Finn Partners reveals The Future of Wellness Tourism report

Finn Partners’ new Future of Wellness Tourism 2025 report forecasts the trends set to define wellness tourism in 2025 and beyond.

The publication predicts emerging shifts and hotspots where wellness will take centre stage and shape global tourism in the coming year.

Finn Partners, an integrated marketing agency, predicts we are entering a ‘golden age of wellness tourism’, with awareness and appreciation for health and longevity at an all-time high.

Unveiled at the 2024 Global Wellness Summit, the report includes data and specialist insights into trends, from new generational cohorts changing how products will be made to technology radically changing guest experiences.

“There was a time when all a hotel needed was a massage table, a steam room and a sauna to attract guests,” says Cathy Feliciano-Chon, managing partner of Finn Partners’ Global Travel Practice.

“Today, wellness is everywhere, as travellers seek inventive ways to enhance their personal wellbeing.”

Trend #1 ‘Age benders’

With healthspan now going hand in hand with lifespan, chronological age matters less than biological age. Older generations are embracing the vitality of people half their age, while younger people are prioritising healthy lifestyles much earlier.

A paradigm shift is taking place and generational demographics no longer apply. “Baby boomers may be credited with driving the modern-day wellness movement and millennials with amplifying it,” says Feliciano-Chon.

Finn Partners’ “age benders” are defined by a mindset that regards ageing as a process that can be tamed. They’re age-agnostic, straddling several demographic segments and will have a profound impact on product development and marketing strategies.

Trend #2 Nomadism

With people living longer and more countries extending retirement age, midlifers are tapping into another growing trend – nomadism – to reimagine alternative lifestyles. This could be a boon for wellness residential communities, health resorts and retreats.

This trend acknowledges the increasingly migratory nature of today’s “silver set”. Older generations view the prospect of retiring as truly rewiring, spending time in various destinations in pursuit of purpose and longevity.

Trend #3 Women’s health

Often the mainstay of wellness programming, women’s health remains underserved and underfunded. The wellness industry is in the right position to create tailored programming and serve this market.

Menopause retreats have been heralded as the next big thing in wellness and sexual wellbeing is gaining attention, with Resorts like Miraval in Arizona and Six Senses Ibiza holding workshops.

Wellness centres are also developing holistic programmes for women hoping to conceive through IVF or natural means.

Trend #4 Sky-high wellness

Airports are already incorporating wellness features – from the oxygen lounge at Tokyo’s Narita Airport to a spa in Cathay Pacific’s first-class lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. Providing optimal environments to reduce stress while travelling will increasingly be on the radar.

Airlines are enhancing passenger wellbeing with innovations in air quality, lighting and acoustics to make travel experiences healthier and more comfortable. In airports, biophilic design is increasingly important, incorporating natural elements like plants, water and daylight.

Jet lag remains the bane of travel, but there are opportunities for wellness providers to help usher in an era of smart aviation. Qantas is introducing Project Sunrise planes, which will fly from Australia to London non-stop starting in 2025. The plane’s design is based on state-of-the-art modelling of circadian rhythms, with specific lighting sequences tailored to help passengers adjust to their destination time zones.

Other new wellness elements include purpose-built in-flight Wellbeing Zones featuring integrated stretch handles and guided onscreen exercise programmes. There’s plenty of potential for further innovation.

Trend #5 Nourishing Escapes

Culinary wellness is booming, blending food with wellness through experiences such as dopamine dining, neural nutrition and sustainable, health-centred menus.

Wellness providers can get on board with biodynamic menus that support regerative farming and hyper-personalised dining experiences.

The focus on gut health and emotional wellbeing will continue to grow, as will nutrient dense menus designed to boost and maintain brain function.

Culinary workshops will focus on more than flavours, inviting travellers to cultivate mindful dining habits. Community-driven dining events will proliferate, as diners embrace meals that elevate serotonin levels.

Trend #6 Thermal springs

There is rising demand for nature-based wellness and governments and private developers are pouring money back into thermal areas, which are positiond in the nexus of wellness and health tourism.

The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, for example, is investing millions in former Soviet thermal spa towns like Tskaltubo.

There is also a growing interest in bringing the bathing experience indoors.

“Hydrotherapy experiences, long cherished in Europe, are becoming mainstream. This is thanks to a growing awareness of the profound impacts of water on our health,” says Tammy Pahel, VP of spa and wellness at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort.

Centring spas around thermal bathing rituals will remain a key theme for the industry as it moves into a more inclusive future.

Emerging wellness tourism hot spots

The Future of Wellness Tourism 2025 highlights Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iceland and Italy as emerging wellness tourism destinations.

Download The Future of Wellness Tourism 2025 report in full here.

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