GOCO Wellness Experts Series – Championing Joyful, Inclusive Wellness with Jean-Guy de Gabriac
Jean-Guy de Gabriac, CEO of TIP TOUCH International since 2004, is an award-winning guest experience educator renowned for elevating the skills and engagement of hotel and spa teams. He was named Wellness Personality of the Year 2024 by the Paris Hotel & Spa Forum and Wellness Influencer of the Year 2025 by the Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Massage Association in June 2025.
He is the founder of World Wellness Weekend, now celebrated by 11,000 venues in 187 countries and supported by more than 60 federations worldwide. The movement continues to grow, with the 9th edition, which took place from 19 – 21 September 2025.
Jean-Guy is also the Conference Manager of the World Spa & Wellness Convention in London, a board member of the International Massage Association, and a judge for both the World Massage Championship and the World Spa & Wellness Awards.
This month, we sat down with Jean-Guy to explore what fuels his passion, how playfulness can unlock better health outcomes, and why he believes that Wellness For All is essential for clients, teams and underprivileged communities.
Jean-Guy de Gabriac
GOCO: World Wellness Weekend is known for making wellness fun, inclusive and accessible to all. What inspired you to create an event-based wellness movement, and how has your vision evolved since its inception?
Jean-Guy: In 2015, the United Nations voted unanimously on the 2030 Agenda with 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Immediately, I saw that SDG3 “Good Health & Wellbeing for All” was perfect for professionals in hospitality, tourism, fitness, beauty and wellness to champion on behalf of their guests and teams.
In 2017, when I saw that only a few General Managers and Spa Directors knew about SDG3 and were not really acting on it, I decided to launch World Wellness Weekend as a global celebration to unite thousands of venues in promoting Wellness for All and raising awareness among the public, media and local officials.
“Wellness for All” is not just “Wellness for all who can pay” (consumers booking treatments and retreats), but also Wellness for colleagues (promoting workplace wellness), and Wellness for underprivileged local communities where people cannot afford what clients pay, however venues can afford to send a fitness or yoga instructor to offer a stretching session to kids in an orphanage in Antigua and Barbuda, seniors in a retirement home in Canada, or doctors and nurses in a local hospital in India.
The divide between the “haves” and “have-nots” grows each year, especially with the rise of luxurious wellness retreats. I truly hope brands that consider themselves leaders in wellness can also show that they are leading in Wellness for All, taking better care of their teams and helping communities become stronger, healthier and happier. As an industry, we have grown exponentially… but we also need to grow up.
This year, we saw a growing number of properties going over and beyond: 450 Wellness Champions and 50 Wellness Heroes caring for Clients, Colleagues and Communities: the 3 Cs of World Wellness Weekend. We also see mayors, tourism authorities and chambers of commerce celebrating the movement with city-wide events in Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, France, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and the USA.
GOCO: You often speak about the importance of activating the “5 Pillars of Wellness” in practical, real-world settings. Why is experiential wellness so powerful, and how can it create more lasting change than conventional advice?
Jean-Guy: There are so many books and webinars about techniques to get better, healthier, slimmer and stronger, yet the vast majority of people wait until they get sick or hurt to really take action.
I hope that the thousands of fun, free, inclusive activities organised during World Wellness Weekend in 187 countries will encourage people to explore the 5 Pillars of Wellness, which are:
1. Sleep – to boost creativity each morning.
2. Nutrition – choosing food and drink that enhances immunity (microbiome).
3. Movement – expanding range of motion to increase vitality (not just strength, but mobility and “appetite for life”).
4. Mindfulness – taking time to pause, breathe and cultivate serenity.
5. Sense of Purpose – connecting with others and nature through acts of solidarity.
Instead of reading about these techniques, World Wellness Weekend invites people to experience fresh, exciting, real-life wellness activities and feel the rush of endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin. When they feel the smile on their face, they want to do it again, not because they have to, but because it feels great to be well.
We encourage people to find a Wellness Buddy to practise with and stay accountable to each other. Wellness, perseverance and laughter with good friends can help people stay on the course and, when needed, get back on the wagon in no time.
GOCO: As someone deeply connected to the global spa and hospitality industries, what shifts are you seeing in how wellness is being integrated into travel, hotels and destination experiences?
Jean-Guy: Clearly, there are two main approaches emerging in wellness and longevity.
The first is about connecting to the Power of Now through yoga sessions, fitness classes, mindfulness rituals, contrast bathing and cool amenities.
The second is about investing in one’s future through biohacking equipment and medical-grade supervision: IV therapy, HBOT, photobiostimulation, cryotherapy, and even DNA testing with personalised, predictive and preventative medicine.
GOCO: Over the years, World Wellness Weekend has engaged thousands of venues on five continents. Can you share a few standout moments or stories that have left a lasting impression on you?
Jean-Guy: This year, we united 11,000 venues signing up on wellmap.org (available in 17 languages), which organised over 20,000 free & fun wellness activities in 190 countries in partnership with World Cleanup Day.
The two most impactful activations for me were:
- Fivelements Retreat in Bali, where guests and locals were encouraged to donate a pint of blood in a Red Cross van after enjoying a free fitness class, a yoga session and organic cuisine. The people who donated may have saved one or even two lives.
- Buenos Aires, where eight freelancers and experts created a wellness collective by a lake in celebration of World Wellness Weekend. They built a joint program, each offering a session, and invited their respective clients to join any class between 10 am and 8 pm to discover new techniques and learn about the 5 Pillars of Wellness. Everyone brought a yoga mat, a friend, water and non-perishable food to donate. By the end of the day, 285 kilos of rice, pasta, biscuits, canned food, chocolate and sugar were split between three charities.
These are living examples of the Wellness Pledge at the heart of World Wellness Weekend:
Choose the pillar you want to focus on, find a wellness buddy to stay on course, and when you both reach your goal, donate something meaningful to someone in need.
Wellness for All, even those we may never meet.
GOCO: You bring a sense of joy, energy and even humour to wellness, something often overlooked in serious health conversations. Why do you believe playfulness is essential in a wellbeing journey?
Jean-Guy: So many people think they know yoga, fitness, and mindfulness, so they become a bit blasé. We need to remain open, curious and playful to discover or reinvent new approaches that keep us engaged.
For example, I will never forget a 6 am YOPRA session during the ISPA Conference in Las Vegas by Lawrence Biscontini. He beautifully combined flowing yoga asanas with uplifting opera overtures. I still get goosebumps thinking about the deep connection in that moment in a plain function room, with the AC blasting. Timeless!
GOCO: From your perspective as a wellness strategist and global organiser, what innovations are currently reshaping the wellness industry in exciting ways?
Jean-Guy: Many people are excited about wearable health devices, AI-powered health coaching and real-time diagnostics with personalised recommendations.
But in the age of Artificial Intelligence, I truly hope leaders in hospitality, fitness, wellness and beauty will also invest in training their teams in Emotional Intelligence so that clients can enjoy meaningful, human conversations with receptionists and practitioners about how to preserve and elevate their health.
The biggest challenge (and opportunity) is balancing human connection, high touch and high intention with the rise of high tech. I think that’s exciting!
For more details about the World Wellness Weekend, please visit https://map.world-wellness-weekend.org/
