Whether for yoga, pain management or massage, Asia has long been a market leader but other regions are catching up fast
The latest series of White Lotus, which focuses on a luxurious Koh Samui, Thailand, resort popular with travellers craving massages, meditation and mindfulness, is a reminder that Asia has always been out in front when it comes to wellness.
Data website Statista has found that the global wellness tourism industry will be worth around $1.35 trillion by 2028, showing that this trend is set to be relevant for travellers for years to come.
Results matter
At Layan Life by Anantara, a wellbeing retreat in Phuket, the most popular treatments now include ones relating to pain management and physiotherapy. There’s a growing desire for knowledge – it’s no longer about quick fixes, but approaches which allow clients to understand why they might be experiencing pain and how to reduce discomfort by improving their posture or reducing stress levels.
More resorts are offering wellbeing therapies focusing on nutrition (a key focus at Phuket’s Amanpuri resort) alongside retreats which teach the basics of biohacking (such as the one offered by Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa). There’s also a bigger focus on value for money.
There’s been an increase in the number of people booking Vietnam and Bali holidays at hotels which include spa treatments and activities in their rates as standard. Holidaymakers are getting more for their spend by opting for educational wellness breaks which provide them with the tools required to continue their health journey at home.
For example, stays at Koh Samui’s Kamalaya resort include a wellness consultation and a body Bio-Impedance analysis, and wellness programmes include full board, treatments, classes and activities which can be prebooked. The resort also offers sleep enhancement, detox, immunity and emotional harmony programmes.
Back to basics
At the same time, more travellers are opting to work on their wellness by going back to basics, with trips which improve health in more traditional ways.
Wellness through active travel is on the rise. At Intrepid, a spokesperson says they’ve seen a 70% increase in those booking experiences which combine physical activity with exploration. One example is Intrepid’s India: Trekking in Ladakh trip, during which travellers trek approximately 52 hours across several days. This type of adventure naturally has huge benefits for both mental and physical wellness. It gives travellers a sense of achievement, lifting their spirits by getting them out in nature, experiencing new cultures and doing something good for both mind and body.
G Adventures, another popular small group tour company is seeing an increased interest in fitness-focused holidays, too. Demand for their active breaks category grew by over 16% in 2024, showing that travellers are increasingly seeking these. Travellers want to switch off and connect with the world on a more physical level, which is why they added 25 new active trips for 2025.
Top tip: Are you keen to combine wellness with wanderlust? I urge you to consider hiking in Morocco’s lesser-known Rif Mountains, sandboarding down dunes just outside of Cape Town or snorkelling in Okinawa in the southern islands of Japan.
Middle East emergence
While Asia will continue to lead the charge, other regions are coming to the fore. One of these is the Middle East.
Qatar’s Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, is one of the first wellness retreats to focus on traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine, while Dubai’s Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab resort, opened in March 2025, will have a three-storey 3,500 square-metre spa where guests can opt for everything from mindfulness rituals to therapies designed for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms, and men navigating the male equivalent, known as andropause.
Those wishing to stay closer to home are in luck, too. A growing number of country estates are being transformed into wellbeing sanctuaries.
Take Yorkshire’s Broughton Sanctuary, where therapies on offer range from cold water immersion to forest bathing.
Highlights include the Avalon Wellbeing Centre, with its low-chemical pool, Somadome and Crystal Light Bed, and the footpaths which weave across the estate, past stone circles, hermit huts and woodland saunas. The swirling shapes you’ll see throughout the estate are inspired by Fibonacci spirals, derived from mathematical sequences replicated throughout nature, including in the number of swirls on a head of Romanesco broccoli. We’re feeling calmer already.
Five fantastic therapies
The Tschuggen Grand Hotel, in Arosa, Switzerland, offers Kneipp therapy, which promotes the prevention of illness and involves barefoot walking on pebbles in cold water streams. tschuggencollection.ch/en
Opt for sand tray therapy at Thailand’s RAKxa Integrative Wellness retreat, where guests will create visual representations of emotions and subconscious thoughts by arranging objects in a sand-filled tray. rakxawellness.com
At Japan’s Patina Osaka, opening April 2025, guests can book a cryotherapy chamber session, which exposes the body to extremely cold temperatures for therapeutic benefits, including boosted immunity. patinahotels.com/osaka
Connect with the universe through a visit to a dark sky preserve. Every October, the Jasper Dark Sky Festival invites visitors to take part in meditative stargazing. jasper.travel
For fitness-first breaks, Explore! has a range of cycling holidays across numerous global destinations. Leisurely, moderate and challenging levels are available. explore.co.uk
Rebecca Mottram Travel Agent 
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