PERSPECTIVE
humanity of leadership now required in our modern world.
➑ The wellbeing of people, planet and community is all linked. When it comes to wellness and wellbeing, we’ ve siloed many of our good efforts to date. Case in point: workplace wellness is still largely the responsibility of HR, ESG lives in legal alongside philanthropy and corporate giving and wellness-driven products and services are most often created and managed by brand or commercial functions. And all the above is led by senior executives responsible for entirely separate functions, budgets or even locations. It’ s time to think differently and much more holistically. For companies wishing to foster the wellness and wellbeing of colleagues and guests, the planet and even communities where they reside, it’ s time to rethink the org structure. Maybe even consider the“ Game-Changing role of a Chief Wellness or Wellbeing Officer( CWO)” in hospitality’ s highly matrixed, global organizations.
➒ Longevity’ s place in hospitality has yet to be proven. I’ m not certain the longevity craze of 2025 is going to deliver the kind of outsized returns the industry is expecting. While we are witnessing an unprecedented surge in the demand for medically driven wellness products, services and even partnerships, the world of advanced diagnostics, complete with its futuristic machinery and highly credentialed medical talent, may not necessarily belong in the world of hospitality. Though the opportunity to reverse age and extend both the length and quality of our years is enticing, when, where and how is another question. For now, we should think of longevity as being synonymous with wellbeing. Both are the ultimate outcomes of good wellness habits, and include living long, healthy and happy lives ideally filled with great travel experiences.
The soul is an untapped destination. Opportunity abounds when it comes to wellness in hospitality. There’ s not only room to get the basics right— from masterfully designed spaces and programs to the delivery of services by well-trained talent— but to think beyond serving just the physical or even mental wellness of travelers today. I’ m talking about soul, spirit or that untapped destination known as emotional wellbeing. Every generation or cohort can relate to the shared desire for purpose, belonging, community and meaning, but they don’ t always have an understanding or pathway to access them. If faith and connectedness come in a variety of forms, what if we let travel serve as our spiritual guide? It’ s worth a shot.
50 hotelsmag. com Jan / Feb 2026