In this section, Dr. Andry Dahlan provides a comprehensive explanation of the global landscape of wellness tourism, based on data presented by the Global Wellness Tourism Institute (GWTI). The dataset, published in 2019 and reflecting conditions in 2018 (pre-pandemic), reveals important insights into how other countries have been developing wellness tourism—while Indonesia, unfortunately, remains absent from the global mapping.
According to the GWTI presentation, Indonesia did not appear in the list of countries recognized for their leading wellness tourism offerings. This is particularly striking considering Indonesia’s vast natural resources, cultural richness, and strong potential for wellness-based experiences.
Dr. Andry highlights this as a wake-up call: other countries have formalized, promoted, and documented their wellness assets, while Indonesia has not yet showcased its own potential at an international level.
The GWTI report identifies several major wellness tourism categories that different countries excel in:
Mountain Retreats – well established in Colorado, USA.
Urban Health Hotels & Spas – growing rapidly in US metropolitan areas.
Weight-Loss & Detox Retreats – concentrated heavily in California.
Beach and Deep-Sea Resort Spas – flourishing in Mexico, including advanced EFT and holistic programs.
Cruise-Based Wellness Programs – widely implemented in the Caribbean, where cruise ships offer dedicated wellness facilities.
Thermal Resorts – commonly found in Argentina and China, where natural thermal springs are utilized extensively for healing therapies.
These examples demonstrate how nations strategically develop wellness tourism by leveraging geography, infrastructure, and cultural strengths.
Dr. Andry explains that Indonesia actually possesses extraordinary natural wellness resources—particularly geothermal assets. Over the past five years, his team has visited 27 volcanoes and collected samples of geothermal therapy rich in beneficial minerals.
Yet, these resources remain underdeveloped, unpublished, and largely unknown internationally. As a result, Indonesia is not included in global wellness tourism datasets, not because the potential is absent, but because the scientific and strategic documentation is lacking.
The GWTI data also connects wellness tourism with broader issues such as climate change, conservation, and sustainable tourism development.
Some countries, especially in Europe, have created extensive geopark networks—with over 300 geoparks—to preserve nature while integrating them into wellness and tourism frameworks.
Indonesia, meanwhile:
Has only five geoparks officially recognized,
Despite possessing massive geographic and ecological diversity,
Along with rich cultural practices,
And numerous sites with geological and historical significance.
This disparity highlights a major missed opportunity.
Dr. Andry emphasizes that many global wellness concepts—such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and ayurveda—have roots that parallel ancient healing traditions in the Indonesian archipelago.
For example, his studies in Bali revealed that many elements of traditional healing align with broader Asian wellness philosophies. However, because Indonesia does not systematically write, research, publish, or promote these traditions, they remain invisible in global databases.
Recognizing this gap, Dr. Andry collaborates with various organizations, including geopark networks and wellness practitioners, to introduce Indonesia’s natural and cultural healing assets to the world.
He emphasizes that developing wellness tourism requires more than just medical expertise—it must begin with:
Nature-based assets,
Cultural heritage,
Conservation strategies,
Sustainable tourism frameworks,
And historical healing traditions.
These elements form the true foundation of a long-term, globally competitive wellness tourism ecosystem.
Dalam sesi ini, dr. Andry Dahlan menjelaskan posisi wellness tourism dalam konteks global, menggunakan data dari Global Wellness Tourism Institute (GWTI) tahun 2019 yang merangkum aktivitas tahun 2018—periode sebelum pandemi. Data ini menunjukkan bagaimana negara-negara lain mengembangkan wellness tourism secara serius, sementara Indonesia belum masuk dalam pemetaan global tersebut.
Ketika data tersebut dipresentasikan oleh perwakilan Global Wellness Tourism Institute, terlihat bahwa Indonesia tidak muncul dalam daftar negara dengan layanan wellness tourism unggulan. Hal ini mengejutkan sekaligus menyedihkan, mengingat Indonesia memiliki kekayaan alam, budaya, dan potensi besar untuk mengembangkan berbagai bentuk wellness tourism.
Dalam paparan GWTI, beberapa bentuk wellness tourism yang menonjol di berbagai negara antara lain:
Mountain Retreat – berkembang di Colorado, Amerika Serikat.
Urban Health Hotel & Spa – banyak tumbuh di wilayah metropolitan Amerika.
Weight Loss & Detox Retreat – sangat populer di California.
Beach & Deep-Sea Resort Spa – berkembang pesat di Meksiko.
Cruise-Based Wellness Programs – kapal pesiar di Karibia menyediakan paket wellness lengkap.
Thermal Resorts – banyak ditemukan di Argentina dan Tiongkok, memanfaatkan sumber air panas dan terapi mineral.
Jenis-jenis layanan ini menunjukkan bagaimana negara lain memanfaatkan kekayaan geografis dan budaya mereka untuk menciptakan pengalaman wellness tingkat dunia.
Dr. Andry menekankan bahwa Indonesia sebenarnya memiliki potensi geothermal dan natural healing yang sangat besar. Dalam lima tahun terakhir, timnya telah mendatangi 27 gunung berapi dan mengambil sampel geothermal therapy—yang mengandung berbagai mineral kesehatan—namun belum dikembangkan secara optimal dan belum dipublikasikan secara ilmiah. Akibatnya, Indonesia tidak masuk dalam sistem data wellness tourism global.
Data GWTI juga menyinggung isu lain: hubungan antara climate change, konservasi, dan pariwisata kesehatan. Beberapa negara, terutama di Eropa, telah mengantisipasi dampak perubahan iklim dengan membangun sistem geopark yang sangat luas—bahkan mencapai lebih dari 300 geopark yang terkelola dengan baik.
Sementara Indonesia, hingga saat ini, baru memiliki sekitar lima geopark yang terdaftar. Padahal potensi geografis Indonesia sangat besar, tidak hanya dari sisi alam dan konservasi, tetapi juga dari sisi:
habitat dan budaya lokal,
warisan geosains,
tradisi penyembuhan, dan
ritual wellness yang memiliki akar sejarah panjang.
Dr. Andry menjelaskan bahwa banyak konsep wellness dunia—misalnya meditasi, yoga, Ayurveda—memiliki akar sejarah panjang yang sebenarnya paralel dengan tradisi Nusantara. Bahkan beberapa teknik healing di Bali dan daerah lain menunjukkan kesinambungan dengan tradisi kuno tersebut.
Namun karena Indonesia kurang menulis, meneliti, dan mempublikasikan kekayaan wellness-nya sendiri, banyak warisan budaya tersebut tidak masuk dalam basis data global maupun dalam narasi sejarah wellness dunia.
Karena itulah dr. Andry mengambil peran aktif dalam kolaborasi lintas sektor, termasuk dengan pihak-pihak seperti UNESCO Global Geopark Network dan mitra internasional lainnya. Baginya, mengembangkan wellness tourism tidak cukup hanya dari sisi medis, tetapi harus dimulai dari fondasi pariwisata itu sendiri: alam, budaya, konservasi, dan sejarah penyembuhan tradisional.
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