Ayashi – roughing it in luxury!

Feeling better & reconnecting physically & spiritually

I have just read about more and more ‘well-heeled but work stressed international travellers’ visiting Australia who are looking for an ‘ayashi’ experience – Japanese for ‘roughing it in luxury’.

Ayashi is all about ‘making the spirit and the body better’ which a lot of people seem to be wanting these days.

Andrew McEvoy, Tourism Australia’s industry development manager, says between 200,000 and 300,000 travellers
annually are prepared to pay for the high-end luxury experience, here in Oz! Some demand five or even six star accommodation BUT they also want an environmental and spiritual experience.

“It’s all about the environment and no matter how good the accommodation, if the experience isn’t world class it doesn’t
work,” says Andrew.

These travellers are usually successful, financially stable, well educated, socially aware and technologically savvy who lead work stressful lives and need a holiday which offers rejuvenation – both physically and spiritually.

We apparently ‘lag behind other destinations’, but are beginning to provide more eco-spa six star resorts, sheep and cattle station resorts and outback and indigenous tours with luxurious tented accommodation being built.

“It’s all about the visitor getting better, feeling better, reconnecting…..We work in stressful lives and when they go on holiday it’s got to be a holiday from what they do but also of the mind.”

Food for entrepreneurial thought??