Our 3rd annual International Wellness Tourism Conference will be totally devoted to topics of interest to both current stakeholders of the growing wellness space of the tourism industry, plus those individuals and small businesses looking to embrace the space.
Speakers and Sessions
Bibi Mukherjee – SESSION: The Influence of AI and Evolving Trends and Challenges
Bibi Mukherjee, the founding Principal of Curve Trends, a digital marketing agency based in Vermont, discusses how generative and conversational AI is now at the forefront of the travel search experience, leaving many travel marketers wondering how the optimization, content, and other efforts will be affected. Her presentation will include:
- Best practices for using AI for content optimization, personalization and search engine rankings
- The future of search and search marketing with AI generative content
- The challengers and limitations of AI-powered content optimization
- How Google’s new Search Generative Experience works
Bibi also co-owns Sojourn Bicycling & Active Vacations – a luxury active travel company offering excursions around the world.
Our third annual International Wellness Tourism Conference will be totally devoted to topics of interest to both current stakeholders in this growing wellness space of the tourism industry, plus those individuals and small businesses looking to embrace the space.
Ilan Geva – SESSION: Brand Building for Health & Wellness Tourism
The creator of branding campaigns for DMOs, institutions and services across four continents, Ilan Geva, currently Senior Director & Head of US office- Vmarsh Healthcare, presents on the topic of Brand Building for Health & Wellness Tourism.
While many may think that a brand is represented by nice logos and clear postings on social media, it is a much more complicated life commitment. No matter what your business is – a wellness resort/retreat, a DMO, a travel agency/advisor, a retreat leader, etc. it needs a brand that consumers respond positively to. A branding commitment is not in the hands of an ad agency or designer, but is 100% up to the individual business owner. The session will help pave that way forward.
Jeff Ment – SESSION: Legal Issues of Multi-Day Retreats and Who is Responsible for What
Jeff Ment, Attorney and Managing Partner of U.S. based Ment Law Group, presents the legal issues of multi-day retreats and who is who in retreat/tour planning. The travel organizer, the retreat leader, the hotel/resort, local DMC, etc., who has what role/responsibilities and how do you create the needed contracts and terms and conditions for the traveler.
He also offers attendees a look through lawsuits against travel companies – how they happened and how to avoid. The new post-Covid travel-related practices and protocols will also be covered
Anne Dimon – SESSION: What Consumers Want, Need & Demand in their Wellness Travels
President/ CEO of the WTA, Anne Dimon reveals the main takeaways from the WTA’s 2023 Wellness Travel Consumer Survey. Anne is also the co-author of The Travel Institute’s Wellness Travel Specialist Course (a collaboration with the WTA) and the Owner/ Editor of the online resource Travel to Wellness.
Kiron Dhaliwal – SESSION: (Open discussion): Suppliers, DMO’s and Agents – Working Better Together
This session will be chaired by travel advisor, Kiron Dhaliwal, President of Concierge Vacations Inc, founded in 2014 and based in California. A former tech marketing consultant in Silicon Valley, she took a leave of absence in 2005 to care for her son’s medical needs. She educated herself on rare diseases and worked with the medical teams to see her son through a successful stem-cell transplant at Duke University. This experience led her on her own wellness journey to heal her mind, body and soul as she visited numerous wellness resorts around the globe, speaking with and learning from various specialists and healers. Kiron also consults with brands to provide knowledge and insight from both an advisor and a client perspective.
Panel Presentations
SESSION: What Destination Management Organizations are Doing to Raise Their Profiles with Wellness-Minded Travelers
Joyce Kiehl
Director of Communications
Visit Greater Palm Springs
Rose Jordan
Director of Tourism
Mineral Wells, Texas
Tameka Wharton
Director of Tourism Canada Region
Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority
SESSION: Trends & Challenges of Suppliers from Around the World (and how challenges are being overcome.)
John Nielson
General Manager
Fivelements, Bali
Olia Kinoti Director African Oasis Safaris, Kenya
Randall Jackson US Business Development Leader
BodyHoliday & StolenTime, St. Lucia
Vu Thien Ha
CEO
Senna Retreat, Vietnam
