Taking to the Wanderlust Stage at World Travel Market (WTM) London earlier this week, veteran British broadcasters Julia Bradbury and Kate Humble delivered a sharp, timely reminder to the global travel sector.
Their shared thesis: the great outdoors remains our most powerful antidote to an increasingly hyper-connected, screen-obsessed society, yet operators must radically rethink how they frame and sell nature.
During her session Room to Breathe: Why the Outdoors Is the New Wellness, Bradbury reflected on how surviving breast cancer in 2021 deepened her relationship with the natural world.
She declared: “I had always been an advocate for nature. After my mastectomy, I wanted to get into nature and achieve something.”
Wellness beyond the spa
With the global wellness market projected to reach US$2.5 trillion by 2035, Bradbury cautioned that the industry often pigeonholes wellness into sanitised packages of yoga retreats and five-star spas.
Instead, true recuperation lies in stepping outside, and she urged operators to dismantle barriers to entry.
This would entail the provision of essential gear like boots and waterproofs, as well as the use of intimidating vocabulary.
Bradbury warned that terms like treks, adventure, challenge, and expedition can alienate capable travellers.
She added that even the surging 48-hour urban getaway presents fertile ground for restorative leisure, highlighting how walking tours, local produce markets, and restorative sleep can redefine short-stay tourism.
Unembellished immersion, pure and simple
Broadcaster Kate Humble echoed this call for unvarnished immersion during her address Why the Future of Travel Is Human.
Reminiscing about early post-exam train journeys across Europe with “no phones, no internet and no influencers,” Humble championed the enduring value of specialist tour operators.
For Humble, knowledgeable operators not only keep tourism revenues within host communities, but also guide consumers through a landscape riddled with questionable online reviews.
She said: “They know what they are talking about, and seasoned operators help travellers cut through the noise.”
Humble also mounted a fierce critique of superficial social-media-driven travel, decrying tourists tackling Sri Lanka’s Lion Rock in high heels purely for sunrise snapshots.
In an era dominated by algorithmic virality, Humble advised operators to reconsider their marketing spend.
She emphatically remarked: “So much effort is put on marketing through social media and influencers. For people like me, that does not work. Giving the tech bros more money and influence should not be necessary.”
