What is Wellness Travel?

It’s any holiday, trip or getaway that you take with the intention of maintaining or enhancing your personal wellbeing. It might be a fully immersive wellness retreat in Byron where you’ll be nourished, pampered and massaged for a week, or it could be that incredible guided mountain bike experience in a Tasmanian rainforest, or maybe a treatment at that gorgeous day spa on the Sunshine Coast.

Wellness Tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism segments globally, and after the last few years, it’s no surprise that many people are now focusing more on their own health and wellbeing – both at home and while they are away. 

Katherine Droga, Chair of the Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) Wellness Tourism Initiative, explains that “the pandemic has been a game changer for so many of us now prioritising our own wellbeing. This could be a focus on your physical, mental, spiritual or social wellbeing or a mix of all four! We find travel provides the perfect way to support this internal journey. We’ve seen the demand for wellness travel experiences flourish with expected growth of 17% each year for the next two years. Our recent deep dive into wellbeing globally really highlighted the need for these experiences.”

The GWI’s Wellness Tourism Initiative recently released results from their 2023 Wellbeing Check-in Survey, and with responses from all over the world, it really does provide some valuable insights into how people are feeling about their own wellbeing, the impact of recent global challenges, and what they look for when planning a wellness holiday. Here are some highlights. 

Wellbeing Scores

So, how are we feeling? Survey respondents were invited to reflect on and score their overall wellbeing, and the result was an average score of only 6.5/10, reflecting the current challenges of day-to-day life for many people. To dive deeper, the survey also asked about five specific components of wellbeing – the highest rated was Spiritual wellbeing (6.5) and it was closely followed by Mental wellbeing (6.4). The overall scores for Physical, Social, and Financial wellbeing were lower at 6.3, 6.2 and 6.0 respectively.

So, this all means that there is a lot of room for improvement, and taking time out to look after ourselves is so important for all aspects of our lives. 

Other interesting insights were that the average overall wellbeing score was lower for women (6.4) compared to men (7.0), and that women generally scored their individual wellbeing components lower than men, with the biggest differences being Physical (6.9 vs 6.2) and Mental wellbeing (6.9 vs 6.3).

Impact of recent challenges

When asked to reflect on the impact of the recent pandemic, more than 60% of respondents agreed that they are now more focused on their personal wellbeing, which is such a good news story! We loved reading that most people reported that they had developed new positive wellbeing habits that included spending more time connecting with loved ones (37%), more physical movement (33%), and mindfulness and meditation practices (31%).

Travelling for wellness

After the turmoil of the last few years, around 60% of people said they intend to travel more for wellness, and that they had recently taken a break of 3 days or more (but for some it was more than a year ago!). 

Financial circumstances and work commitments were the most common reasons that prevented many people from taking more breaks, but it was heart-warming to hear that during their recent getaway, more than two-thirds of people had intentionally engaged in something to support their wellbeing. This included active nature experiences such as hiking, skiing and swimming, mindful practices like journalling, forest bathing and meditation, being pampered at day spas, and spending time connecting with loved ones.

Are we planning to take a break to support our wellbeing in the near future? The answer is a resounding yes.

When asked about their travel plans in the next 12 months, 45% of people said they intend to take a fully immersive wellness holiday (for example, a stay at a specific wellness retreat, or joining a multi-day guided hike), and 75% intend to take a holiday or vacation that includes at least one wellness experience. 

And why do people want to get away for wellness? The main reasons are to destress and relax (50%), to adjust or reboot their overall health and well-being focus (38%), and to support their mental wellbeing (36%).

Sought after wellness experiences

When considering the types of wellness travel experiences that are most appealing right now, the survey results show that many people are seeking active nature-based experiences (55%) to support their wellbeing. Whether that be a challenging coastal hike, rafting down a river, or paddleboarding with your pals, spending time in nature is therapeutic and allows us to disconnect from the worries of the world and emerge recharged. 

Other popular experiences were relaxing day spa treatments (52%), those that offer mindfulness and meditation (39%), local cultural experiences (35%), holistic wellness therapies (32%) and the chance to practice yoga and pilates (29%).

Conscious travellers

It seems that wellness travellers are very conscious travellers, having a desire to tread lightly on the planet during their trip. When asked how important sustainability or regenerative credentials are to them when selecting a wellness travel accommodation venue or experience, 55% scored this as an 8 or higher out of 10. 

Well-used wellness apps

From meditation rituals to yoga classes, sleep checkers and menu planners, there is an abundance of health and wellbeing apps on the market. Almost two-thirds of survey respondents said they were using at least one, with 42% accessing the app daily. The most popular apps were those related to mindfulness practices like meditation and breathwork.

Survey Respondents

The survey was shared right across the world, and it was mostly completed by females (84%), people aged 35-54 years (59%), and those living with a partner (65%). More than 50 countries were represented, with many responses from Australia, USA, New Zealand, UK, Europe and Asia.

The turmoil of the last few years and the current challenges of daily life certainly impact the wellbeing of people right across the globe. It is, however, heartening to see that people really are thinking about strategies to support their health and wellbeing, and are putting them into action – at home and while on holiday.

We know that travel can be transformational on many levels, and the pages of Well Traveller are filled with inspiration for your next trip. You can search by the type of experience, by how you want to feel, or by destination. There’s also an abundance of blogs where we share our favourite wellness offerings including Australia’s best multi-day guided walks, Secret Spa spots around Sydney, and Five of the best places to bathe in the forest.

So, dive in and find your well place.

For more information about the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) and its Wellness Tourism Initiative, see the website Global Wellness Institute.