What is billed as East Africa's first yoga festival is scheduled to take place next year at Lamu, one of the oldest towns in Kenya and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The four-day Lamu Yoga Festival - LYFe - will be held between 13-16 March, 2014 and is designed to be a blend of both yoga and meditation. Attendees will be joined by a team of renowned international yoga practitioners and be able to practise the art at a range of venues across Lamu Island.

The event is seen as further evidence of Lamu Island's emergence as a wellness tourism destination. Monica Fauth, festival organiser, said: "This unique festival blends yoga and meditation with the general characteristics of the island. It is immersed in its people, its culture, its tradition and its natural beauty."

She added in a statement that the increasing interest in healthy lifestyles, along with a desire for a travel 'experience', is contributing to the growth of the wellness tourism sector. "Todays discerning travellers and consumers are using vacations to jump-start a health regimen, detox from a digital word, and learn healthier behaviours".

This is a view apparently borne out by data in a recent US report indicating that the great majority of consumers see a vacation as an opportunity to improve health, happiness and productivity.

The full programme for the Lamu Yoga Festival and a list of teachers and venues will be announced by mid-December, with the organisers currently seeking both sponsors for the event and volunteers to work behind the scenes.