The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) has announced that Jeremy Jauncey, founder and CEO of Beautiful Destinations, will keynote its 17th-annual event taking place in Doha, Qatar, from 6-9 November.

Jauncey, a British-born serial entrepreneur, travel writer and social media influencer with millions of followers on Instagram, is a prominent figure in the travel industry. The Financial Times has called him the “world’s most influential traveller” and Fast Company magazine voted Beautiful Destinations one of the most innovative companies in the world, with over 50 million followers on social media.

“Jeremy is not only one of the most influential individuals in international travel, but he’s also a leading advocate for sustainable travel and, specifically, wellness tourism,” said Cathy Feliciano-Chon, GWS 2023 co-chair and founder and managing director of CatchOn, a Finn Partners company.

“He brings a level of understanding of the trends and opportunities within this fast-growing segment and can share his unique perspective on MENA’s explosive growth in this sector.”

Jauncey is a frequent speaker at high-profile events, including the World Travel Market, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Global Summit and Skift Global Forum.

In addition, he’s a passionate advocate for sustainability and conservation and is an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund. He has been asked to speak at several United Nations events, including the UN General Assembly and the UN Climate Summit.

“Qatar is one of the fastest-growing hospitality markets in the world and is aiming to become one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, attracting 6 million visitors by 2030,” said Nancy Davis, GWS chief creative officer and executive director.

“Qatar’s wellness tourism ambitions make an incredible case study for Summit delegates and Jeremy is uniquely positioned to discuss the opportunities for wellness tourism in the MENA region.”

Globally, wellness tourism, which was valued at US$720bn (€659bn, £569bn) in 2019 and had a pandemic contraction to $436bn (€399bn, £345bn) in 2020, is expected to grow at a rate of 21 per cent annually, a number that is likely to be even higher for the MENA region.

The Summit’s 2023 host sponsor is Doha-based Msheireb Properties, considered one of Qatar's leading sustainable property developers.

The event itself will take place at Msheireb Downtown Doha. Summit delegates can also opt for a pre- or post-Summit visit to Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, a Msheireb Property development on the northern coast of Qatar that blends traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine with holistic health and wellbeing philosophy.

Registration for the 2023 Summit is now open.