Germany Sample Report | Redacted 2024 Version

27 FEBRUARY 2024 | REPORT
THE WELLNESS TRAVELLER –
GERMANY – 2024
To up participation in wellness holidays, brands can shift to a holistic wellness
experience and focus on diverse activities (eg fitness, nutrition, natural
remedies) to elevate quality of life.
Silvia Hondt, Research
Analyst - Travel & Leisure
1
Prepared for kmacnamara@mintel.com
© 2024 Mintel Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Confidential to Mintel.

Table of Contents
Key issues covered in this Report..................................................................................................... 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ 5
Market context................................................................................................................................... 7
Opportunities..................................................................................................................................... 9
MARKET DRIVERS.............................................................................................................................. 12
The German economy .................................................................................................................... 13
Graph 1: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25 ......................................................................13
Graph 2: financial confidence index, 2022-24.................................................................................15
The impact of the economy on the wellness holiday market...........................................................16
Defining wellness ............................................................................................................................ 19
Health status ................................................................................................................................... 22
Wellness everywhere ...................................................................................................................... 23
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY .............................................................................................25
Participation and interest in wellness holidays................................................................................26
Wellness holiday destinations ......................................................................................................... 29
Graph 3: future wellness holiday destinations, 2023.......................................................................29
Definition of a wellness holiday ....................................................................................................... 31
Graph 4: words/phrases associated with wellness holidays, 2023 .................................................31
Graph 5: methods of dealing with stress in the last month, 2022 ...................................................33
Graph 6: participation and interest in wellness holidays, by words/phrases associated with health/
wellness holidays, 2023 .................................................................................................................. 34
Graph 7: associating 'expensive' with wellness holidays, by financial situation, 2023....................35
Graph 8: words/phrases associated with wellness holidays, by generation, 2023 .........................36
Motivation to go on a wellness holiday............................................................................................38
Graph 9: motivation to go on a wellness holiday, 2023...................................................................38
Interest in types of wellness holidays and wellness activities .........................................................42
Graph 10: interest in activities on a wellness holiday, 2023 ...........................................................43
https://clients.mintel.com/content/report/the-wellness-traveller-germany-2024
2

Graph 11: interest in activities on a wellness holiday, by interest in types of wellness holidays,
2023 ............................................................................................................................................... 46
Behaviours towards wellness holidays............................................................................................48
Graph 12: behaviour towards wellness holidays, 2023...................................................................48
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION..............................................................................................53
Advertising and marketing activity...................................................................................................58
APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................................... 60
Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language
usage .............................................................................................................................................. 61
3

Key issues covered in this Report
• The short-, medium- and long-term impact of inflation on wellness holidays,
including changing usage habits and buying intentions
• Participation and interest in wellness holidays and destinations with a focus on
consumer loyalty of avid wellness travellers
• Germans' associations with wellness holidays and how brands can leverage a
broader scope of wellness to raise participation
• Consumers' motivation to go on a wellness holiday tallying with trends around
health, socialising and self-care
• Interest in types of wellness holidays and activities on wellness holidays and how
brands can create a holistic wellness experience
• Behaviours towards wellness holidays, with a focus on promising target groups
during the ongoing tough economic climate
Overview
At %, participation in wellness holidays is rather low, peaking among Gen Z ( %) and Younger
Millennials (52%) as the most avid potential wellness travellers. While only 25% of Gen X have ever been
on a wellness holiday, 70% are interested, encouraging brands to target them.
As inflation is falling, wellness holiday brands can capitalise on well-off Germans' financial upturn;
however, the last two years of rising prices have done significant damage to some households' finances.
As a result, % of Germans still expect to change/cancel holiday plans due to rising prices, climbing to
33% of those in a struggling financial situation.
Moreover, % of Germans who are struggling financially associate wellness holidays with being
expensive, likely deterring them as they think they can't afford those holidays. % of them have not been
on a wellness holiday, but would be interested to go. To engage them, brands can show that wellness is
not necessarily expensive, for instance, by promoting free-of-charge natural remedies.
While spa breaks ( %) and beauty/spa treatments ( %) are top of mind for potential wellness travellers,
brands need to step up their efforts to leverage a more holistic approach to wellness to raise
participation. For instance, they can promote a greater variety of activities such as nutrition or
exercising activities.
4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
5

The five year outlook for wellness holidays
The table below provides an overview of how we expect the wellness holiday category to perform over the
coming five years. It draws on Mintel Germany’s expertise in the market, market forecast and
understanding of the key trends that are driving consumer behaviour.
Source: Mintel, February 2024
6

Market context
HOLIDAYS ARE
NON-ESSENTAIL
%
of financially struggling
Germans expect to
change/cancel holiday
plans due to rising
prices, vs % of those
with healthy finances
The economic situation continues to impact
spending on holidays
In January 2024, inflation fell to %*, the lowest rate since June 2021
(+2.4%). Moreover, Q2 and Q3 2023 saw slight increases in real wages;
hence, wages had started to outpace inflation.
Recovery has begun, but the last two years of rising prices have done
significant damage to some households' finances, impacting their
spending on holidays. While % of Germans in a healthy financial
situation expect to have more money to spend on non-essentials in 2024
compared to 2023, this declines to % of those in a struggling financial
situation. Along with that, less well-off Germans are more likely to
continue to change/cancel holiday plans due to rising prices.
Wellness holiday brands can therefore capitalise on well-off Germans'
financial upturn with upgrades such as additional treatments but also
need to become more inclusive across financial situations and
promote less expensive activities.
* preliminary
Base: 119 internet users aged 16+ in a struggling financial situation
Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, December 2023
7

Mintel's approach towards wellness holidays
According to Donald B. Ardell's concept, wellness is a lifelong process,
aiming to lead a healthy and meaningful life. Wellness is part of one's
lifestyle, pursuing health and a better quality across the relevant
dimensions of life. This includes making science-based, reasonable
decisions, focusing on joy and a purpose-driven lifestyle and being
mentally and physically fit, while leveraging personal freedom.
In line with this broad definition of wellness, the World Tourism
Organization defines wellness tourism as a type of tourism aiming to
improve and balance all the main domains of human life, highlighting the
impact of wellness holidays beyond the actual holiday.
While typical spa holidays are an integral part of the wellness holiday
market, brands can leverage a more holistic approach to wellness to
create more diverse offers and appeal to different target groups,
increasing market volume.
Germans need help to adopt healthy habits
in times of crisis
Germans' health status has suffered from multiple crises. While their
health status stayed stable in the last two years, it is still below 2021
levels; % of Germans described their general health for a person of
their age as healthy in January 2024, down from % in September
2021. They are likely experiencing a lack of motivation to adopt healthy
habits as % of Germans feel a lack of drive as a result of the current
crises.
As % of Germans agree that treating themselves well helps them to
cope with the current crises, wellness holiday brands can help them
to indulge themselves and take a break from daily life.
While brands can position wellness holidays as an escape in times of
crises, they also need to bear in mind that consumers will return to
everyday life after the holiday. Wellness holiday brands can therefore
help them to adopt healthy habits they can transfer to daily life.
8

Opportunities
Foster a more holistic approach to wellness
Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+
Foster a more holistic approach to wellness
As Germans most likely associate 'relaxing' with wellness holidays, it is
no surprise that spa breaks ( %) and beauty/spa treatments ( %) are
top of mind for potential wellness travellers, reflecting that wellness
holiday offers and advertisements mostly present them connected with
spas.
While spas can contribute to wellness, brands can broaden the scope of
wellness holidays. They can promote a greater variety of activities that
contribute to higher quality of life, in line with the wellness definition.
For instance, exercise is known to improve physical health and sleep,
healthy eating can boost mood, and exposure to nature is linked to
mental health benefits.
Wellness holiday brands can help travellers to improve wellness more
holistically by offering fitness classes or specific diet activities, rather than
solely promoting spa treatments, pushing wellness holidays beyond
being relaxing.
9

Offer mental wellbeing support in times of
crisis
While Germans' mental wellbeing is suffering from multiple crises, %
of potential wellness travellers are motivated to go on a wellness holiday
to improve mental wellbeing and are interest in doing mindfulness
exercises on a wellness holiday.
As wellness holidays enable travellers to dedicate time to their
mental health, brands can promote them as a good start towards a
mentally healthy future (eg Fritsch am Berg).
Fostering mental wellbeing will resonate with a promising target group in
times of continuing economic hardship: %* of potential working
wellness travellers with children aged 18 and under who are interested in
taking part in mental health activities are keen to take a wellness holiday
in the next two years (vs % of all potential wellness travellers). As
working parents face a double burden, brands can provide child care,
giving them time to work on their mental health (eg Cavallino Bianco)
* CHAID analysis
Be more inclusive across financial situations
% of Germans in a struggling financial situation associate wellness
holidays with being expensive, declining to % of those with healthy
finances.
This likely stems from wellness holidays being presented as a luxury
experience to some extent, which resonates with well-off travellers but
deters those who are less well-off as they think they can't afford it.
To engage them, brands can show that wellness holidays are not
necessarily expensive and promote cheaper deals in the off-season (eg
Urlaubspiraten). Also, they can offer a wide variety of activities, thereby
adapting holidays to different financial situations.
They can sell additional activities as upgrades to consumers with
healthier finances (eg 'The Haven' by Norwegian Cruise Line) while those
with less healthy finances can stick to more basic activities, such as free
of charge natural remedies (eg Niedersachsen).
10

Find a balance between targeting experienced wellness
travellers and first-timers
Foster loyalty of Gen Z and Younger Millennials
% of Gen Z and % of Younger Millennials have already been on a health/wellness holiday, making
them the most experienced wellness travellers, reflecting their higher holiday participation.
To capitalise on those avid travellers and foster their loyalty, wellness holiday brands can offer
convenient booking processes as % of Gen Z and 32% of Younger Millennials think it's worth paying
more for a convenient shopping process. They can use artificial intelligence (AI) to ease the booking
process, deriving inspiration from KI-Urlaub or Wonderplan.
Target Gen X first-timers with diverse activities
While only % of Gen X have ever participated in wellness holidays, % would be interested in doing so,
almost reaching Gen Z's level of interest %).
Gen X has more commitments (eg career, children), resulting in less time to participate. Another reason is
their limited view of wellness holidays, regarding them as relaxing.
Potential Gen X wellness travellers show the highest interest in several wellness holiday activities,
encouraging brands to engage them with a broader range of activities to increase market volume.
* taken from the upcoming Lifestyles of Gen Z – Germany – 2024 Report
11

MARKET DRIVERS
12

The German economy
2023 remained a difficult year for the German economy. Economic recovery from the COVID-19-induced
slowdown in 2020 has been further delayed in 2023 by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Supply chain and labour shortages and elevated energy and food prices continued to keep inflation rates
at a higher level, slowing GDP growth.
In 2023, GDP decreased by % pushing Germany into recession.
Largely responsible for the drop in GDP is the decline in consumer spending due to high levels of inflation. In
2023, consumer spending fell by %.
In its latest scenario from 21 February 2024, the Ministry for Economic Affairs significantly lowered its 2024
growth forecast for the German economy from % to % due to weak global demand, geopolitical unease,
and inflation.
Change
vs
previous
year
in
%
Germany: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
GDP Private household spending Exports
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (fore) 2025 (fore)
2024 is expected to be more challenging than initially predicted
Source: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Fall 2023; February 2024)
13

The inflation rate is slowly bouncing back to
more conventional levels
The rate of inflation in January 2024 has slowed further and fell to %
(vs % in Dec 2023). This is the lowest value since June 2021 (+ %)
but remains above the target of %.
Energy prices in January continued to be lower than in January 2023
(- %) despite the discontinuation of the energy price brake and the
introduction of a higher carbon price (increasing from 30 to 45 euros per
tonne), which affects the price of fossil fuels such as motor fuels, heating
oil and natural gas. This had a dampening effect on the rate of inflation.
The increase in food prices also continued to slow further (+ %) but
was still higher than overall inflation.
In 2024, the Ministry expects inflation rates to level off, reaching %.
However, % of consumers expect high inflation rates to affect their
spending budget in 2024.
Inflation is still the key factor affecting
consumers' finances…
While consumer prices have been rising, real wages have been falling
behind since Q3 2021. This means that people's spending power has
been slowly eroded, and they have had to make choices about how to
balance their spending. Following the positive trend of Q2 2023, Q3 also
saw a slight increase in real wages, meaning that wages continued to
outpace inflation.
In Jan 2024, German consumers who described their finances as healthy
stayed stable at %, slowly bouncing back to its March 2022 level
( %). While % say they were ok, those with tight finances increased
to 27%.
While recovery has begun, the last two years of rapidly rising prices have
done significant damage to some households' finances and, in some
cases, will take years to undo. For instance, in Jan 2024, % of
consumers who are struggling financially said they are much worse off
compared to a year ago, impacting financial confidence.
14

Financial confidence for the coming year sits at % in Jan 2024, fast approaching its March 2022 level
( %). Confidence greatly varies with the financial situation; consumers with healthy finances are more likely to
be confident than those who are struggling ( % vs %).
While consumers started to get more optimistic about their finances for the coming year, confidence is still
fragile.
Despite rising costs, German consumers continue to save as the savings ratio had remained high in the first
half of 2023.
Hence, consumer expenditure decreased in 2023 but is expected to rebound in 2024 by % with inflation
levelling off.
Financial
confidence
index
(March
=
100)
Germany: financial confidence index, 2022-24
3
-
8
M
a
r
c
h
2
2
3
1
M
a
r
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h
-
1
1
A
p
r
2
2
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-
1
3
M
a
y
2
2
2
-
1
3
J
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n
e
2
2
1
-
1
1
J
u
l
y
2
2
4
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1
2
A
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2
2
6
-
1
6
S
e
p
2
2
7
-
1
9
O
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t
2
2
1
-
9
N
o
v
2
2
7
-
1
8
D
e
c
2
2
4
-
1
6
J
a
n
2
3
3
-
1
3
F
e
b
2
3
8
-
2
0
M
a
r
c
h
2
3
1
4
-
2
5
A
p
r
i
l
2
3
1
1
-
2
4
M
a
y
2
3
7
-
1
9
J
u
n
e
2
3
1
0
-
2
0
J
u
l
y
2
3
1
5
-
2
8
A
u
g
2
3
1
3
-
2
1
S
e
p
2
3
2
8
S
e
p
-
5
O
c
t
2
3
1
-
9
N
o
v
2
3
2
9
N
o
v
-
8
D
e
c
2
3
1
7
-
2
4
J
a
n
2
4
…confidence and expenditure
Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, March 2022-Jan 2024
15

The impact of the economy on the wellness
holiday market
Continue to offer flexible solutions around the topic of price
Continue to offer flexible solutions around
the topic of price
Germans are more likely to plan a holiday in 2024 compared to 2023,
rising to % of consumers in a healthy financial situation and declining
to 40% of those in a struggling financial situation.
This is likely driven by inflation slowly levelling off, meaning that some
consumers' finances are slowly recovering, giving some Germans extra
money to spend on non-essentials such as holidays. Indeed, 42% of
Germans in a healthy financial situation expect to have more money to
spend on non-essentials in 2024 compared to 2023 (vs % of those
struggling with their finances).
Wellness holiday brands are therefore well placed to target well-off
Germans, encouraging them to spend their extra money on
wellness holidays. At the same time they need to continue to offer
holidays with a focus on low-cost travel to resonate with less
financially well-off Germans in times of ongoing financial crisis.
16

Wellness holiday brands can benefit with
upgrades
Next to staying in 5-star accommodation %), enjoying a spa treatment
( %) is on top of the list of activities travellers with healthy finances
would participate in during their most expensive holidays, overriding
dining in a gourmet restaurant ( %), for instance.
This indicates that consumers with healthy finances are keen to
spend more money on holidays that include wellness offers than on
holidays without those offers.
Wellness holiday brands can therefore benefit from the expected upturn
in the financial situations of well-off Germans in 2024, giving them extra
money to spend on their holidays. To capitalise on financial
improvements, brands are poised to offer upgrades to financially
healthy Germans such as additional wellness treatments (eg
massages) or workshops about healthy habits, helping them to make
their holidays extra special.
17

Consumers with less healthy finances need to continue to make
cuts to holidays
While consumers with healthy finances will likely spend more on holidays in 2024, consumers with less
healthy finances will need to continue to change/cancel holiday plans due to rising prices.
However, financial worries have a negative impact on health; only % of consumers in a struggling
financial situation describe their general health as healthy for a person their age (vs 69% of consumers in a
healthy financial situation). This means that those consumers would do well to take a break from their
everyday worries to strengthen their health and wellness.
Wellness brands can become more inclusive across different financial situations and broaden the scope of
wellness, including cheaper activities, positioning wellness holidays as less expensive than they are
currently perceived.
Germany: expecting to change/cancel holiday plans due to rising prices, by financial situation, % of
respondents, 2023
18

Defining wellness
Wellness describes a lifelong process
emphasising quality of life…
When thinking of wellness, most Germans likely picture soothing
massages, a visit to the sauna and relaxing by the pool, but wellness
means much more.
Mintel adopts Donald B. Ardell's concept of wellness. According to him,
wellness means pursuing health and a better quality of life through
a conscious, disciplined lifestyle, making consumers responsible for
their own wellness. Ardell describes four different areas as relevant for
human's wellness. These are, to some extent, linked to Mintel's Trend
Driver Wellbeing, highlighting the connection between wellness and
health.
While health primarily describes a status, including indicators such as
blood pressure or fat percentage, wellness is a lifelong process,
aiming towards leading a healthy and meaningful life.
In terms of wellness holidays, brands can adopt this broad definition of
wellness and provide more holistic wellness holidays.
19

…based on four areas
Reason – thinking reasonably
The dimension 'reason' means making reasonable and logical decisions for one's life based on
science and critical thinking. Wellness holiday brands can support consumers with expert
knowledge and offers based on scientific findings.
Exuberance – embracing positive feelings
'Exuberance' refers to being enthusiastic about one's life, focusing on joy and a purpose-driven
lifestyle, including meaningful connections.
By fostering social aspects and providing positive experiences, wellness holiday brands can pick up
on this.
Athleticism – promoting energetic performance
Reflecting Mintel Trend Driver Wellbeing, 'athleticism' describes being mentally and physically fit
through action patterns such as healthy eating, exercising or managing stress, which wellness
brands can foster with a holistic approach of health.
Liberty – experiencing freedom
'Liberty' means leveraging external living conditions (eg freedom of expression) that enable
personal freedom. Brands can help consumers to act freely with workshops around topics like self-
realisation and tolerance, for example.
Source: German Wellness Association/Donald B. Ardell
20

Mintel's approach towards health and wellbeing
Tying in with a more holistic view on wellness, travel brands can learn from Mintel's Trend Driver Wellbeing
that being healthy means more than physical health.
FITNESS
%
of Germans* say it is
important for them to
lead an active lifestyle
NUTRTION
%
of Germans* say their
food choices are driven
by a desire for good
nutrition
PSYCHOLOGICAL
%
of Germans* agree that
maintaining good mental
health is key to overall
wellbeing
* taken from Mintel's Global Consumer
Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, September 2023
Wellness holidays – more than weekend spa getaways
Wellness tourism is a type of tourism activity which
aims to improve and balance all of the main
domains of human life including physical, mental,
emotional, occupational, intellectual and spiritual.
The primary motivation for the wellness tourist is to
engage in preventive, proactive, lifestyle
enhancing activities such as fitness, healthy
eating, relaxation, pampering and healing
treatments
— World Tourism Organization (WTO)
“
”
In line with the broader definition of wellness, the
WTO defines wellness tourism as a type of tourism
aiming to balance all domains of human life,
clearly highlighting that wellness holidays go
beyond the actual holiday.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), for
instance, promotes wellness holidays as part of
their recently launched campaign. They aim to
shift Thailand's tourism from mass tourism to a
more diverse and sustainable industry, including
diverse types of holidays. Wellness holidays are
promoted with the slogan 'Discover the New You',
highlighting that wellness is a journey to oneself,
impacting travellers' lives outside of their holiday.
While typical spa wellness weekends are an
integral part of the wellness holiday market,
brands can take on a more holistic approach to
wellness to create more diverse offers and
appeal to different target groups, increasing
market volume.
Source: World Tourism Organization
21

Thailand as a source of inspiration for wellness holiday brands
As part of their campaign 'Amazing Thailand New Chapters New Experience' the Tourism Authority of Thailand promotes
wellness as an integral part of travelling in Thailand.
https://clients.mintel.com/content/report/the-wellness-traveller-germany-2024/32
Source: YouTube/Amazing Thailand, November 2021
Health status
HEALTH STATUS
STILL BELOW 2021
LEVELS
%
of German adults*
describe their general
health for a person
their age as healthy (vs
% in Feb 2023 and
% in Sep 2021)
Germans' health status is worsening…
Mintel Trend Total Wellbeing explores how consumers are willing to
invest in their personal health, tying in with the importance Germans
attach to their health status across the different pillars of wellbeing.
While their health status seems to have remained at the same level in the
past year*, it was still below 2021 levels. The vast majority of Germans
experienced pain or ailments in the 12 months to July 2023, with back
pain peaking at %, indicating poor physical health.
One likely reason is a lack of motivation to adopt healthy habits,
fuelled by the multiple crises (eg COVID-19, Ukraine conflict) weakening
psychological health. In fact, % of Germans feel a lack of drive as a
result of the current crises.
As % of Germans agree that treating themselves well helps them to
cope with the current crises, wellness holiday brands can promote
escapes from daily life, focusing on consumers' health, particularly in
times of crisis.
* taken from the upcoming Healthy Lifestyles – Germany – 2024 Report
Base: 1,936 internet users aged 18+ who gave consent to the gathering of special category data
Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel,January 2024
22

…and consumers struggle to adopt healthy
habits
While Germans are coping with a worsening health status, they struggle
to follow recommendations for healthy lifestyles regarding fitness
and nutrition.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends physical activity of
at least 150 minutes per week; however, only % of Germans exercise
at least two days a week, indicating that the majority of Germans lag
behind the WHO recommendation. Also, the German Nutrition Society
(DGE) promotes eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day to
stay healthy, which only % of Germans achieve.
While wellness holiday brands can be positioned as escapes in times of
crises, brands also need to bare in mind that consumers are coming
back to their everyday life after the wellness break. Hence, brands can
help them to find strategies to adapt healthy habits they can
transfer to daily life.
Wellness everywhere
Wellness in everyday products
While Germans' health status worsened in recent years, consumers are
willing to invest in their personal health, seeking solutions to help improve
it. Indeed, % of Germans prioritise spending on their health over
spending on non-essential items.
As a result, brands from different industries started to invest in health-
related products consumers can use in daily life. These products often
refer to at-home wellness, as seen in recent household and beauty
product launches, indicating that Germans are increasingly using
wellness products at home, making wellness part of their everyday lives.
Germans are therefore used to a large selection of wellness products,
presenting an opportunity for wellness holiday brands to embrace a
more holistic, 360 degree wellness experience through
collaborations with wellness brands across different industries.
23

Evolving health tech
With health becoming a more important topic for consumers, the tech
industry has started to focus on health support through tech devices and
Germans have started to use them.
In January 2023, % of Germans had already tracked health data using
a wearable device and another 28% were interested in doing so in the
future. Moreover, digital products such as digital health apps on
prescription (DiGAs) entered the market in 2020.
However, Germans are somewhat critical about the health benefits of
tech. While % of Germans think using health apps/devices can
improve health, % think that technology can impact the quality of sleep
negatively, for instance. While health tech can be a good addition to
help consumers improve their health during wellness holidays (eg
tracking health data), wellness holiday brands need to address
consumers' concerns about tech usage on some areas of life.
24

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
25

Participation and interest in wellness holidays
PARTICIPATION IN
WELLNESS
HOLIDAYS
%
of Germans have ever
taken a holiday
specifically to improve
their health/wellness
Raise participation with a broad range of
wellness holidays…
Despite the high priority Germans place on their health, taking a holiday
specifically to improve one's health and wellness is rather unpopular,
showing similar participation levels as in the UK %).
One reason is likely that wellness holidays are often promoted as luxury
spa stays (eg luxury spa resorts) that many consumers can't afford, as
shown by Germans' wellness holiday associations. As a result, some
consumers likely think that a wellness holiday is not for them.
However, in line with the definition of wellness holidays, they mean more
than going to the spa, indicating that wellness holidays can be arranged
in very different ways to appeal to a wide range of consumers, which
brands need to embrace and create awareness of. For instance,
wellness holiday brands can promote holidays focusing on natural
remedies or alternative treatments, as in FIT Reisen's example.
26

...to capitalise on the interest in wellness holidays
While participation remains at a lower level, Germans' interest in taking a health/wellness holiday is high
and brands can broaden the scope of wellness to leverage their interest.
Germany: participation in wellness holidays, % of respondents, 2023
Push consumer loyalty of Gen Z and
Younger Millennials
% of Gen Z and % of Younger Millennials have already been on a
health/wellness holiday (vs 32% across generations), making them the
most experienced wellness travellers.
On the one hand, this reflects their higher engagement in holidaying, but
is also a testament to the high priority they put on health. In fact, taking
care of their physical ( %*) and mental health ( %*) are the top two
issues Gen Zs are planning to prioritise in 2024.
To address the loyalty of these avid wellness travellers, brands can
invest in convenient booking processes, as % of Gen Z and 32% of
Younger Millennials think it's worth paying more for a convenient
shopping process. Using AI, for example, can help them to book
personalised wellness holidays including treatments or food choices
according to their preferences. Brands can be inspired by platforms such
as KI-Urlaub or Wonderplan.
27

Help mothers to participate in wellness
holidays
While families show high participation in wellness holidays at % of
Germans with children under 18, mothers %) fall short compared to
fathers ( %). However, interest in taking a wellness holiday is on a
similar level (78% vs 81%).
This likely results from the 'gender care gap', which explains that, on
average, women more often take charge of unpaid care work, like raising
children. As wellness holidays often focus on adults (eg adults-only Hotel
König Ludwig), it is difficult for mothers to combine their parental duties
with a wellness holiday.
Hence, offering wellness holidays for mums and children together
presents a sweet spot for wellness travel brands to expand their
target group among parents. They can derive inspiration from the
platform Little Travel Society, promoting wellness hotels offering wellness
activities for children such as low-temperature saunas and pools for
children.
28

Wellness holiday destinations
Domestic holidays and wellness are the perfect match
Domestic destinations are well placed to promote themselves to Germans with a focus on health and
wellness to drive appeal among them.
%
of
respondents
Germany: future wellness holiday destinations, 2023
Germany Other countries in
Europe
Outside of Europe Don't know
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Base: 1,369 internet users aged 16+ who would be interested in going on a holiday specifically to improve
29

Domestic destinations: promote more
holistic wellness experiences…
As domestic destinations are closer to consumers' homes compared to
most destinations abroad, Germans likely prefer taking short weekend
wellness trips in Germany. Indeed, according to the DRV, Germans
mostly spend shorter holidays (ie 2-4 days) in Germany ( %) and longer
holidays (ie 5 or more days) abroad %).
However, German destinations can show that they have more to offer
than just short distances. As % of potential domestic wellness
travellers want to immerse themselves in local life on a health/wellness
holiday, they can step up their effort to raise German's awareness for
the destination as a part of a holistic wellness experience. This can
help them to stand out from other German destinations. Niedersachsen,
for example, promotes region-typical natural remedies, such as moor,
brine and sea air, that contribute to visitors' health.
GEN Z FACES A
CONFLICT OF
INTEREST
%
of Gen Z* agree that it
is difficult to find the
right balance between
living sustainably and
enjoying life
…and convince Gen Z with sustainability
aspects
While % of potential Gen Z wellness travellers would most likely take a
wellness holiday abroad, domestic destinations need to find ways to
convince them to spend wellness holidays in Germany.
They can leverage sustainability aspects as domestic destinations can
be reached by train more easily, reducing CO2 emissions. Moreover,
% of potential Gen Z wellness travellers (vs % of potential Baby
Boomer wellness travellers) would prefer to stay at a sustainable
accommodation for a health/wellness holiday than to stay at a non-
sustainable one. As the concept of sustainable accommodation is rather
new, Gen Z's interest ties in with their interest in trying something new.
While Gen Z struggle to balance living sustainably and enjoying life,
domestic destinations can leverage sustainable hotels (eg Rehlegg) to
promote experiencing sustainability, fulfilling Gen Z's desire for
enjoyment.
Base: 487 internet users aged 16-26
30

Definition of a wellness holiday
Take relaxation to the next level
While helping consumers to relax is key for wellness holiday brands, they can explore different
approaches to facilitate relaxation, increasing the number of wellness travellers.
%
of
respondents
Germany: words/phrases associated with wellness holidays, 2023
R
e
l
a
x
i
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g
B
o
d
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-
p
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v
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n
t
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r
o
u
s
N
o
n
e
o
f
t
h
e
s
e
31

Help travellers to unwind…
Germans are experiencing fatigue in these times of crisis, as explained in
Mintel Trend Hyper Fatigue. This influences their health as a lack of
energy is the second-highest barrier to leading a healthy lifestyle for
of consumers who are not strict with themselves to ensure that they stay
as healthy as possible. As a response, brands are promoting energy-
boosting products, as seen in recent launches in the food and drink
market.
While wellness holiday brands can offer these products, pushing up
energy levels is only one way to cope with fatigue – helping consumers
to slow down is another.
In fact, Germans value wellness holidays helping them to unwind as they
most likely associate wellness holidays with relaxing. Wellness holiday
brands can capitalise on this and promote relaxing experiences,
helping travellers to escape the speed of life.
32

Helping Germans to relax does not necessarily mean promoting spa wellness holidays.
While getting a spa treatment is on the bottom of the list of methods Germans use when dealing with stress,
potential wellness travellers are keen to participate in spa treatments.
Wellness holiday brands are thus encouraged to explore various methods that foster relaxation.
They can combine the broad definition of wellness with Germans' favourite methods of dealing with
stress. Wellness hotel Das Kranzbach, for instance, promotes outdoor activities (eg skiing or hiking), tying in
with Germans who spend time in nature or exercise to deal with stress. Also, the wellness hotel Schönruh offers
music entertainment, likely resonating with Germans who listen to music to deal with stress.
% of respondents
Germany: methods of dealing with stress in the last month, 2022
Listened to music
Watched TV
Spent time in nature
Read a book/magazine
Exercised
Mindfulness exercises
Used beauty/grooming products
Got a spa treatment
Something else
I have not done anything to tackle my stress in the last month
…and explore different approaches to facilitate relaxation
Base: 1,426 internet users aged 18+ who have felt stressed in the last month
Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, September 2022
33

Associating wellness holidays with being expensive is a barrier to
participation
Half of those without interest and experience in wellness holidays associate them with being
'expensive', likely holding them back from participating in them.
%
of
respondents
Germany: participation and interest in wellness holidays, by words/phrases associated with
health/wellness holidays, 2023
Expensive Luxurious Body-pampering Mentally stimulating
Adventurous Secluded Relaxing Connected to nature Active
None of these
Yes – and would be
interested in going
again
Yes – but would not be
interested in going
again*
No – but would be
interested in going
No – and would not be
interested in going
0
25
50
75
100
* small sub-sample: 75 to 100 is a low base size
34

% of Germans in a healthy financial situation have been on a health/wellness holiday. However, for those
with a poorer financial situation, this decreases to %.
This is likely exacerbated by less well-off Germans' wellness holiday associations. They are more likely to
mention 'expensive' than better-off Germans, likely deterring them from participating.
Wellness holiday brands can therefore show that wellness holidays do not necessarily need to be
expensive. For instance, Urlaubspiraten promotes cheaper deals in the off-season. Also, brands can reduce
operating costs, lowering consumer prices. Instead of focusing on expensive spas (eg high energy cost),
brands can promote free-of-charge natural remedies, deriving inspiration from Nordrhein-Westfalen.
% of respondents
Germany: associating 'expensive' with wellness holidays, by financial situation, 2023
Healthy
OK
Tight
Struggling
In trouble*
Raise participation among Germans with less healthy finances
* small sub-sample: 75 to 100 is a low base size
35

Embrace Gen Z's definition of wellness holidays…
Gen Z shows a broader image of wellness holidays compared to Baby Boomers, tying in with the broader
definition of wellness holidays, and brands are well placed to adopt that.
%
of
respondents
Germany: words/phrases associated with wellness holidays, by generation, 2023
Generation Z (26 and under) Younger Millennials (27-33) Older Millennials (34-42)
Generation X (43-58) Baby Boomers (59-77)
R
e
l
a
x
i
n
g
B
o
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-
p
a
m
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n
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d
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t
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A
d
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t
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r
o
u
s
N
o
n
e
o
f
t
h
e
s
e
…with a broader scope of wellness
Compared to Baby Boomers, Gen Z shows a broader image of
wellness holidays, including associations like 'adventurous' (
or 'mentally stimulating' ( which likely stems from their
higher engagement. While non-wellness travellers rely on the image
portrayed in campaigns, which mostly show relaxing holidays, wellness
travellers base their image on their own experiences. Indeed,
experienced and interested wellness travellers show broader
associations with wellness holidays compared to those without
experience or interest.
Hence, wellness holiday brands can push the holistic view of
wellness holidays and showcase them as adventurous and mentally
stimulating rather than solely promoting them as relaxing. This will
resonate with Gen Z as it better matches their associations, and it can
help to broaden non-wellness travellers' image as well, likely increasing
Germans' participation.
36

Promote the variety of wellness
Wellness holiday brands can be inspired by the hotel Holzleiten in Austria, which showcases how wellness
holidays can look, beyond relaxing spas.
Food that stimulates the senses
Holzleiten promotes culinary flavour experiences combining finesse and
natural freshness. Their dishes aim to delight the senses with attention
to detail that wellness brands can combine with healthy food/drink
options.
Activities that don't fit into daily schedules
They promote well-being places in a cozy atmosphere, such as reading
corners, inviting guests to immerse themselves in relaxing activities that
fall short in everyday life.
Adventure and fun
Beside helping travellers to relax, they encourage them to experience
the nature and, for example, discover the winter and the magic of snow,
leveraging the landscapes around their hotel.
Source: Instagram/Holzleiten
37

Motivation to go on a wellness holiday
Pick up Mintel's Trends to resonate
Potential wellness travellers' motivation to go on a health/wellness holiday matches Mintel's Trends around
the themes of health, self-care and socialising.
%
of
respondents
Germany: motivation to go on a wellness holiday, 2023
H
a
v
e
t
i
m
e
f
o
r
m
y
s
e
l
f
I
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p
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o
v
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m
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n
t
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w
e
l
l
b
e
i
…
I
m
p
r
o
v
e
p
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y
s
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c
a
l
f
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t
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e
s
s
I
m
p
r
o
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p
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y
s
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c
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l
a
p
p
e
a
r
…
S
p
e
n
d
t
i
m
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w
i
t
h
f
a
m
i
l
y
/
f
…
M
a
i
n
t
a
i
n
a
h
e
a
l
t
h
/
f
i
t
n
e
s
…
A
c
c
e
s
s
e
x
p
e
r
t
h
e
a
l
t
h
/
w
e
…
K
i
c
k
s
t
a
r
t
n
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w
h
e
a
l
t
h
/
f
i
t
…
D
i
s
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h
n
o
l
…
N
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f
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e
s
e
38

Help mothers to find time for themselves
Mintel Trend Me Mentality explores how, while consumers had a
community mindset during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led them to
put their own needs on the backburner, they were eager to re-focus on
themselves after emerging from the pandemic.
In line with that, at %, having time for oneself is the highest motivation
to go on a health/wellness holidays, rising to % of resident mothers of
children aged 18 and under and declining to % of resident fathers. This
reflects that mothers more often take on child care responsibilities in
everyday life compared to fathers. Hence, they are eager to take time for
themselves on holidays and wellness holiday brands can offer support to
appeal to them.
The family wellness hotel Cavallino Bianco in South Tyrol, for example,
promotes me-time for mothers and offers child care to relieve them
of parenting duties, at least temporarily.
Foster social experiences…
Wellness holidays are largely not perceived as a social experience.
Being motivated to take a wellness holiday to spend time with family or
friends is rather low, compared to other motivators; however, motivation
peaks among potential Gen Z %) and Millennial wellness travellers
%).
At the same time, prioritising spending time with family/friends in the next
12 months dropped from % in November 2022 to 41%* in December
2024 among Gen Z. This is likely driven by Gen Z increasingly
transitioning into adulthood, leaving them with more responsibilities.
Starting an apprenticeship, studying or getting their first job likely means
less time for socialising.
Hence, Gen Z needs help to find time to focus on their relationships,
highlighting a sweet spot for brands to position wellness holidays
as a social experience.
39

…to push social health as part of wellness
According to Ardell, meaningful relationships are part of wellness. Tying
in with that, Mintel Trend Relationship Renaissance emphasises that
interpersonal relationships are emerging as a facet of wellbeing.
Hence, wellness holiday brands can conceptualise the community
aspect and promote social health as integral to wellbeing and
wellness, supporting Gen Z to find time to focus on socialising on
wellness holidays.
They can emphasise group travel and activities, deriving inspiration
from retreats (eg Barefoot) that cater to friends, families, or solo travellers
who wish to join a group, promoting a community of like-minded people.
Also, brands can integrate authentic cultural experiences, providing
additional social element as travellers engage with local communities.
This will resonate with potential Gen Z wellness travellers as they are
keen to immerse themselves in local life on a health/wellness holiday, at
82%.
Support travellers transferring healthy
habits to everyday life…
Tying in with Mintel's approach towards holistic health, potential German
wellness travellers are almost equally motivated to go on a wellness
holiday to improve mental wellbeing ( %) and physical fitness %).
Moreover, % are motivated by maintaining or kickstarting a health/
fitness routine, reflecting that wellness is a lifelong process and
travellers are eager to transfer learnings into daily life.
While studies on wellness holidays show improvements in health factors
(eg blood pressure), longitudinal studies are needed to clarify long-term
effects. Wellness holiday brands can collaborate with institutes to further
generate knowledge. Meanwhile, they can create concepts, supporting
travellers to transfer healthy habits into daily life. Hotel Luisenhöhe,
for example, designed a 360 degree concept, including aspects like the
hotel's architecture, nutrition and a connection to nature, helping
travellers to get started on a healthy future.
40

…and put your experts in the spotlight
While potential wellness travellers are motivated to take a wellness
holiday to improve health, only % of them mention accessing expert
health/wellness advice as a motivator.
This indicates that they are not aware of the expertise of wellness
professionals working in wellness hotels (eg massage therapist).
However, experts can help them to make reasonable decisions for their
own wellness and to transfer healthy habit to daily life, following Ardell's
wellness concept.
As Germans agree that several aspects are frustrating when needing
medical care, such as long waiting times for a doctor's appointment, at
%, wellness holiday brands can put the spotlight on their experts to
appeal to Germans and raise awareness among them. Wellness holiday
brands can be inspired by Lanserhof's focus on promoting their
expertise in medical treatments and a convenient access to health/
wellness experts.
41

Interest in types of wellness holidays and wellness
activities
Potential wellness travellers are seeking relaxation...
As Germans associate 'relaxing' with wellness holidays, it is no surprise that potential wellness travellers
are most interested in spa breaks and beach holidays.
Germany: interest in types of wellness holidays, % of respondents, 2023
42

While beauty/spa treatments are top of mind for potential wellness travellers, wellness holiday brands can
match the broader definition of wellness with a greater variety of activities, contributing to higher quality of life.
Exercise is known to boost mood and improve physical health and sleep, healthy eating can contribute to
digestive health, boosting the mood and mental wellbeing, and exposure to nature is linked to mental health
benefits.
Wellness holiday brands can show potential German wellness travellers how participating in a greater
variety of offers can improve wellness more holistically. They can push wellness holidays beyond being
relaxing with offers such as physical fitness classes in nature or specific diet activities.
% of respondents
Germany: interest in activities on a wellness holiday, 2023
Beauty/spa treatment
Mindfulness exercise
Physical fitness classes excluding
yoga/pilates
Alternative treatment
Yoga/pilates
Specific diet activity
None of these
…and brands can show them how to improve wellness more
holistically
43

Tap into mindfulness exercise
Germans' mental wellbeing is suffering from multiple crises, likely
contributing to potential wellness travellers' interest in mindfulness
exercises ( %).
Tying in with that, % of adults agree that relaxation techniques are a
good first step to dealing with stress. However, only % of stressed
Germans used mindful exercises to de-stress in September 2022. For
% of Germans, a lack of patience prevents them from doing
mindfulness exercises/doing them more often.
While Germans are aware of the positive impact of mindfulness
exercises, a lack of discipline keeps them from participating, likely driven
by their busy lives. Travel brands can therefore promote wellness
holidays as a good starting point to implementing mindfulness away
from daily tasks. Fritsch am Berg emphasises individual coaching, aiming
to identify strategies helping travellers to implement behavioural changes
back home.
Promote a broad image of wellness to Gen
X…
While only % of Gen X have ever participated in wellness holidays
compared to % of Gen Z, interest is almost on similar levels % vs
%), highlighting that targeting unexperienced wellness travellers of
Gen X can increase market volume.
One reason Gen X is so far less engaged is likely their limited image of
wellness, focusing on 'relaxing' ( %) while other aspects, such as
'adventurous' ( %), are overlooked. On the contrary, potential Gen X
wellness travellers are among those showing the highest interest in
several activities on a wellness holiday, for instance, % of them would
be interested in taking part in mindfulness exercises (vs 39% of potential
Gen Z wellness travellers).
This highlights opportunities for brands to engage Gen X in wellness
holidays by promoting a broader image of wellness holidays to
them, focusing on activities they can participate in during their stay.
44

…with offers focusing on their mental wellbeing
Base: 360 internet users aged 43-58 who would be interested in going on a holiday specifically to improve
…with offers focusing on their mental
wellbeing
Potential retreat travellers are more likely to associate wellness holidays
with being mentally stimulating %) compared to potential spa
travellers ( %). Hence, potential Gen X wellness travellers' interest in
retreats is in line with their motivation to improve mental wellbeing on a
wellness holiday % vs of Gen Z) and their interest in doing
mindfulness exercises.
However, only % of Gen X typically do mindfulness exercises once a
day or more (vs of Gen Z), likely reflecting how Gen X's
responsibilities (eg parental and work duties) leave them with less time.
Wellness holiday brands can support Gen X to consciously take a step
back from daily life to improve mental wellbeing. They can use a retreat-
like approach leveraging various activities to create mental stimulation.
German brand Mental Health Crowd, for example, offers mindfulness,
yoga, hiking, workshops and coaching.
45

Offer the top three activities across different types of wellness
holidays
Beauty/spa treatments, mindfulness exercise and physical fitness classes are among the top three
activities across different types of wellness holidays that brands are well advised to offer.
%
of
respondents
Germany: interest in activities on a wellness holiday, by interest in types of wellness holidays,
2023
T
o
t
a
l
R
e
t
r
e
a
t
h
o
l
i
d
a
y
S
p
a
b
r
e
a
k
P
h
y
s
i
c
a
l
a
c
t
i
v
i
t
y
/
s
p
o
r
t
i
n
g
h
o
l
i
d
a
y
C
r
u
i
s
e
B
e
a
c
h
h
o
l
i
d
a
y
C
i
t
y
b
r
e
a
k
R
u
r
a
l
/
c
o
u
n
t
r
y
s
i
d
e
b
r
e
a
k
46

Retreats: offer a wide range of activities to
become income inclusive
Potential retreat travellers show high interest in most activities on
wellness holidays. For instance, % of them are interested in
mindfulness exercises and 45% in specific diet activities compared to
% and % of potential wellness beach travellers.
Hence, retreat brands need to offer a wide range of activities to
resonate. As in Ardell's definition, activities can cover different areas,
deriving inspiration from Hariharalaya in Cambodia, which offers activities
such as yoga, creative workshops or jam nights.
As some Germans need to continue to make cuts to holidays, retreats
are well placed to offer flexibility, thereby adapting holidays to
different financial situations. They can sell additional activities as
upgrades for consumers with healthier finances, while those with less
healthy finances can stick to a more basic version and forego selected
activities.
WELLNESS CRUISES
FOR WELL-OFF
GERMANS
%
of potential wellness
travellers with healthy
finances are interested
in a wellness cruise (vs
17% of those with less
healthy finances)
Enhance cruises' sense of luxury
Given well-off Germans' financial improvements and their higher interest
in wellness cruises, cruise brands are well placed to target them with
wellness upgrades, such as Norwegian's luxury wellness area 'The
Haven'.
They are likely expecting a sense of luxury as % of those interested in
a wellness cruise associate wellness holidays with luxury, compared to
% of all potential wellness travellers.
As a result, cruise brands started to promote luxury wellness experiences
on-board the cruise ship to well-off Germans (eg Sea Cloud Cruises).
Cruise brands can extend the sense of luxury from the ship to the
destinations visited. As travellers most likely consider taking a beach
resort holiday as their most expensive holiday in the three years from
November 2022, at %, brands can promote visiting exclusive
beaches, such as MSC Cruises' Ocean Cay, inviting cruise travellers to
relax.
Base: 282 internet users aged 16+ in a healthy financial situation who would be interested in going on a
holiday specifically to improve their health/wellness
47

Behaviours towards wellness holidays
Create holistic wellness experiences
To create more holistic wellness experiences, brands can promote healthy eating, natural remedies and a
destination's attractions, while offering sustainable holidays.
% of respondents
Germany: behaviour towards wellness holidays, 2023
I believe healthy eating is integral to the
wellness experience on holiday
I would prefer to book a health/wellness
holiday that provides access to natural
remedies than to book one that doesn't
I would prefer to book travel and
accommodation for a health/wellness holiday
as a package than to book it independently
I want to immerse myself in local life on a
health/wellness holiday
I plan to take a health/wellness holiday in the
next two years
I would prefer to stay at a sustainable
accommodation for a health/wellness holiday
than to stay at a non-sustainable one
I would be interested in learning more about
digital wellbeing offers I can use at home
during my health/wellness holiday
I would rather book a health/wellness holiday
with a specialist travel agency/platform than
with a general travel agency/platform
48

Target working parents with mental health offers in the short
term
Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, December 2023; CHAID analysis
While some consumers will continue to cut back on holidays in the short
term, others are keen to take a wellness holiday in the next two years.
This is peaking among potential wellness travellers who are working,
interested in taking part in mental health activities and have children
aged 18 and under, at %* (vs % of all potential wellness travellers).
This group is facing a double burden: career and raising children, likely
increasing stress levels and the desire for time off, reflecting their interest
in mental health offers.
As working parents are a promising target group for wellness holiday
brands in the next two years, they are well advised to promote offers
designed for their needs in the ongoing difficult economic situation.
Brands can appeal to parents with offers helping them to cope with stress
(eg mindfulness exercises) whilst providing child care, giving them time
to relax.
* CHAID analysis
49

DEMAND FOR TECH-
FREE HOLIDAYS
%
of potential Gen Z and
24% of potential
Younger Millennial
wellness travellers are
motivated to go on a
wellness holiday to
disconnect from
technology
Help Gen Z and Younger Millennials to
switch off…
Germans are uncertain about the impact of technology on their health,
with Gen Z and Younger Millennials even expressing a negative impact
of technology on mental wellbeing % and %) and sleep quality
% and %).
While the majority of Gen Z ( %) and Younger Millennials %)
regularly feel the need to take a break from digital devices, their frequent
tech use, such as using smartphones for video streaming or social
media, shows that they struggle to do so, likely fuelling negative
associations.
As a result, younger generations are keen to disconnect from technology
on a wellness holiday (vs 7% of Baby Boomers). While this has raised
wellness offers around the topic of digital detox (eg DIGITAL DETOX
DESTINATION), wellness brands can also foster another approach,
helping Gen Z and Younger Millennials to use technology healthily.
Base: 224 internet users aged 26 and under who would be interested in going on a holiday specifically to
improve their health/wellness
DIGITAL WELLBEING
– SUPPORT IS
NEEDED
%
of potential Gen Z
wellness travellers and
% of potential
Younger Millennial
ones would be
interested in learning
more about digital
wellbeing offers they
can use at home
during their health/
wellness holiday
…and offer aid in using digital products
healthily
As younger generations struggle to use tech healthily, they show
significant interest in digital wellbeing offers (vs % of potential Baby
Boomer wellness travellers).
While wellness holiday brands can show positive aspects of tech (eg
wearables for tracking fitness), they need to address the negative impact
to help adopt healthy tech usage. According to M. Fisher, consumers are
seeking distraction from daily worries and find it in dopamine releases
when using smartphones, which can cause addictive behaviour.
Wellness holiday brands can help travellers reduce screen time,
preventing addiction. They can offer activities (eg mindfulness
exercises) that involve turning smartphones off and educate users about
addictive behaviour. With their 'Livingroom spa' the Voshövel Landhotel
creates alternatives to using smartphones, such as reading, using the
pool or getting into conversations.
Base: 224 internet users aged 26 and under who would be interested in going on a holiday specifically to
improve their health/wellness
50

Foster specific benefits of healthy eating
Only % of potential wellness travellers are interested in specific diet
activities on a wellness holiday. However, % believe that healthy
eating is integral to the wellness experience on holiday, indicating a say-
do-gap. While wellness and nutrition are connected, travellers have
difficulties changing their diet. They need help to understand how
important healthy eating is to improving wellness holistically.
Wellness holiday brands can show that healthy eating influences gut
health, positively impacting psychological health. Indeed, % of
Germans think digestive health improves your mood as well as sleep.
Moreover, Germans are interested in food/drink that supports better
sleep ( %) and relaxation ( %). Brands are encouraged to promote
those benefits, deriving inspiration from Buchinger's therapeutic fasting
that includes an individual diet with a wide range of health benefits.
Showcase natural remedies
51

Showcase natural remedies
In the 1970s and 80s, there was a boom in holidays combined with
natural remedies in Germany*. "Kururlaub" (health cure holidays) like
these were financed by health insurance. When this subsidy was
reduced, health cure destinations lost their importance and were left with
an outdated image.
However, natural remedies* and wellness holidays are still closely
linked as the vast majority of potential wellness travellers opt for access
to natural remedies.
At the same time, % of adults believe environmental issues will impact
their physical health in the next five years, peaking among Gen Z at %.
This highlights an opportunity for destinations to put their natural
remedies back in the spotlight to gain popularity. They can draw
inspiration from Willingen, promoting a cure as a part of a healthy lifestyle
with offers such as forest bathing or kneipp cures to appeal to younger
generations.
* natural remedies are naturally occurring resources (eg water, air, light or plants) that are used to
stimulate self-healing
Travel agencies: implement wellness throughout the customer
journey and find the right focus
Provide convenient bookings…
% of potential wellness travellers would prefer to book travel and accommodation for a health/wellness
holiday as a package than to book it independently. This indicates that relaxation starts with easier
booking.
Wellness travel agencies can make bookings more convenient, deriving inspiration from Ameropa's
collaboration with Deutsche Bahn, promoting accommodation and transport within one offer to appeal to
potential wellness travellers. Emirates promotes relaxing flights, fostering wellness throughout the
customer journey.
…and find your focus regarding holiday types
Travel agencies focused on wellness (eg FIT Reisen) can promote their expertise to distinguish
themselves from general ones.
% of potential wellness cruise travellers and % of potential retreat travellers would rather book a
health/wellness holiday with a specialist travel agency/platform than with a general one (vs 48% of
potential spa travellers).
While consumers are less likely to need a specialist's advice when booking common spa trips, specialists
can offer support for complex bookings such as retreats with various activities or expensive cruises.
52

LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
53

Cruise brands are investing in wellness
Cruise brands have realised the potential of wellness holidays in
Germany and started to invest more in their wellness offers.
River cruise brand A-ROSA, for instance, announced 'fit and healthy'
cruises that will take place in 2024, offering access to medical experts on
board of the cruise ship. Mein Schiff started offering cruises on their Mein
Schiff Relax that take place in Winter 2024/25, focusing on well-being,
relaxation and high-quality enjoyment. Luxury brand Sea Cloud Cruises
launched well-being-cruises with a focus on relaxation, recreation,
recovery and wellness that will also set sail in 2024, which will likely
resonate with luxury-focused potential cruise wellness travellers.
As those wellness cruises are enhancing the conventional cruise
experience with a focus on wellness, they will likely find appeal among
financially well-off Germans, helping them to indulge themselves.
Hotel Luisenhöhe launches award-winning
wellness hotel concept
In September 2023, the hotel Luisenhöhe opened with their wellness
and health concept that was awarded with the Wellness & Spa
Innovation Award by the German Wellness association.
They are offering a 360 degree health and wellness experience,
promoted as a 'health protection area'. Nature, furnishings and
architecture flow together to create a place of well-being. With this more
holistic approach of designing a wellness hotel that not only includes their
spa but all areas such as hotel rooms, restaurants and common rooms
they intended to create a place inspiring travellers to live more healthy.
At the centre of the wellness experience is their 'Gesundkunft'-spa (made
from the German words 'Gesund' and 'Zukunft', meaning 'health' and
'future'), which offers a mix of in- and outdoor facilities, highlighting the
connection to nature, likely appealing to potential German wellness
travellers.
54

Kuschelweich Emotions'
Wellbeing Fabric Softener
Concentrate
Wellness holiday brands can benefit from
wellness initiatives in various industries
With the growing importance of health, marketers across industries use
wellness and wellbeing claims as a marketing tool in Germany.
This can be observed in the household market as well as the beauty and
personal care market. Kuschelweich Emotions, for example, launched a
fabric softener claiming to foster wellbeing through soft and cosy fabrics,
contributing to wellness at home.
Brands in the food and drink market focus on ingredients that offer
benefits to personal health, such as vitamin C boosting the immune
system, fibres that improve digestion or melatonin improving sleep
quality.
Wellness holiday brands can benefit from the great variety of these
products and collaborate with food and drink, beauty or household
brands. While hotels can offer these products to travellers, they can also
promote the hotel on product packages that are sold in supermarkets,
raising awareness for both.
55

Collaborate with beauty and personal care brands promoting
wellness…
Wellness can be found in everyday beauty products and presents an opportunity for wellness hotels to
collaborate with brands to create a 360 degree wellness experience.
Offer wellness products for all parts of the body
Watch out for new ingredients: CBD products
Position the hotel room as a place to relax
56

…and food & drink brands using ingredients that improve
wellbeing
Wellness holiday brands are encouraged to offer food and drink options with specific health benefits,
deriving inspiration from current launches in the food and drink market
Push Germans' recovery
Foster travellers' gut health
Improve your guests' sleep
57

Advertising and marketing activity
Mein Schiff promotes cruises including wellness
Mein Schiff promotes wellness cruises focusing on relaxation and experiences helping travellers to take a break from everyday
life.
Source: YouTube/TUI Cruises – Mein Schiff, October 2023
Emirates positions themselves with more relaxing flights
Emirates promotes relaxing flights and improving wellness, showcasing that travel brands can leverage wellness across the
customer journey.
Source: YouTube/Emirates, September 2023
58

Specialist travel agency FIT Reisen focuses on alternative
treatments
FIT Reisen promotes Ayurveda as an alternative treatment, going beyond spa treatments.
Source: YouTube/FITReisenWellnessTV, June 2023
Niedersachsen promotes their natural remedies
As potential German wellness travellers are interested in natural remedies, Niedersachsen's focus will resonate with them.
Source: YouTube/Reiseland Niedersachsen, August 2022
59

APPENDIX
60

Appendix – products covered, abbreviations,
consumer research methodology and language
usage
Products covered in this Report
This report looks at attitudes and behaviours of Germans aged 16+ towards holidays in Germany and
abroad that aim to improve health and wellbeing. This includes Germans' participation and interest in
different types of holidays specifically taken to improve their health and wellbeing (eg activity holiday,
retreat) including wellness activities (eg spa, sauna).
Those types of holidays are referred to as 'wellness holidays' or 'health holidays' throughout the report.
Abbreviations
Abbreviation What it means
AI Artificial intelligence
DB Deutsche Bahn
DGE German Nutrition Society
GDB Gross Domestic Product
WHO World Health Organization
WTO World Travel Organization
Consumer research methodology
Mintel commissioned consumer research* for this Report to assess the wellness travelling and related
behaviours and attitudes. Research was carried out by Kantar Profiles among 2,000 internet users aged
16+ in December 2023. Detailed demographics are given in the Databook.
* for further details, see the research methodology
61

CHAID analysis – methodology
CHAID analysis
CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection) is a target group identification method that is used to
highlight key target groups. CHAID is a classification system that subdivides the sample into a series of
subgroups that share similar characteristics towards a specific response variable and allows us to identify
which combinations have the highest response rates for the target variable. The first predictor category (on
which the sample will be split) is the predictor that is associated the most with the response variable. i.e. it
gives the most differentiating groups of respondents. Each subgroup is then further split until the analysis
does not find any significantly discriminating predictor any more. The output is a tree of which the branches
are the predictor variables that split the sample in discriminating groups.
CHAID analysis
Germany: CHAID analysis, 2023
Target group Key Target Group Sample (N) Target (N)
Target group
penetration %
Overall penetration %
% point change – more
likely than overall
population
I plan to take a health/
wellness holiday in the next
two year – yes
Internet users aged 16+
who work and have children
aged 18 and under and
would be keen to take part
in activities to improve
mental health on a health/
wellness holiday
876 131 82.9% 64.0% +18.9%
Base: 1,369 internet users aged 16+ who would be interested in going on a holiday specifically to improve their health/wellness
A note on language
Nationality: please note that when referring to 'Germans' or 'German consumers' in the Report, all
consumers in Germany are meant, not only German nationals.
Meet the expert
Silvia Hondt
Research Analyst - Travel & Leisure
Silvia explores and writes about German consumer and market trends on
the topics of Travel & Leisure. Before joining Mintel, she worked in sports
administration and tourism consulting. With her academic background in
the field of tourism management and sports and health sciences, she
adds significant knowledge of scientific research to her reports.
Read more by this expert | Get in touch
62

Disclaimer
This is marketing intelligence published by Mintel.
The consumer research exclusively commissioned
by Mintel was conducted by a German licensed
market survey agent (see Research Methodology
Europe for more information).
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