Travel trends come and go, but the whirling wormhole of social media is stirring with content on an increasingly popular trend: wellness tourism.
Users on apps like Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube have grown increasingly obsessed with “self-care.” And nowadays you can find thousands of videos across the web telling you exactly what supplements to take, how to workout, what to eat, what skincare to use, and how to live your most “healthy” life. Realistically it can be overwhelming to try and balance all the unsolicited influencer advice and noise with what your body and mind really need.
Some wellness trends are just that, noise. It’s time to log off social media and download some real peace and quiet. Wellness travel is indeed the up and coming travel trend. Now more than ever in an overwhelming information age travelers need some well-deserved rest and recovery.
Wellness travel can be anything from a yoga retreat to a tantra sex class, or a life-extending biohacking getaway. Regardless of which adventure you choose, according to Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is slated to bring in $1.3 trillion in revenue in 2025.
The institute clarifies there are two types of wellness travel considered here. “Primary wellness travel” in which the trip itself, the destination and the activities throughout the trip are motivated by wellness, and “secondary wellness travel” which involves wellness activities throughout a trip in which the primary goal is not solely wellness. A majority of wellness travel is secondary with 92% of wellness tourism falling under this designation.
A pillar of the wellness travel experience is the famed “retreat.” Whether you’re attending a wellness music festival with breathwork workshops and morning yoga, visiting a luxury spa and hotel for the ultimate relaxation getaway, or enjoying a meditative glamping experience in the woods, there are retreats for basically everything.
Justin Francis, co-founder and CEO of Responsible Travel told National Geographic that what constitutes wellness is subjective. “I’d say a painting holiday in the Scottish Highlands or a wild camping experience can be as much about wellness as a vegan Pilates retreat. Wellness holidays simply allow you to rest and revive in your own way, mentally and physically.”
Some wellness excursions are more involved than others, demanding physical and mental resilience. Others, like long hikes through the Alps or religious walking pilgrimages lend themselves to general wellness.
Paul Joseph, founder of wellness tourism organization Health and Fitness Travel, told NatGeo, “Far from the ‘fly and flop’ wellness holidays of old, we’re able to send customers on a hand-picked retreat that includes a tailored wellness program, from personalized nutrition and exercise plans to one-on-one coaching and holistic healing therapies. Following the pandemic, and in spite of the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve seen a marked increase in bookings.”
Wellness travel is a choose your own endeavor and begs the question: what does wellness mean to you?
