Included in Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s recently published research report, An Experience to Remember: Experiential Marketing’s Growing Role in Cultivating Loyal Travel Customers, were a pair of case studies that reveal the power of experiential marketing in both acquiring travel customers and then converting them into brand loyalists.

Below is an excerpt from the report featuring a case study on how Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, an all-inclusive boutique luxury resort chain, successfully marketed its properties to the growing number of wellness travelers.

Over the past decade, the global wellness tourism sector has continued to grow its market share within the travel industry. Its size was valued at $814.6 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 12.42 percent from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.

Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, an all-inclusive boutique luxury resort chain, sought to tap into the growing trend of wellness travel. Given the market opportunity that wellness tourism presented, Zoëtry leaned in. In partnership with Alliance Connection, Zoëtry sought to establish itself as the leading well-being destination through intimate and elevated retreats featuring expert speakers, influencers and brand partners, ultimately garnering media coverage, marketing exposure and sales.

In addition to designing, producing and executing the retreats, brand partnership agency Alliance Connection secured brand partnerships that heightened awareness and generated bookings, including an author-come-along sweepstakes. For example, ADORATherapy hosted an aura reading and provided fragrance in tune with guests’ chakras. Art of Tea hosted a wellness tea blending bar activation that taught guests how to mindfully prepare and sample tea. Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts’ retreat-focused brand integrations were strategic alliances that enhanced its guests’ experiences.

Additionally, best-selling author Margaret Townsend enriched the retreat experience by providing each attendee with a copy of her book, “The Breathwork Companion,” as well as leading an immersive breathwork workshop. To generate buzz and expand awareness of the retreat, Workman Publishing and Townsend collaborated on a “Come-Along” sweepstakes, offering readers a chance to win a spot at the March retreat, where they could meet Townsend and participate in her transformative breathwork session.

The results of those efforts affirm that Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts is headed in the right direction. This two-part event, encompassing a sneak-peek media preview in September 2023 and the consumer-facing retreat in March 2024, reached 4.2 million unique consumers and delivered $1.3 million in media value.

For more insights on this topic, including the impact of experiential marketing’s growing role in the travel and hospitality sector, download the full report today.