Half of high-net-worth individuals have taken a planned wellness holiday, and of those who haven’t, 80% are interested in trying one for the first time, according to a recent study. Financial advisors who embrace this trend can appeal to a high-end market.
For one thing, wellness travel is a “feel-good” topic of conversation and “a change from portfolio performance or the latest compliance regulation,” says London-based Chris Wisson, knowledge director with Altiant, the firm specializing in luxury and wealth management that conducted the study.
Altiant found that despite high overall levels of reported happiness and general health, only 66% of respondents described themselves as relaxed.
“The relatively low levels of relaxation could be due to many things — work, investments, personal relationships,” Wisson said. “But it does show that for many, financial security does not automatically provide happiness.”
Instead, many of the affluent are stressed.
“The importance of mental health, in addition to physical, has seen activities such as yoga soar in popularity in recent years,” Wisson told ThinkAdvisor. “We are facing a population that is wealthy (top 5%) yet not relaxed and probably slightly sleep deprived, with 64% interested in sleeping pods in public locations.”