ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On World Tourism Day 2018, Indigo Gazelle Tours (http://www.indigogazelle.com), a boutique sustainable tour designer and operator specializing in cultural and culinary journeys to Morocco, announces the launch of a "Genuine Greece" tour for 2019 that will highlight wellness as an integral dimension to the complete travel experience. The June 7-19, 2019 exclusive, multifaceted tour will be led by Alex Safos, Owner & Founder of Indigo Gazelle Tours, and Celebrity Chef and Mediterranean Diet Expert, Amy Riolo (http://www.amyriolo.com), and will include unique encounters and activities in the less-visited corners of Athens, the island of Samos, and the "Blue Zone" island of Ikaria. Insights on Greek wellness traditions and practices which have been scientifically shown to improve longevity from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective will be offered throughout the tour.
Wellness tourism is the industry's fastest growing sector, according to Lonely Planet, with a 10% increase in 2018 accounting for a market exceeding $500 billion. While most wellness trips remain domestic, recent statistics from the Global Wellness Institute point to a greater rate of increase in international wellness trips and revenues.
"On this special day commemorating the profound value of tourism, we are excited to welcome Greece to our portfolio of exclusive tours and introduce wellness as an essential part of the complete travel experience," offers Alex Safos, Owner & Founder of Indigo Gazelle Tours. "While 'wellness travel' has typically been relegated to yoga, spa, or meditation retreats at resorts or to medical tourism, examining the concept, traditions, and practices of wellness within a culturally-specific context—while on an expert-led tour—presents a new option for the discerning international traveler. Genuine Greece will offer a novel program to discover wellness holistically with a goal of adopting some of these best practices upon returning home. With Greece being a significant contributor to 'The Mediterranean Diet,' this wellness component will be highlighted with hands-on cooking classes and olive oil and spice workshops by Chef Riolo alongside local cooks, bakers, and chefs. However, our wellness discovery won't stop here—it will also illuminate the roles of exercise, lifestyle, community, traditions, philosophy, happiness, spiritual practices, and cultural and culinary heritage in promoting 'healthy longevity' among the Greek populace—especially among Ikarians with their well-documented ingredients to long, fulfilling, and cognitively sharp lives. You could say that Genuine Greece will be the confluence of sustainable tourism and sustainable living."
"Just the thought of Greece makes a lot of people happy—and hungry!," says Chef Amy Riolo who will be featured on Genuine Greece. "But many are surprised to learn that there are many Greek lifestyle habits which our tour highlights that can actually improve your health, make you happier, and please your palate as well. Best of all, people can easily incorporate these activities into their busy lives at home. As we'll be visiting the birthplaces of Dionysus in Ikaria and Pythagoras and Epicurus in Samos, we'll explore their philosophies on wine, festivity, joy, vegetarianism, pleasure, moderation, friendships, and contentedness—all essential elements to what constitutes 'wellness.' These millennia-old concepts still offer many benefits today."
Indigo Gazelle limits its tour group size to 10-12 in order to promote sustainability with a smaller footprint, facilitate authenticity, intensify the travel experience, allow flexibility for spontaneity, and deliver a level of personalization absent in larger groups. The deposit deadline for Genuine Greece 2019 is January 22, 2019.
For details on this Genuine Greece 2019 small group tour and Morocco tours offered by Indigo Gazelle, LLC visit http://www.indigogazelle.com/tours
For illustrative media produced from prior Indigo Gazelle Morocco tours, visit http://www.indigogazelle.com/video-gallery
SOURCE Indigo Gazelle Tours
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Wellness tourism is the industry's fastest growing sector, according to Lonely Planet, with a 10% increase in 2018 accounting for a market exceeding $500 billion. While most wellness trips remain domestic, recent statistics from the Global Wellness Institute point to a greater rate of increase in international wellness trips and revenues.
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"On this special day commemorating the profound value of tourism, we are excited to welcome Greece to our portfolio of exclusive tours and introduce wellness as an essential part of the complete travel experience," offers Alex Safos, Owner & Founder of Indigo Gazelle Tours. "While 'wellness travel' has typically been relegated to yoga, spa, or meditation retreats at resorts or to medical tourism, examining the concept, traditions, and practices of wellness within a culturally-specific context—while on an expert-led tour—presents a new option for the discerning international traveler. Genuine Greece will offer a novel program to discover wellness holistically with a goal of adopting some of these best practices upon returning home. With Greece being a significant contributor to 'The Mediterranean Diet,' this wellness component will be highlighted with hands-on cooking classes and olive oil and spice workshops by Chef Riolo alongside local cooks, bakers, and chefs. However, our wellness discovery won't stop here—it will also illuminate the roles of exercise, lifestyle, community, traditions, philosophy, happiness, spiritual practices, and cultural and culinary heritage in promoting 'healthy longevity' among the Greek populace—especially among Ikarians with their well-documented ingredients to long, fulfilling, and cognitively sharp lives. You could say that Genuine Greece will be the confluence of sustainable tourism and sustainable living."
"Just the thought of Greece makes a lot of people happy—and hungry!," says Chef Amy Riolo who will be featured on Genuine Greece. "But many are surprised to learn that there are many Greek lifestyle habits which our tour highlights that can actually improve your health, make you happier, and please your palate as well. Best of all, people can easily incorporate these activities into their busy lives at home. As we'll be visiting the birthplaces of Dionysus in Ikaria and Pythagoras and Epicurus in Samos, we'll explore their philosophies on wine, festivity, joy, vegetarianism, pleasure, moderation, friendships, and contentedness—all essential elements to what constitutes 'wellness.' These millennia-old concepts still offer many benefits today."
Indigo Gazelle limits its tour group size to 10-12 in order to promote sustainability with a smaller footprint, facilitate authenticity, intensify the travel experience, allow flexibility for spontaneity, and deliver a level of personalization absent in larger groups. The deposit deadline for Genuine Greece 2019 is January 22, 2019.
For details on this Genuine Greece 2019 small group tour and Morocco tours offered by Indigo Gazelle, LLC visit http://www.indigogazelle.com/tours
For illustrative media produced from prior Indigo Gazelle Morocco tours, visit http://www.indigogazelle.com/video-gallery
SOURCE Indigo Gazelle Tours
