Editor’s Letter

AS I WRITE this note, I am 2,700ft above sea level, ensconced within a naturopathy wellness retreat in Kerala’s Panchalimedu Hills. I am travelling solo, I get two raw meals a day, I’m plied with a number of treatments designed to alleviate my various ailments (all stress-related, I am told), and undergo daily massage, yoga and sunbathing sessions – I feel content (if a bit hungry).

It is customary to start the year by thinking about new year resolutions, and while I gave up on the concept many moons ago, I will say this: taking baby steps to be kinder to ourselves should be more than just a resolution that will certainly be broken. It should be ingrained in our daily routine. Embarking on this retreat is the kindest thing I could do for myself. In fact, I am not alone in seeking experiences that are beneficial for my health and peace of mind.

In recent years, wellness tourism has exploded.

In 2018, it was a US$639 billion industry, and that number is set to hit US$800 billion by 2020. This is largely thanks to the fact that travellers today are placing the focus firmly on their own well-being, be it physical, mental or emotional.

For this issue, aptly (also slightly cheesily) called Vision 2020, we’ve highlighted the various tenets that we will be hearing about a lot this year, and self-care is one of them. We explore the evolution of wellness retreats and the exciting new technology that’s taking them to the next level (p.36).

We’ll all be talking about the US elections this year, but what’s caught our attention is how China has been dominating technology headlines. If you still think that the world’s most ground-breaking innovations are coming from Silicon Valley, think again: it’s China you should be directing your attention to (p.44).

Enjoy the read!