SAN FRANCISCO—WeTravel, a payment platform for travel organizers and companies, officially launched RetreatCenterDirectory.com, a free, public directory of thousands of wellness centers worldwide. Every listing has a detailed description, photos, and contact information.
WeTravel launched the directory to respond to the increasing popularity of and demand for wellness tourism. The Global Wellness Institute estimates that wellness tourism is expected to grow annually by 7.5 percent (compared to conventional tourism’s 3.4 percent annual growth rate) and will account for $808 billion dollars in the United States alone by 2020*.
The wellness community, especially individuals and organizations actively engaged in mind-body and fitness activities, represents a significant segment of WeTravel’s users. These users may be full- or part-time wellness practitioners who organize retreats in the United States or overseas, companies that organize similar offerings professionally, or wellness centers that host destination-based events regularly. The focus may be yoga, Pilates, dance, qigong, meditation, personal development, nutrition, general physical fitness, or a wide array of other wellness modalities. Using WeTravel, the organizers of these events create retreat registration pages, collect payments from participants in installments, manage administration, and pay their vendors.
“A lot of people within the wellness community want to organize retreats for their clients and they turn to WeTravel to handle payments. However, one major part of planning a retreat is finding the right location. This public directory will make finding the perfect location quicker and easier,” said Johannes Koeppel, CEO/Co-founder of WeTravel.
WeTravel has compiled data on thousands of retreat centers worldwide, where it can be accessed in one searchable directory. Any retreat center can submit a listing for inclusion in the directory to reach a wider audience. Retreat organizers can search for and compare centers; view center locations on an expandable/collapsible map; filter by category, price, and amenities; contact centers directly to make inquiries; then book directly with their chosen retreat center. The site is totally free to use for both retreat leaders and listed venues. There is no cost to be listed in the directory and WeTravel will not take any referral cut from any successful inquiry coming from the visitors.
