Why Samoa is the best place for Wellness tourism to thrive

By Elizabeth Ah-Hi 18 September 2018, 12:00AM

Stressed out and overwhelmed travellers, mostly from developed countries, are looking for a way out of the fast life in order to find simplicity and mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a trending term we hear often but for those who apply the principles have called it the answer to modern ailments of anxiety and depression. 

But mindfulness is also something Samoa does effortlessly in the sleepy villages with its slow paced lifestyle, still developing economy and strong cultural traditions. 

It’s what the world wants and needs if the growing trillion dollar global wellness tourism industry is anything to go by.

Which is why New Zealand based business woman and personal trainer, Jenny Rieder, decided that Samoa is the perfect location for her clients to nurture their minds, bodies and spirits by launching her brand of “Elysian Retreats” at the Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa during the weekend. 

Originally she had planned to host it in Bali but decided on her first visit to Samoa a few moons ago that Samoa was the perfect setting for what she wanted for her clients. 

“Originally I was going to do this in Bali, I went to Bali three times and I thought it’s already done over here and it’s done well,” she said. 

“It’s much easier for my clients to come to Samoa instead of taking the big long hop to Bali, it’s two days of travel so I planned a holiday in Samoa and when I came I just fell in love with it and this was the spot.”

While Samoa Tourism gets China ready by modifying or changing its offerings to suit a larger audience, people like Ms. Rieder are saying that the apparent shortcomings are exactly what people in the business of wellness tourism are looking for.

 “That’s why we are here because people aren’t coping in the environment we are creating,” she laughs. 

“We’re chasing something that really isn’t real. Of course there should be goals and things to meet but deciding who you want to be is important, deciding where you want to go is important. We want to be people who enjoy life.”

Ms. Rieder puts her findings down to a feeling saying that she followed a hunch once she experienced Samoa for the first time and she knew that her clients would find the space and the stillness to rejuvenate and re-evaluate their priorities to live healthier and happier lives.

“To be honest, it’s the energy here,” she said. “The energy of the place is very settling and calming and I love that it wasn’t commercialised, it still has its national culture deeply embedded within in it and you can easily see that and you can also see the natural beauty of it all.”

During the weekend, Elysian Retreat invited local business owner and entrepreneur, Lufilufi Rasmussen to speak about her personal and business journey as well as her organic skincare line, Misiluki. 

“I was actually at a duty free shop at Faleolo International Airport on the way out and I came across some beautiful skincare products and I realised that they were made in Samoa. I looked it up on the website and found that Misiluki values aligned with what I believed are good life values. So I sent Misiluki an instagram message.”

The 33- year-old entrepreneur has been pleased with her clients’ response to the inaugural Elysian Wellness Retreat in Samoa and she is looking to build on the success of the event by continuing to host Elysian retreats around Samoa. 

By Elizabeth Ah-Hi 18 September 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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