted to spend more on travel that improves their well-being,” the New York Times says. “About 55 percent said they would be willing to pay extra for these services or activities.” (Concepción de León)

Worldwide Resorts To Celebrate Global Wellness Day, June 11, 2022 — Forbes

Global Wellness Day is an entirely not-for-profit day, a social project dedicated to living well. The purpose of the day is to ask the question, even if for just one day, “How can I live a healthier and better life?” and to direct the thoughts of both individuals and society towards “living well” and raise awareness. Now in its 11th year, Global Wellness Day is credited with helping change the perception of “self-care” from a selfish pursuit to a necessity. 

Many travel wellness trends have changed since the event’s inception eleven years ago. Wellness travel is no longer a luxury-only experience—it’s become more inclusive and accessible; spending time in nature has become more recognized as a wellness pursuit by both consumers and proprietors; and authentic experiences that reflect the local culture of a destination are more in demand. 

Participating resorts include Eden Roc Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic; Skyterra in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina; Half Moon, Montego Bay, in Jamaica; and many more. (Roger Sands)

With a rise in Covid cases, should people change summer travel plans? An expert weighs in — CNN Travel 

Memorial day weekend saw a jump in both Covid-19 cases and travel plans over last year. Should you cancel your summer travel plans? Dr. Leana Wen, author of Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health, emergency physician, and professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, says, 

“Not necessarily. There may be some people who want to reevaluate their travel plans, and everyone should think through contingencies — but I don't think that most people should have to cancel their summer travel… Those who are generally healthy, and vaccinated and boosted, are at low risk for severe illness due to Covid-19. It's reasonable for many people to say that, given their low risk, they are fine resuming pre-pandemic activities and are not going to restrict their travel or other activities. Yes, there is still a small chance they could become very ill, and long-term symptoms from the coronavirus infection remain possible, but many people are concluding that they will assume that risk because the value of travel and all other pre-pandemic activities is so high to them.” (Katia Hetter)

One Big Thing: The Summer of “Revenge Travel” – Axios

Axios says that after more than two years of COVID-19-related cancellations, Americans are shelling out cash for “revenge travel” to make up for experiences and time lost. Whether through upgrading to business or first class, splurging for a five-star hotel, or staying in destinations for a week or two longer, we’re all treating ourselves. Axios says that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans are planning to travel this summer, and they’re willing to opt for higher cost options while they’re at it. (Jennifer A. Kingson and Joann Muller)

These Are the National Parks Requiring Reservations to Visit in 2022 – Condé Nast Traveler

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a national interest in getting outside into nature in an unprecedented way. For four consecutive months in the summer of 2021, Yellowstone National Park shattered records for most recreational visitors. 

“In 2022, visitor numbers are anticipated to surge even higher as more international visitors are expected to return. But that growth has a very real impact on the natural wonders that are meant to be protected and preserved by their NPS status. … The main strategy for crowd control? Reservation systems,” Condé Nast Traveler says.

Some of the most popular parks are now requiring reservations for some of the most popular hiking and driving routes. Those parks include Yosemite, Zion, Acadia, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Dinosaur National Monument. (Rachel Chang)

Hotels and Airlines Cause Stress. Now They’re Trying to Relieve It. — The Wall Street Journal

Simply feeling relaxed on vacation doesn’t cut it anymore for a growing number of travelers. Many say they are more intently focused on their mental health and overall wellness on their trips as they have navigated the stresses of the pandemic. 

Travel companies are embracing wellness travel, offering free virtual therapy sessions and ‘joy ambassadors’ as pandemic-weary vacationers hit the road. (Allison Pohle)

How Does Business Travel Impact Mental Health?

“I get to travel soon! But I have to work the entire time.” Have you ever had this thought? If so, you are likely aware of the ways in which business travel can stress you out, and even negatively impact your mental health. Below, we'll explore this issue and what you can do about it.

How Can Business Travel Adversely Affect Me?

Productivity

It might sound strange; after all, you’re traveling for work. How can your productivity be affected by that? As it turns out, we tend to be less productive when we’re on the road. This is due to a variety of factors, including more time spent in transit, recovering from jet lag or the general fatigue of travel, and even just the change of pace throwing our schedule off a bit. To top it all off, when we travel, we’re often disconnected from supervisors or bosses who typically support us.

Due to all of these factors, productivity can lag despite the fact that you're traveling specifically for work! Creating a work schedule can help you to achieve your goals while you travel for business.

Diet Disruption

Typically there are fresh foods to eat to maintain good health not only physically, but also mentally. When you travel, however, you often wind-up eating whatever’s most convenient. (Don’t worry, we’re all guilty of it). Often enough, that convenient food we eat during our travels isn’t the healthiest, and it throws whatever diet we typically maintain out of whack.

While this won’t necessarily do much damage if it only happens on occasion, problems may arise if you’re a frequent traveler. A poor diet can result in everything from weight gain, worse sleep, and to feelings of disappointment or failure.

The health food trend is a global one, and there are plenty of ways to stick to your diet, regardless of where or how you’re traveling. If you’re sticking to domestic travel, you can always pack healthy snacks, and to some extent entire meals. If work sends you abroad, meanwhile, try to do a little research in advance of your trip. You'll likely be able to get a feel for the area and figure out where to find healthier options. The Sanctifly app has researched the healthiest spots to eat at the airport. We recommend restaurants that serve freshly prepared, healthy meals. Download the app today to see our recommendations, and for more content on what snacks to pack on your next trip.

Family and Relationship Issues

A work trip once in a while usually isn’t cause for concern, but frequent travelers often find themselves in hot water with loved ones. Your family members may feel abandoned while you're out of town, and you may experience feelings of guilt as the traveler. Naturally, these negative feelings can be exacerbated by longer trips, or those that take you particularly far from your everyday life.

In all of these ways, work travel can become a personal burden, and ultimately chip away at your mental health.

It’s important to keep in contact with family, even when you’re on a work trip. Technology makes this much easier than it used to be, and video calls are a cinch. Also consider separating time that can’t be touched by your employer, such as weekends or certain hours after the typical work day (which you should try to maintain even on the road!). This gives you and your family some time together regardless of what’s going on at the company.

Maintain Access to a Mental Health Practitioner

This is more of a tip for companies and employers than for travelers. But companies should ensure that employees have access to professionals who can offer mental health guidance when necessary. Today, experienced nurse practitioners are increasingly well trained in psychiatric and mental health areas, and can often be accessed via online portals and other forms of remote appointments.

Having these types of qualified professionals available –– whether through your company or via your own initiative –– ensures that help is an option if and when you feel the mental health burden of work travel.

The Sanctifly app can also help, with over 100 hours of wellness content in our library, ranging from mediations, exercise and stretch videos, and carefully curated healthy airport guides.

Unfortunately, stress from work travel remains an all-too-common issue. Findings from university studies of business travel have found definitively that those who travel more have the poorest "self-rated health," and suffer more from depression and anxiety.

Some of this is due to certain pressures that simply come with this kind of working lifestyle. However, by sticking to ordinary hours, making sure you have help available, eating healthy, and even keeping in touch with friends and loved ones, you can make frequent business travel less burdensome.

With over 3000 wellness options at 165 airports, Sanctifly is here to help support you and keep you healthy while on the road. Download the app and start creating better travel habits today.

Article exclusively written for Sanctifly

By Riva Jordyn

Restoring Confidence In Your Travelers In 2021 - Guest Post by TravelPerk

Happiness is a dish best served cold… and at 35,000 feet!

Most business travelers around the world have been grounded for over a year now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, business travelers had time to reflect—and realized that yes, they actually did miss it.

There has always been some kind of hidden magic with these trips. The opportunity to go somewhere new, to see new faces, to meet new people, and exchange ideas with professionals outside of your daily grind. For many, traveling for business is also a kind of reward. It’s an acknowledgment of a job well done, and of your ability to represent your team.

Over the course of the past year, traveler confidence started to fade. Fear of getting trapped in quarantine abroad, or of having to change or cancel flights and losing money as a result, became top-of-mind concerns. Travel restrictions and our own moral responsibility to not help spread the virus meant that we all knew that staying grounded was the only course of action.

You’ll be putting your seats in the upright position soon enough

We’re starting to see a positive, real-world effect of the global vaccine rollout. At the time of writing this article, more than 82,000,000 people have been fully vaccinated. And that’s something we’re already seeing reflected in business travel.

Our own data shows that domestic travel is bouncing back at a fairly steady pace. In fact, in January of this year, domestic travel in Spain, for example, was at 25% recovery. More importantly, we realized that 50% of our customers were already implementing new travel policies for this new normality. If we look to China, where recovery began earlier than in Europe and North America, “hotel-occupancy rates and numbers of domestic flight passengers bounced back to around 90 percent of 2019 level by the end of August” (McKinsey).

All of that points to a healthy recovery of business travel. Soon.

Why do we even need business travel?

We’re not going to lie. People have been asking this question since the world saw that Zoom pretty much works. Even Bill Gates argued that 50% of business travel will go away. Well, we clearly think he’s wrong. The reasons for that are fairly simple, and ultimately boil down to one fundamental truth.

Human beings are social creatures. That’s proven by 4.2 billion years of evolution.

UCLA neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman wrote that “mammals are more socially connected than reptiles, primates more than other mammals, and humans more than other primates. What this suggests is that becoming more socially connected is essential to our survival. In a sense, evolution has made bets at each step that the best way to make us more successful is to make us more social.”

Our basic need for human connection is the reason that business travel even existed in the first place. It’s also why it’s going to come back. From SMEs to the largest corporations, what we have in common is our drive to engage, interact, and come together.

So, why do people want to go back business travel?—you may ask. Here are just a few reasons:

People want to come together to foster relationships they made in person, or online. They want to meet their colleagues and build teams through personal connections They want to share their know-how and bring ideas together with different perspectives They want to carry out meetings and conduct sales pitches face-to-face (actually, 75% of business travelers claim that this just isn’t as effective online)

5 awesome ways you can help restore your travelers' confidence

Travel managers! Listen up! We know the road ahead looks long and bumpy. We know you think you’ve got an upward climb when it comes to supporting your travelers as they get back on the road. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be that difficult.

Yes, travelers lost confidence throughout the pandemic. They were afraid of getting infected. Of spreading the virus further. Of all of the legal restrictions and the impact that would have on them and their companies. Rightfully so. But that doesn’t mean that this confidence is gone for good. Now that we’re finally starting to see a light at the end of this long tunnel, the time has come to start preparing.

Here are a few awesome tips on how to properly support your travelers as they get back out there.

Change your management mindset

COVID-19 has changed the world. There’s no doubt about that. The whole “management knows best” policy has no place in our new reality. Running a 21st-century company means asking your employees what they want, how they feel. Sit down with your frequent travelers and ask them what their concerns are. Find a creative way to address these concerns when setting your new corporate travel policy.

Give travelers the freedom to book for themselves

Let them manage their own itineraries. Business travel should be easy, it should work for each individual traveler. Allow them to set their own travel schedules that suit their home life and their work life. Start using a business travel platform that not only enables travelers to independently book their trips, but that also allows them to change them around. In the new normal, we’ll have to expect the unexpected. Translated into the world of business travel - you’ll need to use a booking platform that lets you [change or cancel any aspect of a given trip at any time][11]. No questions asked. That way, you’ll make sure your travelers are safe, and you’ll save your company money in the process.

Informed travel is safe travel—give them that peace of mind

A new piece has been added to the travel management puzzle as a result of COVID. Now, travelers and travel managers need to always be updated on the latest, real-time travel restrictions. Start using a booking platform that features safety information at every stage of the booking process. Say goodbye to a million open tabs, just trying to find the latest health information. Save yourself time and give your travelers peace of mind in the knowledge that they have access to the latest information affecting their trip. If you can, integrate an API that provides this information straight into your own platform!

Yes, wellness absolutely matters

… and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. Wondering what’s in it for you? 80% of employees in companies with policies that support their mental wellbeing and physical health feel more taken care of and more engaged. That, in turn, makes them +20% more profitable. That’s right—happy employees make for successful companies.

Make sure that you set travel policies that nurture your travelers. Make them feel like a business trip is a reward, not a dreary obligation. Add a little bit of wiggle room in your travel policy for travelers to give themselves a treat. Something as small as access to a business class lounge, or staying in a cute hotel can go a really long way! And don’t forget to give them some much-needed down-time when they get back. There’s nothing worse for morale than getting off an all-night flight, only to go straight into the office, tired and unshowered. Encourage a work-from-home day after a trip, or implement a no-emails policy for 6 hours after their arrival. Really get creative with this!

Remember that not everyone knows how to prioritize health and mindfulness when they travel. Teach them! Help them set healthy eating, sleeping, and exercising habits. Show them how to prepare for a long-distance trip with a large time difference. Jetlag can take a serious physical and mental toll on a person. Guiding them through the adjustment process will make a huge difference in their happiness and productivity. And yes, some travelers can be more nervous than others. They might not like flying, or they might just get a little too worked up before a major meeting. Giving them meditation tips for different stages of their journey could be hugely beneficial. Sanctifly members enjoy unlimited access to a library of exclusive content on exercise, stretches, meditations and wellbeing, along with wellness travel tips and airport guides.

Don’t forget to do a wellness debrief when your travelers come home from a trip. Checking in on them and understanding what they did to take care of themselves will really help you create a more comprehensive wellness plan.

Green is the new black

2020 gave rise to a “collective consciousness” on sustainability. Climate change represents one of the biggest, long-term challenges our society faces. As the deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030 gets closer, every business has a responsibility to do what it can to help. Business travel can contribute to that in so many ways. Something like working with a platform that helps you offset your carbon footprint when traveling for business can go a long way. And if you’re wondering how that helps with your employee happiness and engagement… well—did you know that 70% of millennials are more likely to choose to work at a company with a strong environmental agenda? Your employees care about sustainability. They want to contribute. Let them.

Going further together

Holmes needed Watson to solve crimes. Wilbur couldn’t fly without Orville. Would Abbott have been funny without Costello? Sometimes, a dynamic duo is exactly what you need.

TravelPerk is delighted to partner with Sanctifly to give our clients access to thousands of premium airport activities, exclusive membership benefits including delayed flight benefit, bespoke travel wellness content from industry experts, and carefully curated healthy airport guides.

Through our partnership, TravelPerk clients receive an exclusive discount on their first-year subscription to Sanctifly.

Please reach out to your TravelPerk Representative for more details. Not a TravelPerk member? Learn more here or visit the Sanctifly website today.