Sara: How do you


feel about


having Deepak Chopra as one of the Keynote speakers at the summit?


Susie: Deepak Chopra is really an icon in our industry, but I have to say I was surprised that he was so well known, like a rock star, in Latin American countries. There is just a huge hunger for what he talks about. He has written so many books and with quite a wide range, all to do with wellness. I think it’s a great opportunity for everyone to be introduced to him, and also to all of his work because he usually moves the needle on things. You have met Gisselle [Fernandez]


and she is fabulous,


she’s really a smart lady. She was a moderator on television so she’s going to be doing some of the interviewing and we want to have a flavour of


Mexico City


Mexico City and Mexico in general, so I think it’s going to be great.


Sara: What were some of the key factors in choosing Mexico City to host the summit? Susie: First of all, we do like to move the summit around. Also, we really look at who is embracing wellness on a government level. Usually, we have been invited by governments, as we have been in Morocco, India and Bali. We have been aware that Mexico has really wanted


to be on the map for


people with wellness and tourism in general, so this was a really great fit. What’s interesting is that even though we started Mexican


government,


talking with the Mexico City


was faster in saying, “we want it, and we want to sponsor it”, so this is the first time we have had a city sponsor


a summit rather than the country. We think this will really showcase Mexico City. And that’s the other thing I am excited about. What the delegates are going to discover when they come to Mexico City. I’ve never been to Mexico City before, but I came on the initial site visit and I was blown away, the gastronomy, the museums, the art, the architecture.


Sara: What do you a more think of


Mexico’s current tourism offering and how can Mexico adapt to deliver


comprehensive


wellness tourism experience to travellers? Susie: I think what you need to know about Mexico is that it has wellness elements


like spas in resort areas.


The resorts have fantastic spas and the weather makes it very conducive, people want to come to a nice warm climate where there is sun, because that in itself is wellness. I think Mexico has an opportunity to position itself with its native herbs and the Temazcal. It’s cleansing, and there is the spiritual part to it. It is such a great experience that I think Mexico could do more to really embrace that one piece in all of their spas in some way.


Sara: What do you think the


next steps for the industry here in Mexico would be to cultivate the seeds planted at the GWS? Susie: Marketing. Mexico has Rancho la Puerta - it is a big deal to the world in terms of spa. I don’t think Mexico realizes what it is or how valuable it could be for them. Mexico has the oldest


destination spa in probably


North America. Mexico should claim that, and also promote the cuisine here and increase the visibility of the Temazcal.


Sara: What trips have you taken in recent years as a wellness tourist? Susie: I was


at


a WTTC meeting


in Madrid and then I went to SHA Wellness, so that was my most recent trip and I was very impressed. So I would say that affected my personal wellness,


I 16 learned a lot about


macrobiotics there. One spa that still www.spaprofessionalmexico.com


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