The wellness tourism market growth story is now too large to dismiss as a passing trend. The sector was valued at USD 1.06 trillion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 1.72 trillion by 2034, according to IMARC Group, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 5.38 per cent across the forecast period. A separate analysis by DataIntelo puts the 2034 figure higher still, at USD 2.18 trillion, with a CAGR of 8.8 per cent. The two projections differ in their ceiling, but the direction is the same: sustained, accelerating expansion.
Henley Vazquez, co-founder of Fora, sees it in the bookings. She says she consistently records an uptick in wellness travel enquiries in January, and she has a clear reading of why. ‘One is that you come out of the holidays and you want a fresh start in the new year. Instead of just making a New Year’s resolution, you’re actually going and doing something about it,’ Vazquez says. She also points to a lasting behavioural shift from the COVID-19 period, when access to gyms and restaurants closed and the outdoors became the default. ‘For lack of anything else to do, [people] bought a pair of hiking boots and climbed a mountain and found out, “Actually, this makes me feel really good,”‘ she says.
Spa Leads the Segments, Medical Wellness Grows Fastest
Within the broader market, the picture is not uniform. DataIntelo’s research identifies spa tourism as the largest segment, holding a 34.2 per cent share in 2025. Medical wellness, however, is growing at the fastest rate, projected at a CAGR of 10.2 per cent through to 2034. That split maps neatly onto what is happening at property level: some hotels are deepening their spa credentials, while others are positioning themselves closer to clinical environments. SHA, described by its operators as a medical wellness clinic, is an example of the latter. Originally located in Alicante, it has since expanded with a new site in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, offering programmes covering gut health, emotional wellbeing, sleep analysis, and aesthetic treatments.
The shift in how guests book is equally telling. Online channels became the dominant modality for wellness travel in 2025, accounting for approximately 58.3 per cent of global transactions, according to DataIntelo, with that channel projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1 per cent through 2034. That figure matters for operators: the guest who once relied on a concierge is now self-researching, comparing recovery suites and biohacking menus before they ever pick up the phone.
What Wellness Tourism Market Growth Looks Like on the Ground
The range of properties capitalising on this growth is wide. Vazquez describes Miraval as the ‘gateway drug to wellness,’ with three established locations and a fourth opening along the Red Sea in 2025. The Berkshires property in Massachusetts, she argues, is underrated: buildings connect indoors, making it viable year-round. ‘There’s something that’s so fantastic about it in the winter. It doesn’t matter how bad the weather is outside,’ she says, noting that guests were hiking in February while she kept busy without setting foot in the cold.
Chablé Yucatán, located on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is another property Vazquez singles out. It positions itself centrally on what she calls the ‘spectrum of wellness,’ combining Mayan ceremonies and shamanic rituals with conventional workout classes. The restaurant, Ixi’im, also holds the world’s largest collection of tequila. ‘They do Mayan ceremonies for people who are looking for that spiritual wellness part, but then they do workout classes for those who just wanna get a sweat on,’ Vazquez says. ‘It’s really one of the most special hotels I’ve ever been to anywhere in the world.’
Beyond those flagships, properties are carving out increasingly specific niches. The Santa Monica Proper Hotel now offers a Recovery Suite with an Ammortal Chamber, alongside dedicated Restorative and Performance Wellness Rooms equipped with customisable smart mattresses. Nobu Ryokan Malibu recently introduced a partnership with HigherDOSE, placing the brand’s wellness products, including its Infrared Sauna Blanket, directly in guest rooms. Lily of the Valley in La Croix-Valmer, on the south coast of France, runs structured Shape Club programmes of four to 14 days, targeting weight loss, self-care, athletics, or longevity.
Vazquez’s read on the broader shift is that wellness has moved from an add-on to a baseline consideration. Someone booking a summer beach holiday is now asking, ‘How do I come back as a better person?’ she explains. With the wellness tourism market growth trajectory set firmly upward, the properties that anticipated that question earliest are best placed for what comes next. The Miraval Red Sea opening, due in 2025, will mark one of the more watched launches in the sector.