Global spa management company Resense has partnered with EarthCheck, a scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for travel and tourism.

The move was made in response to the shift from experiential to transformative travel, and the strategic partnership will mean the companies can deliver a range of advisory services for sustainable spa and wellness resort operation and development.

Kasha Shillington, CEO of Resense, said the partnership was the culmination of a journey that started over four years ago.

“EarthCheck have been engaging the visitor economy for the past 30 years and we recognise that by combining our expertise, we can further enhance our wellness initiatives to ensure the spas we create and support are not only commercially sustainable, but are sustainable for the environment too,” she explained.

One of the first projects is the enhancement of EarthCheck’s wellness benchmarking methodology and a review of the current sector specific indicators within the EarthCheck Certified programme.

Resense will provide EarthCheck with operational data from Resense’s spas to test new indicators and develop the associated baseline and best practice benchmarks specific to sector and geographic location. In addition, Resense will form part of the EarthCheck Research Institute’s peer review process.

Stewart Moore, CEO and founder of EarthCheck and executive director of the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism, said the partnership was an exciting opportunity to continue the organisation’s work in the fast-growing wellness sector and support Resense’s vision of sustainable wellness development.

“We believe Resense is the global leader in the wellness industry,” said Moore. “They specialise in creating tailored, personalised experiences for guests through their expert consulting in all disciplines including concept, design, sustainability, pre-opening, training, marketing, business planning, and ongoing management support. This partnership provides opportunities to work with leading spas and wellness destinations globally to help lower environmental impact and operational costs while supporting local communities.”