Although the recent Covid 19 pandemic may have halted some developments in the hospitality industry; designers, hoteliers, owners, and entrepreneurs in this business have been hard at work. Many global leaders have been using this time to try new things, seize opportunities, create new concepts and continue progressing; passion and ambition leading the way.
At the 2021 Boutique Lifestyle Leadership Conference, leaders in the industry focused on developing deep insight into the complexity of challenging topics, while also remaining on the tangible ground, offering modern solutions to current problems. A wide diversity of voices gave real-world examples of practicing modern sustainability and incorporating wellness in new projects. The BLLA conference effectively answered the question, “how do wellness and sustainability relate to one another in the tourist industry, and how can we incorporate these elements into our design?” With speakers and panelists from all over the globe, including Bali, Ecuador, Chicago, London, Cape Town, India, Argentina, etc., it is clear wellness and sustainability will be common themes across the board in upcoming tourism and travel.
In a normal year, travel trends constantly ebb and flow. Certain destinations will become popular, experiences will pique interest and new technology will influence the desires and habits of vacationers and backpackers alike. Some destinations remain popular, while others are influenced by movies or popular culture illuminating new spots. Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 “Eat, Pray, Love” made the New York Time’s Best Seller list for 137 weeks and suddenly thousands of people were flocking to Bali, claiming to have been inspired by Gilbert’s novel and new tours advertised the full “Eat, Pray, Love,” experience.
Whether the session was on sustainability, wellness, or category innovation & development, the theme of “being awakened” was a central point of conversation.