In this Wall Street Journal World article The Era of the ‘Transforcation’ the writer described the travel trends for the leisure travel guest experience, such as transforcation and voluntourism.
Transforcations are vacations in which travelers changes or transforms themselves. Guests may have certain goals, such as losing weight or learning a new language. The article points to a Mintel report that some travelers are also looking to learn new skills such as photography and cookery.
When Jemima Sissons described her ‘transforcation’ experience in a medical spa, Clinique La Prairie, I found her experience to sound unpleasant and uncomfortable. The writer mentioned that there is no interaction or small talk with other visitors, who she called ‘patients’, in the facility, or ‘hospital’.
As the writer goes through the health and diet education program, she mentions moments that she felt guilty for eating a sugary snack. At one point, the nutritionist chastised her by saying that her sweet tooth addiction was psychological. The writer quotes the nutritionist as he mentioned that he believed allergies, such as wheat allergies, are also psychological.
After I read that, I immediately questioned why anyone would pay to visit such a place. Although the writer did lose 2% body fat in three days, I don’t believe the ends justify the means for transforcation guest experiences. However, the other ‘transforcation’ getaways described at the bottom of the article seemed much more appealing, such as the bikini boot camp in Mexico and the photography course in Cambodia.
