Fitness and Fine Wines Are Drawing a New Kind of Traveller

Modern travellers are turning routine holiday trips into wellness retreats, and popular destinations like the Cape Winelands are embracing the attraction. In response to the trend, wine farms are fast adding state-of-the-art training facilities, walking, hiking, and biking trails, spas, and other wellness centres and activities to their packages.

“The wellness market is picking up pace, and some of the biggest names in winemaking are staking their claim early,” notes Roelof van den Berg, CEO of the Blaauwklippen wine estate in Stellenbosch.

Data from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) supports this, showing that wellness-tourism spend has climbed from US $651billion in 2022 to a projected US$1 trillion last year. The GWI further notes that South Africa, especially the Western Cape, is particularly well known for its health hydros, yoga, and wine retreats.

As South Africa’s oldest registered company and one of the oldest wine estates, Blaauwklippen has long been an innovative leader in the ‘full wine-tourism experience’. Now 343-year-old, the historic wine farm has added a gym, hiking and mountain-bike trails, and a competition-grade pump track alongside its historic cellars.

“Travellers booking long-haul vacations increasingly search out destinations that have a healthy balance of leisurely and adrenaline-fuelled activities. Nothing competes with a hike through the vineyards or a weight training session at the Blaauwklippen FarmGym first thing in the morning,” says van den Berg.

“Add in an invigorating Pilates class after brunch at De Blaauwe Kitchen or before wine-tasting in the historic Tasting Room, or get a good sweat in with Hyrox training before stargazing in the evening, and you have the perfect recipe for a mentally and physical re-energising vacation.”

Wellness drives higher spend

Investing in wellness-centric additions to traditional vacation destinations makes financial sense. At a low estimation, health and wellness conscious travellers outspend their leisure-only peers by around 35%, according to GWI. Van den Berg reveals that Blaauwklippen sees numbers far higher than that, especially during holiday seasons. “Parents want to be active for a couple of hours a day, but their children are busy all day long. So, we offer the adults the opportunity to sip wine on the estate grounds while the kids burn off energy at the Bike Park and Velosolutions Pump Track, or the massive kids play area.

“But most importantly, what we’re also seeing with these additions is that visitors tend to extend their stays by a day or more because there’s simply so much to do. Access to these facilities – as well as any extra services or products our visitors choose to enjoy – comes at very modest fee for guests, but translates into a noticeable impact on revenue. So, wellness tourism can spell significant financial benefits for wine farms, the tourism industry, and, by extension, workers in the greater Stellenbosch area.”

Another big draw, van den Berg explains, is businesses looking for corporate wellness escape destinations where everything’s included. Wine estates like Blaauwklippen offer meeting rooms and conference halls, accommodation, restaurants, wellness activities, and wine-tasting experiences all in one convenient location for large business groups.

Finally, fitness facilities that offer workout equipment, classes, professionals such as biokineticists on-call, along with bike tracks and other fitness zones, generate additional revenue through monthly fitness contracts or passes for locals once the holiday crowds have cleared out. This creates a more stable, long-term income stream, which is crucial in an industry as inconstant as tourism.

“Every industry needs a shake-up from time-to-time – a refresher that brings in new groups, especially younger generations. Fitness is quickly gaining more popularity among South Africans from all walks of life, and it’s important that leading holiday destinations like wine estates reflect that shift.”

Author: Omphile Mmolotsi