
INTERNATIONAL. Cristina Alcivar, Founder of Vane Airport Media, which focuses on health and wellness airport services and amenities, takes an in-depth look at the growth of the segment in the airport environment.
Health, happiness and personal contentment are some of the key attributes by which we form the pleasing bubble of our lives. As we travel more and more we want our bubble to be portable; we even expect it as a core function of hospitality.

Airports are recognising this as part of their hospitable responsibility for our time in their care – especially recognising the increasingly personalised nature of our individualised digital footprint – and also as a commercial opportunity.
Consider that it is universally accepted that there is a decompression attribute as a condition precedent to enjoying an airside commercial experience. By baby steps, not least of which the variety of spa concepts, the overarching concept of wellness has become relevant.
Thusly, wellness has become a definitive term and part of airport commercial planning. This begs many questions for airports, from passenger satisfaction to the business of providing wellness products and services in the context of commercial sensibilities.
Health – of mind and body – is no longer just the realm of legacy professionals. The ethos of healthy living is being incorporated into almost all areas of life. Consumer acceptance of athletic apparel and fitness trackers has made them fashionable wardrobe staples, food preferences like vegan and gluten-free food have made them mainstream favourites, and notions of relaxation and downtime have gone from mere wants to absolute needs – and as combined from health to wellness.
A huge influx of products and services have influenced the rising awareness of health as a daily practice, and many people have taken these opportunities for better monitoring and self-improvement into their own hands.
Wellness encompasses a broad spectrum of philosophies and practices. It can be about eating well, exercising often, or having the latest vitamin supplement. But the hook that’s got so many more people on board is wellness as a lifestyle.
It’s difficult to ignore society’s fast-evolving interests in the broadest sense of wellness, and there’s plenty of data to support the global commercial trend. The Global Wellness Institute estimates that the worldwide wellness industry is a whopping US$3.4 trillion market. Savvy businesses and organisations are realising that wellness sells.
Airports are increasingly capitalising on new wellness opportunities, too, identifying the potential for enhanced non-aviation revenues and a more hospitable commercial plan.
Airports recognise potential for wellness in experiential commercial plans
Efforts to shape a better passenger experience have brought more airports to the world of wellness.
Many airports have started to address passengers’ physical and emotional needs more closely. They’re paying attention to things like travel stress, lack of sleep, and disruption to food and exercise routines.
Airports such as Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International see the big picture – wellness isn’t just about one restaurant menu or one spa, it’s about a holistic approach to travel wellbeing. Atlanta promoted plans last year to develop a traveller’s ‘oasis’ of personal services on concourses T and B.
According to the airport, the “locations would offer services such as massage therapy, nail services, sleep pods, an oxygen bar or yoga or meditation space…(by) trying to give the passengers a way to just relax, be calm, get into the zone, the zen, maybe release some tension…the goal is to promote health and wellness.’’ The winning operator combined the products and services of three wellness concepts under one roof.

Hong Kong International Airport did something similar, inviting potential partners to bid for a heath and wellness services concession last year.
A focus on wellness in retail shifts the consumer mindset from buying items to obtaining an experience, leading to a greater and more genuine sense of wellbeing and fulfilment in the airport leg of the journey. Integrating wellness in commercial planning should offer a win-win-win for airports, airlines, and passengers.
Airport wellness retail – the road to consolidation
Existing standalone wellness concepts recognise the need to rethink its retail approach and build out stores as one-stop shops for passenger wellness needs.
XpresSpa will create a healthier experience by integrating ROAM fitness into its storefront, launching at the end of this year at San Francisco International Airport.
ROAM’s founder, Ty Manegold, told me that “the facility will include all of the traditional features of ROAM while being able to seamlessly add on massage, lounger, and nail salon services with our joint-located partner, XpresSpa”. Both an airport spa and gym can provide travellers with an opportunity to pick and choose a more extensive selection of wellness services or integrate for a full wellness experience too.
In response to Atlanta’s RFP mentioned above, Be Relax spa, Minute Suites and the Chiroport joined together to create the ‘traveller’s oasis’. Passengers will be able to take a nap, get a chiropractic treatment and hit the spa all in one place. The combined venture will operate two locations at the airport, launching this year.

Daniel Solomon, the Founder of Minute Suites, shared with me that these services are “complementary and symbiotic offerings”.
Store design and presentation are also considerations to take into account. Considering independent brands under the unified umbrella of wellness may offer a one-stop solution. It may also suggest a synergistic strategy for industry consolidation.
Like any commercial plan, there needs to be a wellness plan that establishes the strategic purpose, identifies the wellness components, and includes brands/concepts in the space allocation plan.
That search for meaning – and knowing that thoughtful commerce and wellness can co-exist – is what’s driving these experimental, mindful approaches to the airport retail space.
Further, the reckoning on space is certainly long overdue. The other conversation or another avenue for this is really: what is complementary? What gives the passenger another experience? Whether it’s a massage, how else can they carve up the space for it to be meaningful to add to that experience when they are in that space?
Airport wellness spaces can help airports better sell their own brand and transform the passenger experience.
An integrated wellness retail model offers travellers a greater choice, convenience, and access. From a business perspective, it represents an omnichannel strategy to reach more customers and drive retail growth.
Airports supporting travellers’ health and wellness goals via innovative in-store experiences are offering something deeper and more meaningful than the standard duty-free shopping model we’re used to.
It’s the kind of approach that leads to successful long-term relationship building, and with increasing choice in travel options, these passenger-focused strategies will shape future loyalty patterns that impact airports’ bottom lines.

The messaging around these retail wellness spaces is one of support, with the physical space built to reduce stress and anxiety.
Wellness is the new luxury retail, and consumers are willing to pay to stay healthy when they travel, especially at airports. When wellness services are incorporated in one place, customers are likely to pay more for a comprehensive experience.
The key to success with wellness experiences at airports is making it as quick and easy as possible to find rest, relaxation and recuperation all in one place on the go.
In conclusion, airport wellness retail is here to stay. It is a growth industry where the potential is high, but airports need to embrace a new learning curve to succeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cristina Alcivar is the founder of Vane Airport Media, a Canadian media company that publishes the latest news about health and wellness airport services and amenities. The publication covers airport healthy food trends, airport spas, and much more. Vane Airport Media publishes an annual Airport Wellness Trends Report that highlights wellness at airports and inflight.
Cristina has been a speaker at the Passenger Terminal EXPO 2018 and a Blue Ribbon Evaluation Panel Member responsible for helping vet and select the best restaurants for the new 28 gate Terminal 1 at SFO Airport.
Cristina is now working closely with The Moodie Davitt Report and sister title The Foodie Report. She will be a speaker at our Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference in Dallas next month.