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Whole Foods enters travel business
There’s a new player in the travel industry, and it’s nothing if not a wholesome brand.
Whole Foods this week kicks off the first tour by its new travel subsidiary, Whole Journeys, a venture designed to show customers "what travel should taste like." And last month the health-food supermarket chain announced plans to open a health resort in or around its Austin headquarters.
"Think of it as a center where people would go for a day, a weekend or a week for healthy lifestyle education," Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey said of the hotel in an exclusive interview with USA Today.
Whole Journeys, meanwhile, is aimed at "food lovers and culture buffs." It is designed to show travelers where the food they eat comes from.
There are tours to the tea in China, the farms of Tuscany, the vineyards of Provence.
Most of the trips are to Europe and Asia, but trips in July and August will head to the Salmon River in Idaho, home to white water, hot springs, and, of course, fresh fish.
The trips are "ideal for groups of families or friends," said executive director Kathy Dragon. The August 7 trip is specifically designated for families.
The Idaho trips will be run in conjunction with O.A.R.S., a rafting company recognized for its environmental stewardship.
The Whole Foods hotel is still in the planning stage, part of a plan to upgrade the company’s Austin headquarters. Mackey said the company is negotiating for real estate and negotiating with hotel chains to operate the resort, which should open in about three years. If it’s a success, more Whole Foods Hotels would follow.
By Cheryl Rosen
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