Trends come and go all the time in travel. How do you know what’s real? One way is to follow the money—does $1.4 trillion sound real enough?
That’s what the worldwide wellness tourism market is expected to be valued at by 2027, according to Statista. First measured by the Global Wellness Institute in 2012, the market then was $439 billion. After a brief stall during the COVID-19 pandemic, the market was on the rise again at $830 billion in 2023.
The market’s growth has been spurred by the fact that what wellness tourism means also is expanding. While it still is what you would expect—spa retreats, yoga classes, quiet places to meditate, etc.—it has become even more in the digital age. People who spend most of their day looking at one screen or another are looking to disconnect, get out in nature, or generally just devote some time to restoring their mental health. (It’s important to draw a distinction between medical tourism and wellness tourism. While wellness tourism is intended to improve one’s health, that is distinct from medical tourism, which is traveling for the purpose of receiving a specific treatment for a disease or condition.)
So, what kinds of destinations can you expect tourgoers to look for? The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) focuses its definition on geographic regions; any place “that fosters and promotes wellness as an integral part of life within the community and economics of the region.” Diving deeper, the WTA has laid out 10 assets and attributes of these regions, including such criteria as “a safe/secure environment in both perception and reality,” “natural assets such as hot springs/mountains/bodies of water/forests,” etc.; and an “availability of a range of fitness-based activities and tours.”
These principles can be incorporated into any itinerary. Seek out accommodations that offer fitness activities or spaces to be active. Try to combine nature and wellness with a visit to hot springs or other natural bodies of water. Travelers also appreciate authenticity in their destinations, so search for “hidden gems” that offer a little more peace and space for introspection as opposed to the hottest tourist destinations.
One of the prevailing travel trends over the past decade or so has been a shift toward experiential travel, placing a priority on things travelers can experience rather than just see. But, according to a report from travel industry researcher Skift, there has been a further shift from experiential travel to “transformative” travel. “Many wellness seekers have moved on and are traveling with the intention of seeking experiences with deeper emotional resonance and meaning,” reads the report. “To meet this growing demand, leaders in wellness tourism are looking to move beyond experience to transformation.”
In transformative travel, people are hoping to go on some kind of journey that changes their outlook or resets their mind so they can be better when they return. The Transformational Travel Council defines it as “intentionally traveling to stretch, learn, and grow into new ways of being and engaging with the world.” The intentionality of the journey is key. Any experience can unexpectedly turn out to be transformative—but it is the seeking out of the transformation that defines this travel trend.
With the definition of wellness tourism broadening beyond just a day at the spa, it’s a great time to be creative and think about what wellness can really mean. People travel because they are looking to have an experience that is outside the norm of their daily life. And that can mean having the opportunity to truly connect with others. The typical workday doesn’t leave much time for connection, and connection is absolutely tied to healing and wellness.
“People are realizing the power of human connection when it comes to wellness travel,” says Katherine Droga, founder of the Wellness Tourism Summit, in the Skift report. “They’re drawn to the idea of the community and what it offers in terms of connecting with other travelers.” Group tours inherently foster connection by traveling together, but you can take it a step further. Inquire about opportunities for active tourism or “voluntourism,” where your group can take on an act of service as part of their trip. This is where wellness can become a two-way street: You do something healthy for your destination, and that is something you can feel good about. Voluntourism on its own is a $1.5 billion industry, according to National Geographic.
For tour planners, one broad takeaway from this is that just about any destination has something to offer for wellness travelers. You don’t have to build an itinerary solely around organic, farm-to-table restaurants and health spas. Seek out self-guided nature hikes for some quiet time of reflection. Plan an outing to plant trees or assist in a park clean-up. Maybe even devote an entire day to wellness alongside an otherwise busy itinerary. Wellness tourism today isn’t any one thing. With the right intention, it can be anything to bring just a bit more peace to the lives of your tourgoers.
By Todd Kortemeier
Main Image Credit: Adobe/Luciano
