How Wellness is Changing How We Travel

Wellness is changing how we travel and rapidly becoming the main reason many people, especially women, take a vacation. This trend has been well documented and we think this trend will continue.

A new survey from Virtuosso revealed that the typical wellness traveler is a Generation-X woman who most frequently goes on trips with a small group of friends or solo. With today’s increasingly hectic lifestyles due to work, family and other obligations, travelers are looking to wellness trips to provide a relaxing escape that restores balance and transforms mind, spirit and body. They are also seeking skills while away to help maintain that calm and support their mental, spiritual and physical health once they return home.

There is a desire to make a vacation relaxing, enjoyable and in fact healthy.

Asian destinations emerged strongly as favorite wellness settings. Although the U.S. tops the list of wellness travel destinations, Bali and Thailand follow close behind. Two other Asian locales, Bhutan and Vietnam, appear high on the roster of wellness destinations on the rise. The prevalence of meditation, yoga, spirituality, fresh cuisine, spa treatments and outdoor activities makes Asia compelling for travelers focusing on wellbeing.

Virtuoso specialists report that wellness travel sales are pacing solidly for 2020. Fifty-three percent say sales will be steady from 2019, while 45 percent say they expect sales to increase. The future is even more positive: a powerful 98 percent say the trend will continue to build.

Top Wellness Travel Motivations

  1. Stress and anxiety reduction
  2. Rest and relaxation
  3. Body/mind/spirit transformation
  4. Getting away from it all
  5. Spiritual renewal

Top Wellness Travel Activities

  1. Meditation and mindfulness
  2. Spa treatments such as massages
  3. Yoga
  4. Healthy eating
  5. Outdoor adventures

Top Wellness Travel Destinations

  1. United States
  2. Bali
  3. Thailand
  4. Costa Rica
  5. Italy

Top Emerging Wellness Travel Trends

  1. Hotels with wellness amenities
  2. Spiritual retreats
  3. Mental wellness
  4. Travel with a purpose
  5. Developing skill in a wellness activity

Top Wellness Travel Destinations on the Rise

  1. Bhutan
  2. Croatia
  3. Vietnam
  4. Portugal
  5. South Africa

Right now wellness is changing how we travel and we don’t see that changing for the foreseeable future.. at least not as long as work and life stays hectic, stressful and hard to balance.

Published by Editorial Team

The Asia Rising Editorial Team is made up of a multinational team of writers, content experts and journalists from around the world operating out of our Bureaus in New York, Bangkok, Toronto and while on assignment across Asia.