World Wellness Weekend Announces Record Numbers for 2023 Event & Reveals the aWWWards Recipients

The 7th annual World Wellness Weekend took place from September 15 to September 17, 2023, with wellness celebrated globally in 6,300 venues with 190 ambassadors and coordinators. The event also included the World Wellness aWWWards, which recognized countries, groups and individuals for their outstanding contributions and promotion of making wellness accessible for all 

Related: Wellness Tourism Association Partners with World Wellness Weekend

The event reportedly featured a 26% increase in venues compared to 2022. There were 125 hours of online sessions, an increase of 150% compared to last year. Social network posting reached a total audience of 430 million with a reported 8,000 posts across platforms, 1,000 mentions in media publications and 17 million estimated views. 

According to feedback from the venues shared by the World Wellness Organization,  36% of respondents organized activities for three days, 59% organized three or more in-person activities and 41% also organized online sessions. Per the report, 81% of activities attracted up to 50 participants, 76% of participants were women and 87% of venues responding said they will participate again in 2024.

Top 5 Categories of Venues:

• 28% Vitality Fitness Clubs, Sports Associations, Yoga, Pilates, Outdoor Activities
• 14% Holistic Wellness Centers, Integrative Clinics
• 13% Beauty Spas, Beauty Institutes, Salons
• 11% Hospitality Hotels, Resorts, Hot Springs, Thalassotherapy, Vacation Villages
• 9% Longevity Wellness practitioners, Physiotherapists, Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Kinesiologists

Top 5 Types of Activities:

• 22.8% Movement Fitness coaching, Functional training, Dance, Stretching, Pilates, Aquatic Activities
• 16.8% Beauty-Spa Manual Therapies, Beauty Bar, Anti-Ageing, Sauna-Banya-Hammam-Temezcal
• 15.1% Yoga Hatha, Pranayama, Accro, Sup, Aerial, Laughter
• 14.8% Outdoors Hiking, Running, Forest Bathing
• 11.6% Health Meditation, Consultations, Screenings

10 Most Active Countries: Number of participating venues (with number of fun and free activities listed on wellmap.org)

1. Spain 986 (2,731)
2. Brazil 731 (2,751)
3. Italy 651 (772)
4. Japan 421 (446)
5. Argentina 219 (271)
6. Dominican Republic 156 (334)
7. United Kingdom 138 (173)
8. Vietnam 125 (196)
9. Canada 108 (183)
10. India 103 (216)

10 Most Active Cities: Number of participating venues (with number of fun and free activities listed on wellmap.org)

1. Marbella 181 (1,533)
2. São Paulo 105 (261)
3. Roma 84 (79)
4. Jerez de la Frontera 82 (108)
5. Málaga 58 (95)
6. Santa Cruz de Tenerife 46 (99)
7. Madrid 44 (102)
8. Buenos Aires 43 (64)
9. Santo Domingo 41 (62)
10. Punta Cana 33 (77)

2023 aWWWards winners:

Africa – Middle East:

• Sharjah Ladies Club Most Active Club - UAE
• Aheem Siddique Ambassador - UAE
• Lucia Molebatsi Ambassador - Botswana
• Dr. Bonolo Mannathoko-Molefhe Coordinator - Botswana

Asia Pacific & India:

• Kanagawa, Odawara, Isehara, Hiratsuka, Wakabadai, Yamato Most Active Prefecture - Japan
• Karatsu-City with Yoga Studio Actomo Tomoko Kouduma Most Active City - Japan
• Siem Reap Most Active City - Cambodia
• Jiva Spas Most Active Spa Brand - Global
• Banyan Tree Most Active Hotel Group - Asia
• Minor Group Anantara & Avani Most Active Resort Group - Asia
• Setouchi Wellness Festa Executive Committee Most Active Group - Japan
• Bali Hotel Association Wellness Champion - Indonesia
• Fivelements Retreat Bali Wellness Champion - Indonesia
• Conrad Bali Most Active Resort Bali - Indonesia
• Mamaka Ovolo Wellness Champion Bali - Indonesia
• Peninsula Hot Springs Most Active Hot Springs - World
• Renaissance Most Active Fitness Club - Japan
• Tomoko Iwai Ambassador - Japan
• Tomoe Kaneko Ambassador - Japan
• Hylton Lipkin Ambassador - Vietnam
• Nyoman Yastama Coordinator - Vietnam
• Reena Sheth Ambassador with Jiva Spas - India
• John Nielsen Ambassador - Indonesia
• Maddalena Morandi Ambassador - Cambodia
• David Prosser Evolution Wellness - Wellness Champion - Indonesia
• Nobue Mogi Wellness Champion - Japan
• Yoko Fujiwara Wellness Champion Nagoya - Japan
• Rieko Tamura Wellness Champion Niigata - Japan
• Tipness Wellness Champion - Japan
• Marie Fitness Club Wellness Champion Hiroshima - Japan
• Kanako Nakai Wellness Champion - Japan
• Kim Weller - Banyan Tree Wellbeing Team Wellness Champion – Asia

Canada:

• Winnipeg Most Active City - Canada
• Nutrition Sans Frontieres Most Active Ngo - Global
• Katja Tremblay-Prpic Ambassadrice - Quebec
• Laurie Barkman Ambassador Manitoba - Canada
• Corrie Gallant Ambassador Ontario - Canada

Caribbean:

• Dominican Republic Most Active Country - Caribbean
• Rotary Club Most Active Club - World
• Excellence Resorts Most Active Resorts Group - Caribbean
• Body Shop Most Active Fitness Club - Dominican Republic
• Sanctuary Cap Cana Luxury Collection by Marriott Most Active Resort - Dominican Republic
• Flavio Acuna Ambassador - Dominican Republic
• Tricia Greenaway Ambassador - Antigua & Barbuda
• Alejandro Leo Ambassador - Antigua & Barbuda
• Keisha Schahaff Wellness Leader - Antigua & Barbuda
• Wellness Pillar Team - Tourism Authority Wellness Champion - Antigua & Barbuda

Europe:

• Spain Most Active Country - World
• Marbella Most Active City - World
• Val Di Fiemme Most Active Valley - World
• Tenerife Most Active Island – Europe
• Niederbronn-Les-Bains Most Active City - France
• Biologique Recherche Wellness Brand – Cosmetics - World
• Lemi Wellness Brand – Equipment - World
• Matrix France Wellness Brand - Fitness
• Milanosoftware Wellness Brand - Online Solution World
• L'occitane en Provence Most Active Workplace Wellness - World
• David Lloyd Clubs Most Active Fitness Group - United Kingdom
• Snow Group Most Active Spa Brand - France
• Thalazur Most Active Thalassotherapy Brand - France
• Aire Ancient Baths Most Active Thermal Spa Group - World
• Capsix Robotics Wellness Innovation - France & Canada
• Galgorm Collection Most Active Hotel Group - Northern Ireland
• Pure Spa & Beauty Most Active Spa Group - United Kingdom
• Junior Adventures Group Best Wellness Activities For Kids - United Kingdom
• Lucia Romero De Avila Nieto Wonder Woman Of Wellness - Spain
• Sandra Vilarejo Wonder Woman of Wellness - Spain
• Susana Rodriguez Global Coordinator - Spain
• Regis Boudon Doris Ambassador - Italy
• Andrea Pambianchi Ambassador for Fitness - Italy
• Katie Byrne Plowman Ambassador - United Kingdom
• Isabelle Charrier Ambassadrice - France
• Tony Malfone Champion Wellness - France
• Liliana Ferreira Ambassador - Portugal
• Anna Seleznyova Wonder Woman of Wellness - Ukraine
• Edurne Quiros Moya Global Wellness Leader Laughter Yoga - World
• Laura De Arce Wellness Leader Marbella - Spain
• Antonio Real Granados Wellness Leader Jerez De La Frontera - Spain
• Juan Manuel Abucha Ambassador Jerez De La Frontera - Spain
• Rosa Sanchez Coordinator Cadiz - Spain
• Natalia Bonin Ambassador Tenerife - Spain
• Maria Elisa Jiménez Coordinator Tenerife - Spain
• Carmen Fernandez Coordinator Madrid - Spain
• Andalucia Morales Wellness Leader Cadiz - Spain
• Elizabeth Puja Wellness Leader Almuñecar - Spain
• Norma Velazquez Wellness Leader Antequera - Spain
• Elvira Heal Wellness Leader Màlaga - Spain

Latin America:

• Eduardo Finci Ambassador Emeritus - Latin America
• Gabriela Gergic Ambassador - Argentina
• Rita Alaya Coordinator - Argentina
• Jessica Heredia Ambassador - Chile
• Cristina Muquinche Ambassador - Ecuador
• Erika Crosby Ambassador Bogota - Colombia