The Global Wellness Institute first defined wellness tourism in 2013 as “travel associated with the pursuit of enhancing or maintaining one’s personal well-being”. Today, the global wellness tourism market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2027 – that’s a 63 per cent jump from 2020 – with Africa’s wellness tourism market expected to grow to over $114 billion by 2027. What this and other research show is that travellers agree that it’s worth spending on travel that has mental and physical benefits. These are some of the wellness tourism trends that are impacting how the hospitality and wellness industries are refining their offerings.
Customised Health Journeys
According to a 2024 McKinsey report Updating Perceptions About Today’s Luxury Traveller, luxury consumers expect a much more holistic array of offerings, from fitness classes and health-focused menus to on-site antiaging doctors and mindfulness programming. They also want to learn about the health and wellness practices that are specific to the places they’re visiting. Many health and wellness operators now offer comprehensive diagnostic assessments alongside traditional wellness activities, providing travellers with deep insights into their health status, allowing them to make informed lifestyle choices and seamlessly blending medical expertise with luxury hospitality. A new crop of wellness hotels is emerging to meet these needs.
In Hawaii, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is entirely focused on transformative wellness, offering multiday retreats, custom itineraries, medical treatments, an 18 000-square-foot wellness spa, and a 10 000-square-foot fitness space.
Recovery Retreats
The rise of recovery as a trend reflects this growing emphasis on wellness and self-care. This includes practices like photobiomodulation (red light sauna), hyperbaric chambers, and redlight therapy, which enhance cell recovery and overall well-being. Recovery retreats that integrate yoga, breathwork, meditation, and more intensive therapy sessions are in high demand, along with grief recovery wellness, focusing on activities like surfing, mindfulness, grief-relieving massages and chakra realignment. Technology now plays a significant role in this trend, with wearable devices and apps that monitor stress levels, sleep quality, and physical activity to help optimise your downtime.
Luxury Fitness
This has never been more personalised than it is now. Nils Behrens, CMO of the high-end health resort-cum-clinic Lanserhof group, says: “Wellness is not one-size-fits-all. Guests are looking for bespoke solutions that deliver genuine, sustainable results.” This includes things like customised relaxation techniques. At the new wellness-focused Siro One Za’Abeel hotel, which opened in Dubai earlier this year, each guest undergoes a 3D body scan on arrival before embarking on a tailor-made programme.
Sleep Retreats
The continual quest for more and better sleep remains high on the agenda in 2024, with sleep tourism showing no signs of abating. The Hilton hotel group reports that the number one priority for their travellers in 2024 is to ‘rest and recharge’ and according to Skyscanner, more than a third of travellers polled hold sleep as a top priority while on holiday. Dedicated to improving sleep hygiene, these retreats use sound, light, and infrared therapies, alongside AI smart beds. At the same Siro One Za’Abeel mentioned earlier the bedrooms are equipped with a thermal regulation mattress, Swedish ladder, recovery cabinet and sleep optimising technology, while at the Equinox Hotel in New York, guests can book in for a twonight The Art + Science of Sleep package, which includes a session on the hotel’s Spa Wave Table, which uses sound and harmonic therapy to provide the equivalent rest of three hours’ sleep in 30 minutes.
Biohacking
Biohacking, or bio-harmonising as some prefer to call it, is basically do-it-yourself methods and techniques to optimise health, improve performance and complete wellbeing. Intermittent fasting, which has been around for years, is in itself biohacking. But now with advanced technology, there are more opportunities available for those who want to go beyond traditional medicine to alleviate health concerns, boost human capabilities or reverse ageing.
The Six Senses Ibiza resort group, which has been on the biohacking journey since 2015, encourages guests to ‘hack your holiday’ with IV infusions, photobiomodulation and cryotherapy, supported by diagnostic screening tests and sleep tracking. Anyone for a poolside vitamin IV drip alongside your mojito?
Menopause Retreats
Women worldwide are engaging in menopause retreats to share experiences and gain support for symptoms like brain fog, mood changes, joint pain and night sweats. These retreats offer practical information, workshops, and wellbeing experiences. At Ananda in the Himalayas, the 14-day “rebalance” programme includes customised meal plans, exercise regimens and hormone testing, at $1 000 a night.
Sexual Wellness
Boosting sexual well-being is key to overall health. Wellness retreats are now incorporating programmes focused on exploring intimacy and desire, with tantra sessions, intimacy workshops, and sexual health units offering a range of therapies and diagnostic services. Despite the growth in wellness offerings, stress and anxiety levels remain high. Although the evolving landscape of wellness travel presents numerous opportunities, ultimately wellness is unique to each person. The question is knowing the demands of the wellness traveller and innovating within traditional categories to maintain appeal.
