Finalists for Spafinder Wellness 365’s 2016 Wellness Travel Awards have been announced, with South and Central America, Africa and Asia showing strong gains in the number of properties recognized by a global panel of 39 editors and experts, which included Spa Business editor in chief Liz Terry and Spa Business editor Katie Barnes.

The South and Central American region had the largest percentile increase in the number of finalists (117% growth over 2015), followed by North America (70%) and Africa (60%).

The nations with the highest number of finalists are the US, Indonesia, the UK, Thailand and India.

North America and Asia represent the wellness travel powerhouses, the former with 126 unique finalists, the latter a close second with 123. A complete list of finalists can be viewed at WellnessTravelAwards.com.

Consumers begin voting for winners in 20 categories today and through September 16 at WellnessTravelAwards.com.

The winners will be selected based on a combination of expert panelists’ nominations and property scores, along with consumer votes, and the winning properties will be announced on November 9 at World Travel Market London.

In addition to 10 winners in 20 special categories, Crystal Awards will be presented to the top property on six continents, while Country Awards will be bestowed on the top property in a wide range of countries and regions around the world.

The number of properties recognised as finalists by panelists grew from 293 in 2015 to 388 in 2016 – a 32% jump – reflecting the widespread growth in the number of hotels, resorts, spas and retreats offering experiences and programmes to a growing number of consumers seeking healthy vacations and travel.

WTA Finalists were also named in 11 new countries, including Greece, Tasmania, Belize, Guatemala, Uruguay and Peru. Along with mainstays like the US and UK, countries with the largest increase in finalists over 2015 include Sri Lanka (600% growth), Argentina (250%), South Africa (233%), Japan (133%), Malaysia (125%), Indonesia (82%), Mexico (60%) and China (50%).

“It’s gratifying to see how quickly countries of all sizes around the globe have embraced wellness travel and are now offering travelers unique, world-class wellness experiences,” said Spafinder Wellness COO John Bevan. “It’s also important to remember that while the term ‘wellness travel’ was introduced approximately five years ago, it is now considered the fastest-growing tourism sector. And with thousands of such diverse properties to choose from, we believe the Wellness Travel Awards are an exceptional resource for people seeking a wide world of destinations that restore and improve their wellbeing."

This year, Spafinder Wellness 365 introduced two new categories, “Hidden Gems,” which honors extraordinary properties that may not be widely known, and “Ahead of the Curve,” recognising hotels, resorts and spas with the most innovative and creative wellness programs.