A new report in the Global Spa and Wellness Monitor
puts Sub-Saharan Africa as the world's fastest growing region for
wellness tourism. The number of spas has tripled since 2007, and spa
revenue has leaped 184%.
The number of those lured
to the continent for a little R&R has also soared. 2013 saw 4.2
million wellness tourists -- a 90% increase from 2012. As a testament to
this growth, this year's annual Global Spa and Wellness Summit took
place in Morocco -- the first time the event was held on African soil.
"Africa is seen as the final frontier. It's virgin territory," says Magatte Wade, the Senegal-born founder and CEO of beauty brand Tiossan,
and a keynote speaker at the summit. She attributes the continent's
spike in spas not only to the increase of international travelers, but
to the growth of the consumer class within Africa.
"The middle class is
growing, there are more African billionaires right now, and then you
have people like me, who've had the opportunity to live all over the
world and have money to spend, and want to go back home and have the
same top-of-the-line service you have in New York or Tokyo," she says.
Sasaabspa in Kenya
Courtesy Safari Awards
The wellness trend has also started to leak into Africa's safari industry, according to Henry Hallward, founder of both the Good Safari Guide and the Safari Awards, and former chairman of the African Tourism and Travel Association.
Hallward estimates there are 9,000 safari lodge operators today, up
from approximately 400 in 1995. Pampering, he admits, has also become a
stronger focus.
"Almost every safari
lodge that I'm aware of has added into its suite of services either
massage, or else an entire spa branded by product suppliers," he says.
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