The business travel industry is buzzing with talk of wellness, but is it all just “wellness washing” – a superficial marketing tactic to attract health-conscious travellers?

You’ve heard of greenwashing … but what about wellness washing? The practice of “prioritising” employee well-being through superficial gestures, rather than addressing the root causes of stress and burnout. It’s a worry in corporate travel, where frequent fliers are well versed in early mornings, long flights and strange hotel rooms.

Natalia Rosa (Big Ambitions), Cleo Johnson (Nuecleo), René Stegman (Relocation Africa) and Fatima Arukwe (Travel4Health) explored the topic in detail on WTM Africa’s Wellness Washing or Genuine Wellbeingpanel – and no wonder, as everyone working in the travel and tourism space has not only navigated the challenges of Covid, but is now dealing with an unrelenting work pace that has characterised post-Covid life in the travel industry.

Of course, there’s inevitable discussion of how to balance work and family life, the signs of burnout, and the responsibilities of both employers and employees (because there is self-responsibility too) to ensure optimum health and wellbeing.

For Stegman, optimum wellbeing is the ability to get up every day, feel happy and motivated to go to work, and ultimately enjoy what you do. For Arukwe, it’s about making decisions around the wellness of your family every single day, because in her words, if your family is in a good place, your business will be too.

Soon the conversation turns to corporate travel, and in particular what hotels can practically do to deliver wellness.

The examples are fascinating. They include everything from in-room yoga mats (which feels a little like wellness washing) to white noise and heavy, block-out curtains and individual room temperature settings to aid sleep.

But for Johnson, dining trumps all. If you’ve ever had an extended stay for business, you’ll recognise that the ‘sameness’ of in-room dining soon becomes tired. Johnson says hotels should prioritise dining, changing up their menus every few days to include nourishing, nutritious options as well as the ‘home comforts’ that people on the road desperately want.

In fact, nutrition can make or break a trip. Think of vegetarians who find it hard to find veggie options in destinations like Botswana or Namibia, or dairy intolerant or gluten intolerant individuals who struggle with menu options anyway (and let’s not mention conference fare which can range from delicious to dire).

Part of the appeal of choosing apartments or aparthotels (those unicorns that combine the comfort and lifestyle of hotels with the privacy of apartments) is the fact that you can cook for yourself. As Stegman explains, Relocation Africa often ensures long-stay clients are greeted with groceries and bespoke food baskets on arrival – which goes a long way to meeting a traveller’s nutrition needs (not to mention their mood and mental wellbeing!).

Other genuine gestures actually get a traveller out from the four walls of their hotel room. In other words, building in meaningful time for a corporate traveller to explore their destination (instead of getting them on the first flight home).

Johnson talks to one hotel group that has actually created a running group for guests and staff – which means guests not only avoid the hotel gym treadmill but enjoy some fresh air and see a bit of their destination from the safety (and camaraderie) of a group run. Other examples include fireside chats or talks (which appeal to travellers who enjoy learning and networking), gallery tours, art exhibitions, live music and more.

One thing all panellists agreed on is that true wellness is individual. While one traveller may appreciate free gym sessions, for others it’ll smack of wellness washing. Their advice? Find out what is important to your team (or guest) and ensure that their trip (or stay) meets their needs. In a world where 54% of Gen Z and 52% of Millennials feel their workplaces fail to adequately address wellness it’s going to be an ongoing conversation – especially in corporate travel – for years to come.