Wellness tourism

In 2021, the global wellness tourism industry was valued at $850.55 billion and is expected to grow to $2.1 trillion by 2030.{{Cite web |title=Wellness Tourism Market Size to Hit US$ 1,672.6 Bn by 2030 |url=https://www.precedenceresearch.com/wellness-tourism-market |access-date=2023-04-24 |publisher=www.precedenceresearch.com}}

The market primarily includes services like lodging, transportation, activities, and food and drink.{{Cite web |title=Wellness Tourism Market Size to Hit US$ 1,672.6 Bn by 2030 |url=https://www.precedenceresearch.com/wellness-tourism-market |access-date=2023-04-24 |publisher=www.precedenceresearch.com}} The lodging segment dominates these sectors as it accounted for about 23% of the revenue in 2022. Visiting a spa has become more prevalent among tourists and mass luxury brands such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Aman Resorts, Oberoi Group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company have rapidly incorporated house-brand spas into the leisure experience. Hotels may also gratify wellness tourists by housing third party spa operators, such as Clarins.{{Cite book|title= Hotel Design, Planning and Development | author1=Richard H. Penner | author2= Lawrence Adams | author3= Walter Rutes |publisher= Taylor & Francis |year=2013 |isbn=9781135140892 | pages=141}}

North America is the biggest market of wellness tourism across the globe with a revenue share of about 40 percent as of 2022.{{Cite web |title=Wellness Tourism Market Size & Trends Analysis Report, 2030 |url=https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wellness-tourism-market |access-date=2023-04-24 |publisher=Grand View Research |language=en}} International tourism has the highest projected growth in the global industry with Europe as the second largest and the Asia Pacific as third. Extreme growth is expected from Asia, the Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries that can offer unique ‘wellness’ experiences at much lower costs. Within the US $3.4 trillion spa and wellness economy, wellness tourism is estimated to total US$494 billion or 14.6 percent of all 2013 domestic and international tourism expenditures.{{cite web |url=http://www.globalspaandwellnesssummit.org/images/stories/gsws2014/pdf/GWI_Wellness_Economy_Monitor_Report_9.27.14.pdf.pagespeed.ce.ecLPzZXeYm.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130075306/http://www.globalspaandwellnesssummit.org/images/stories/gsws2014/pdf/GWI_Wellness_Economy_Monitor_Report_9.27.14.pdf.pagespeed.ce.ecLPzZXeYm.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 January 2021 |title=The Global Spa & Wellness Economy Monitor |publisher=Global Spa & Wellness Summit |access-date=2014-09-27}}

Wellness tourists are generally high-yield tourists, spending, on average, 130 percent more than the average tourist.{{cite web|url=http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/12455/Brands-focus-on-health-and-wellness-in-design |title=Brands focus on health and wellness in design |publisher=Hotel News Now |first1=Alicia |last1=Hoisington |date=2013-10-15 |access-date=2013-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203232748/http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/12455/Brands-focus-on-health-and-wellness-in-design |archive-date= Dec 3, 2013 }} In 2020, international wellness tourists spent 35% more than the average international tourist; domestic wellness tourists spend about 177% more than the average domestic tourist.{{cite web |url=http://www.absoluteworld.com/2014/10/global-spa-wellness-industry-estimated-at-3-4-trillion/ |date=October 7, 2014 |title=Global Spa, wellness industry estimated at $3.4trillion |publisher=Absolute World |access-date=2014-10-07 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128042138/http://www.absoluteworld.com/2014/10/global-spa-wellness-industry-estimated-at-3-4-trillion/ |url-status=dead }} Domestic wellness tourism is significantly larger than its international equivalent, representing 84 percent of wellness travel and 68 percent of expenditures (or $299 billion). International wellness tourism represents 16 percent of wellness travel and 32 percent of expenditures ($139 billion market).{{cite web|last=Gould |first=Lark |url=http://www.traveldailynews.asia/columns/article/49757/new-study-reveals-wellness-tourism |date=11 October 2013 |title=New study reveals wellness tourism a $439 billion market, representing 1 in 7 tourism dollars |publisher=Travel Daily News - Asia-Pacific |access-date=2013-10-11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024135000/http://www.traveldailynews.asia/columns/article/49757/new-study-reveals-wellness-tourism |archive-date=Oct 24, 2014 }} Wellness tourists are generally wealthier and more willing to spend greater amounts of money on these types of experiences and services.{{Cite web |last=Mcgroarty |first=Beth |date=2022-01-11 |title=New Data on Wellness Tourism: Projected to Hit $817 Billion This Year |url=https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/global-wellness-institute-blog/2022/01/11/industry-research-new-data-on-wellness-tourism-projected-to-hit-817-billion-this-year-1-3-trillion-in-2025/ |access-date=2023-04-24 | publisher=Global Wellness Institute |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426141036/https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/global-wellness-institute-blog/2022/01/11/industry-research-new-data-on-wellness-tourism-projected-to-hit-817-billion-this-year-1-3-trillion-in-2025/ |archive-date= Apr 26, 2023 }}

The wellness tourism market includes primary and secondary wellness tourists. Primary wellness tourists travel entirely for wellness purposes while secondary wellness tourists engage in wellness-related activities as part of a trip. Secondary wellness tourists constitute the significant majority (92%) of total wellness tourism trips and expenditures (85 percent).

Wellness travelers may seek procedures or treatments using conventional, alternative, complementary, herbal, or homeopathic medicine.{{Cite web |title=Health and Wellness Tourism Today |url=https://www.magazine.medicaltourism.com/article/health-and-wellness-tourism-today |access-date=2023-04-30 |publisher=Medical Tourism Magazine }} Advertisers may use the term wellness to promote a wide range of miscellaneous products and services. Players in wellness tourism may target healthy tourists who want to maintain and promote their health, or cure guests who want to recover from illness and seek healing of bodily ailments. Wellness tourism suffers from skepticism about the quality and effectiveness of the treatments and pursuits on offer.{{Cite book|title= The Long Tail of Tourism: Holiday Niches and Their Impact on Mainstream Tourism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f7i122GaFVEC&pg=PA184 | editor1= Alexis Papathanassis |publisher= Gabler Verlag |year=2017 |isbn=9783834962317 | pages=185}}

Individual wellness practitioners and programs provide diverse services such as beauty treatments, exercise opportunities, including physical fitness and sports, healthy diet and weight management, health-related education, and relaxation and stress relief methods in luxurious, privately rent resort centers, small hotels or sections of larger hotels themed for the purpose all over the world.{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Emma |date=2020-01-22 |title=A Short Guide to Luxury Wellness Cruises |url=https://elitetraveler.com/travel/luxury-cruises/guide-to-luxury-wellness-cruises |access-date=2023-04-30 |publisher=Elite Traveler |language=en-US}}

File:पुनहिलमा योग गर्दै पर्यटकहरु.jpg, Nepal|230x230px]]

Wellness travelers pursue these diverse services as a form of stress control. Popular relaxation methods used to control stress include spiritual tourism, including meditation and yoga, whether classical or as exercise; Spiritual tourism is a growing practice that has evolved from a religious pilgrimage into traveling to a sacred spot in hopes of finding a special feeling.{{Cite web |last=Elliott |first=Christopher |title=Looking for a more meaningful family vacation? Try spiritual tourism |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2018/09/15/religious-spiritual-tourism/1306962002/ |access-date=2023-04-30 |publisher=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

Cruise ships offering wellness programs including the use of on-board spas.{{Cite web |title=Spa Industry |url=https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/spa-industry/ |access-date=2023-04-30 |publisher=Global Wellness Institute |language=en-US}} Day spas and destination spas offer short-term, residential programs to address specific health concerns, reduce stress, or support lifestyle improvement.

File:Krinidesmudbaths.jpg mud baths in Macedonia, Greece]]

Wellness tourism is now an identifiable niche market in at least 30 countries.{{cite web|url=http://www.patientsbeyondborders.com/blog/wellness-and-wellness-tourism-more-lifestyle-choice |first1= Josef |last1=Woodman |title=Wellness and Wellness Tourism: More Than a Lifestyle Choice |publisher=Patients Beyond Borders |date=2013-08-17 |access-date=2013-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012106/http://www.patientsbeyondborders.com/blog/wellness-and-wellness-tourism-more-lifestyle-choice |archive-date= Dec 3, 2013 }} Twenty countries accounted for 85 percent of global wellness tourism expenditures in 2012. The top five countries alone (United States, Germany, Japan, France, Austria) account for more than half the market (59 percent of expenditures).

File:Jefferson Pools Gentlemen.JPG, Warm Springs, Virginia, built 1761 it is the oldest spa building in the United States]]

As of 2014, the US is the largest wellness tourism market, with $180.7 billion in annual, combined international and domestic expenditures. The US is the top destination for inbound international wellness tourism, with 7.1 million international, inbound trips. Europe and high-income Asian countries are primary sources of wellness tourists traveling to the US.{{cite web|url=http://www.sri.com/newsroom/press-releases/growing-global-wellness-tourism-sector#sthash.Mk5IKqdA.dpu |date=November 7, 2013 |title=Unhealthy Travel Habits Give Way to Growing Global Wellness Tourism Sector, Reports Global Spa & Wellness Summit |publisher=SRI International |access-date=2013-11-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220205243/http://www.sri.com/newsroom/press-releases/growing-global-wellness-tourism-sector#sthash.Mk5IKqdA.dpu |archive-date= Dec 20, 2013 }}

Domestic tourism accounts for the majority (94 percent) of wellness trips in North America. Americans and Canadians receive—and take—few vacation days compared to workers in other countries making domestic, weekend trips the most popular wellness travel option.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/27/america-is-the-only-rich-country-that-doesnt-guarantee-paid-vacation-or-holidays/ |first1=Ezra |last1=Klein |url-access=subscription |date=May 27, 2013 |title=America is the only rich country that doesn't guarantee paid vacation or holidays |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2013-12-01}}

Europe is the second largest wellness tourism market, with $158.4 billion in annual, combined international and domestic expenditures; the region ranks highest in number of wellness trips with 216.2 million, compared to North America's 171.7 in 2013. Europeans have long believed in health benefits derived from mineral baths, saunas, thalassotherapy, and other natural and water-based treatments. Thermal resorts and hotels in Turkey and Hungary cater to wellness tourists, many of whom are subsidized by host countries such as Norway and Denmark seeking to mitigate costs of medical procedures for patients with chronic conditions requiring expensive surgeries.{{cite web|url=http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Fund%20Report/2012/Nov/1645_Squires_intl_profiles_hlt_care_systems_2012.pdf |title=International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2012 |publisher=Commonwealth Fund |date=November 2012 |access-date=2013-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012320/http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Fund%20Report/2012/Nov/1645_Squires_intl_profiles_hlt_care_systems_2012.pdf |archive-date= Dec 3, 2013 }}

File:Mandarin_Oriental_Bangkok_Oriental_Spa.jpg]]

The Asia-Pacific region ranks as the third largest with $6.4 billion in annual, combined international and domestic expenditures. Ancient regional wellness traditions include Indian Ayurveda, Yoga, traditional Chinese medicine, Hilot, and Thai massage.

Latin America and the Caribbean is the fourth largest region for wellness tourism in terms of both the number of trips and expenditures. Domestic tourism accounts for approximately 71 percent of wellness tourism trips, and 54 percent of wellness tourism expenditures.

The Middle East and Africa currently represent the smallest regions for wellness tourism. The Middle East boasts a long tradition of bathing associated with Turkish baths, and some older facilities are being modernized to cater to spa-seeking tourists. Tourism is experiencing growth in the region, prompting governments and private developers to establish new facilities.

In Africa, wellness tourism is concentrated in a few regions such as South Africa and the Maghreb, and it is predominantly driven by international tourists.

Wellness tourism advocates suggest that vacations improve physical well-being, happiness, and productivity, citing that health-oriented trips give travelers a fresh perspective and positively affect creativity, resilience, problem solving, and capacity for coping with stress.{{cite web|last=Thompson |first=Derek |url-access=limited |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/08/the-case-for-vacation-why-science-says-breaks-are-good-for-productivity/260747/ |title=The Case for Vacation: Why Science Says Breaks Are Good for Productivity |date=6 August 2012 |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=2013-12-01}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/sunday/relax-youll-be-more-productive.html?_r=0|title=Relax! You'll Be More Productive |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2013-12-01|first=Tony|last=Schwartz|date=2013-02-09 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202030256/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/sunday/relax-youll-be-more-productive.html?_r=0 |archive-date= Dec 2, 2013 }} Yet it is difficult to quantify the health benefits since many of the wellness practices are unregulated, and the growing industry negatively impacts the destinations that travelers flock to.

One study found that sectors of the wellness industry including healthy eating, physical wellness, and mental resilience had little to no statistical relationship with indicating better health.{{Cite web |last=McGroarty |first=Beth |date=February 21, 2023 |title=New GWI Research: Surprising Relationship between Wellness Tourism and Spa Spending and Health Outcomes |url=https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/global-wellness-institute-blog/2023/02/21/new-gwi-research-surprising-relationship-between-wellness-tourism-and-spa-spending-and-health-outcomes/ |publisher=Global Wellness Institute |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230923134414/https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/global-wellness-institute-blog/2023/02/21/new-gwi-research-surprising-relationship-between-wellness-tourism-and-spa-spending-and-health-outcomes/ |archive-date= Sep 23, 2023 }} While these aspects of wellness are widely regarded to improve health outcomes, some believe that a higher level of spending in these areas does not actually improve health. In these sectors, the offerings of Wellness Tourism experiences do not have a tangible impact on the overall health of the consumer.

Many Wellness Tourism practices are unregulated, and due to the breadth of countries and organizations in the industry, it is difficult to maintain standards across experiences.{{Cite web |last=Gajewski |first=Misha |title=The Good, Bad, And Ugly Of The Billion Dollar Wellness Tourism Industry |date=7 September 2019 |url=https://insider.fitt.co/wellness-tourism-industry/#:~:text=And%20it%27s%20not%20just%20pollution,is%20fueling%20fears%20of%20deforestation |publisher=Fitt Insider |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003045505/https://insider.fitt.co/wellness-tourism-industry/#:~:text=And%20it%27s%20not%20just%20pollution,is%20fueling%20fears%20of%20deforestation |archive-date= Oct 3, 2023 }} Over 60% of retreats admitted to not engaging with regulations or certifications beside basic health and safety checks. In many instances, safety cannot be guaranteed during wellness practices. There are several instances where tourists on ayahuasca retreats have died while under the influence of unregulated drugs.{{Cite web |last=Parkin Daniels |first=Joe |date=31 Aug 2018 |title=Colombia's ayahuasca ceremonies in spotlight after tourist's drug death |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/31/colombia-ayahuasca-drug-trade-spotlight-after-britons-death#:~:text=The%20drug%20made%20headlines%20on,extreme%20changes%20in%20perceptual%20awareness |work=The Guardian |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617050001/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/31/colombia-ayahuasca-drug-trade-spotlight-after-britons-death#:~:text=The%20drug%20made%20headlines%20on,extreme%20changes%20in%20perceptual%20awareness |archive-date= Jun 17, 2023 }} There have also been instances of tourists dying in sweat lodges and incidents involving cults during meditation retreats. There is also little regulation when it comes to employee training, and many retreat employees are only trained internally by their superiors.{{Cite journal |last=Kelly |first=Catherine |date=2010-01-01 |title=Analysing Wellness Tourism Provision: A Retreat Operators' Study |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1447677000000693 |journal=Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management |language=en |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=108–116 |doi=10.1375/jhtm.17.1.108 |issn=1447-6770|url-access=subscription }} With the lack of regulations, it is difficult for consumers to determine which retreats are safe.

Another impact of tourism is the environmental impacts on the countries tourists flock to. As many wellness tourism destinations are developing countries, many of these countries are not equipped to handle the heavy influx of tourists surrounding the wellness industry. The draw of these locations is that they are remote: an escape from society. However, these remote locations lack the infrastructure to handle sewage, landfill, and enough natural resources to support tourists. In 2016, over 1,500 wellness retreat locations in India admitted to dumping sewage directly into rivers, and Tulum faced similar issues. Wellness tourism practices also destroy natural resources and habitats; with the rising fad of ayahuasca retreats, plants were depleted naturally and providers moved to farming them commercially, leading to deforestation to make room for fields.

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• Travel
• Tourism
• Medical tourism
• Sleep tourism
• Wellness
• Yoga tourism

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Category:Types of tourism