The Global Wellness Industry Blog 1

The Global Wellness Industry

The Global Wellness Industry

I recently completed my training to become a Certified SELECT Wellness Specialist – Travel Advisor and found global wellness trends fascinating.  Today, people are constantly talking about how the global wellness industry, and specifically wellness tourism, is booming, but what does this really mean?

The Global Wellness Institute (“GWI”) released its Global Wellness Report at the end of 2018 and have highlighted some of the key themes below.

Not only is the wellness industry growing at a rapid pace, the definition of wellness is evolving and the way it is incorporated into our lives is also changing.

According to the GWI, the Global Wellness Economy was valued at over $4.2 trillion in 2017 and it’s currently growing faster than global economic growth. Wellness tourism contributes $639 billion to this figure and is growing at a rate of 6.5% per year (compared to 3.2% growth for tourism in general).  It is expected to reach over $900 billion by 2022.

GWI identifies 10 key wellness silos which are converging as we integrate wellness into our homes, work and travel.  For example, gyms are offering hotels, hotels are offering healthy eating options and workplaces are launching fitness and wellness concepts.  Wellness is no longer just about going to the gym or eating healthy.  A true wellness mindset affects all of our daily decisions.  The findings also show that wellness is evolving from confining ourselves to a personal wellness bubble to linking our well-being to other people, our communities and the planet.

GWI defines wellness tourism as “travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal well-being”. Europeans and North Americans are currently the largest segment of wellness travelers, but the fastest growing market is people living in Asia.

There are now several options for wellness travelers including destination spas, wellness resorts, wellness retreats etc.  A number of cruise lines are also partnering with wellness advisors.  Blue World Voyages, for example, is a new cruise line dedicated solely to health & fitness.

As a Certified SELECT Wellness Specialist – Travel Advisor, my focus will be researching and visiting these wellness resorts and hotels in order to identify the best destinations and properties for travelers looking for specific types of wellness holidays.

As a relatively new sector, the global wellness industry is sure to evolve substantially over the next 10 years.  We can expect it to grow, expand and become further integrated into everything we do.  We are excited to be a part of this growing wellness industry and cannot wait for travelers to experience our Movement Travel wellness retreats.

Lisa Gordon

Co-Founder, Movement Travel