holistic therapy tourism

The magazine of Glion Institute of Higher Education

• Wellness tourism: your guide to holistic traveling

Travel isn’t just about je­t-setting and collecting passport stamps or even see­king out inspiring nature or wildlife. There­’s another aspect of travel that has the power to nourish the soul through transformative e­xperiences that can re­juvenate mind and body.

Wellness is now a big part of travel, and many hotels and resorts include sumptuous spas where guests can unwind and rejuvenate. Whethe­r you aspire to work in the hospitality industry or start your own wellne­ss venture, it’s esse­ntial to have a deep unde­rstanding of this specific but expanding niche.

Overview of wellness tourism

Wellne­ss tourism is a sector of the hospitality industry which encompasses a blend of he­alth, fitness, spirituality, and travel. It offers various activitie­s and treatments that aim to nourish the human spirit and promote holistic wellbeing and health.

Wellne­ss tourism provides unique e­xperiences that go beyond typical travel. It can combine ancie­nt healing practices with modern the­rapies to offer restorative­ interlude or even entire journeys focused on enhancing physical resilie­nce, managing stress, and adopting healthie­r lifestyle habits like nutritious e­ating and daily meditation. Wellne­ss tourism allows guests to prioritize caring for their physical, mental and even spiritual health.

Wellne­ss-themed trips provide a range of distinctive experience­s, whether it’s indulging in mineral-rich the­rmal waters at Iceland’s Blue Lagoon or re­juvenating mind and body through yoga retreats in Bali’s picture­sque landscapes. These­ journeys are designe­d to create lasting positive change­s within travelers eve­n after their vacations come to an e­nd.

They expand our understanding of travel while establishing a profound connection be­tween health and holiday activities. Wellness businesses can range from treatments in spas to boutique hotels , or to ultra-luxury wellness chains, but all have a focus on helping guests with achieving greater well-being.

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History of wellness tourism

The wellness tourism market could be regarded as dating back thousands of ye­ars, to civilizations that valued healing and balance in their live­s. The Greeks, for e­xample, built one of the first forms of wellness tourism, with the thermal baths at Epidaurus to promote good health. Likewise­, the Romans created luxurious re­sorts focused on bath houses where­ people could indulge in re­storative treatments. These­ ancient civilizations laid the foundation for what we now re­cognize as wellness tourism.

Let’s fast forward to the­ late 19th century, when health retreats and wellness services started gaining popularity in Europe­. These retre­ats focused on encouraging fresh air, nutritious me­als, and activities like hiking, that remain central to mode­rn wellness getaways.

As we moved into the 20th ce­ntury and even the 21st, our concept of health evolve­d to encompass mental wellbeing. In response, resort-style­ wellness centers emerged, prioritizing stre­ss reduction and relaxation alongside conve­ntional physical therapies. Most recently,  advancements in me­dical knowledge and technology encouraged the incorporation of  preventative care­ and a holistic approach into vacation settings.

Contemporary travel offers a wide range­ of guest experience­s that promise fitness, better health or cultivating sere­nity, depending on the guest’s desires. These expe­riences cater to the­ needs of global tourists, providing eve­rything from destination wellbeing bre­aks with hot springs and aromatherapy massages to adventures with a focus on se­lf-development and introspe­ction. The varie­ty of options today stems from the huge growth in wellness tourism.

Types of wellness tourism

There are diffe­rent types of wellne­ss tourism that cater to the unique ne­eds of trave­lers. Whether you are­ seeking physical, emotional, or me­ntal well-being, there­ is a form of holistic travel suited to every prefe­rence.

Spa breaks have­ become incredibly popular worldwide­ as a type of wellness holiday. The­se retreats provide­ a comprehensive re­laxation experience­ that aims to enhance overall he­alth and relaxation. With a range of tre­atments such as aromatherapy and massage, as we­ll as opportunities to enjoy thermal wate­rs and mud baths, spa breaks offer the pe­rfect opportunity to rejuve­nate both mind and body in often lovely surroundings. They are an exce­llent choice for individuals see­king an antidote to daily stress.

Yoga retreats

Yoga retre­ats offer more than just physical stretching e­xercises. They provide­ opportunities for spiritual growth while toning the body. The­se retreats include­ immersive sessions that e­xplore various styles of yoga, along with meditation practice­s and guidance on balanced nutrition. You can choose from locations like India or Costa Rica to enhance your fle­xibility and also deepen your unde­rstanding of yogic philosophy in stunning locations.

Meditation retreats

Meditation re­treats offer a focused and se­rene environme­nt for individuals seeking calm and clarity. Through mindfulness practices in tranquil se­ttings, these retre­ats aim to deepen se­lf-awareness and promote inne­r tranquility. They provide an ideal e­scape from busy routines and offer an opportunity for e­nhanced serenity.

Healthy eating breaks

Then there are  healthy eating breaks to choose from in the wellness re­treat menu. These bre­aks offer a combination of nutritional education and delightful culinary e­xperiences. From ve­gan cooking classes in Bali to ayurvedic diet practice­s in India, these getaways promote­ mindful eating while tantalizing the taste buds. The­y’re an ideal choice for food e­nthusiasts who want to enhance their unde­rstanding of the connection betwe­en food and health.

Popular destinations for wellness tourism

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When it come­s to wellness tourism, there­ are certain destinations that truly captivate­ with their one-of-a-kind charm. These­ places seamlessly ble­nd stunning natural landscapes with specialized e­xperiences tailore­d to the needs and de­sires of the we­llness traveler. Let’s examine five standout de­stinations that have made a lasting impression on the wellness industry.

Iceland’s bre­athtaking landscapes offer more than simply beauty. This Nordic nation is renowned as a hotspot for wellbeing, with holistic health support through geothe­rmal hot springs, such as the popular Blue Lagoon. These­ springs are believe­d to have therapeutic be­nefits and provide a sere­ne ambiance perfe­ct for transformative yoga and meditation sessions.

If you venture­ to Asia, you’ll discover that Thailand has become a popular de­stination for health-conscious travelers se­eking wellness e­xperiences. Thai massage­ techniques have gaine­d global recognition, making it a must-try experie­nce for wellness e­nthusiasts. In addition, there are distinctive retreats that offer de­tox programs and meditation practices, promoting physical and spiritual healing. The­se experie­nces align with the balanced life­style that is the foundation of Thailand’s cultural philosophy.

With its dee­p connection to ancient wisdom and spirituality, India has establishe­d itself as a top destination for wellne­ss. Known as the birthplace of yoga, the country offe­rs immersive yoga retre­ats in tranquil settings like Rishikesh and Ke­rala. Additionally, India’s age-old ayurvedic treatme­nts and flavorful vegetarian cuisine make­ it an irresistible choice for anyone­ seeking a rejuve­nating break.

Costa Rica is a haven for anyone seeking e­co-friendly travel and wellne­ss retreats that promote sustainability. Picture­ vibrant rainforests, where yoga studios ble­nd seamlessly with nature, and days that be­gin with beachside relaxation and e­nd with sunset meditations. Costa Rica’s Blue Zone­ in Nicoya is known for its high number of ce­ntenarians, so Costa Ricans are excellent practitioners of health for longevity.

Benefits of wellness tourism

There are plenty of reasons why the hospitality industry is important , but the wellness tourism sector has additional benefits. It continues to attract a growing numbe­r of individuals who are captivated by its approach to improving physical health, mental we­llbeing, and spiritual growth.

Physical revitalization

Wellne­ss tourism offers a great opportunity for individuals to rejuve­nate their physical wellbe­ing. By immersing yourself in wellness activities like­ yoga sessions, hiking, and massage therapy, you can e­nhance fitness leve­ls, nurture the body and embrace a healthy life­style with lots of beneficial activity.

Mental restoration

Another important be­nefit is mental rejuve­nation. The stresses of daily life can have a negative impact on me­ntal health, and a study conducted by the Me­dical Wellness Association confirms that engaging in we­llness travel helps to re­duce stress and promote re­laxation.

Cultural exchange

Wellne­ss tourism also offers the intriguing prospect of cultural e­xchange. Travelers can relish ­ the opportunity to immerse the­mselves in differe­nt cultures, learning about unique customs and traditions that are­ associated with wellbe­ing in a specific region.

Improved relationships and social engagement

Wellne­ss retreats often prioritize­ social interaction as part of their program. This can be achie­ved through group exercise­ classes, communal meals, and workshops that foster conne­ctions among participants. The goal is to enhance re­lationships and create a strong sense­ of community within the wellness re­treat.

Sustainable practices

Wellne­ss centers that prioritize sustainable­ practices also promote environme­ntal responsibility. By choosing to engage in we­llness tourism, individuals can contribute to reducing the­ir carbon footprint and supporting eco-friendly resorts. This be­nefits personal health and contribute­s to the longevity of our planet by supporting sustainable initiatives.

Long-lasting impact

Finally, many individuals return home­ from wellness vacations with valuable knowledge­ about maintaining a healthier lifestyle­ long after the­ir time away, contributing to a truly meaningful holiday e­xperience.

Challenges of wellness tourism

Wellne­ss tourism has experience­d significant growth in recent years, comple­tely transforming the travel industry. Howe­ver, such rapid expansion, also prese­nts a unique set of challenge­s.

• A major challenge­ in the wellness industry is e­nsuring consistent quality standards. The influx of new players can make it difficult for consume­rs to identify high-quality providers that mee­t expected health and well-being standards.
• Many are growing increasingly concerne­d that certain wellness re­treats may contribute to environmental harm. Balancing the provision of re­juvenating experie­nces for wellness tourists with the prese­rvation of resources and local ecology can be a significant challenge.
• There­ is often confusion surrounding the definition of we­llness tourism. While activities like­ yoga retreats and spa breaks are­ easy to define, te­rms such as “medical tourism” can be open to interpretation.
• Additionally, accurately me­asuring and tracking the experie­nces of wellness trave­lers presents a challe­nge for the industry. Without clear indicators or be­nchmarks that reflect genuine­ wellness outcomes, it be­comes difficult for venues and programs to effectively present and market their offerings with integrity.

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Trends in wellness tourism

Tourism is constantly evolving, and seve­ral emerging trends demonstrate this. One significant  trend is the­ growing popularity of travel for health and wellbe­ing. Many travelers now see­k both physical and mental healing as they e­xplore new destinations. These trends include the following.

• A notable tre­nd in wellness travel is pe­rsonalization. Today’s travelers see­k unique experie­nces that are tailored to the­ir individual needs and desire­s. As a result, retreats and re­sorts are creating customized tre­atment plans that cater to specific goals re­lated to mental health, we­ight management, detoxification, or spiritual de­velopment.
• As technology continue­s to play a larger role in daily lives, the­re has been a notice­able increase in the­ popularity of digital detox vacations. These re­treats provide individuals with an opportunity to unplug from technology and focus on mindfulne­ss, strengthening human connections without the­ distraction of screens. There are also hotels and resorts that use new hospitality technology to help offer an even better break for their guests.
• A growing trend in global we­llness tourism is the increasing appre­ciation of local traditions and indigenous practices. For example­, you can experience­ Mayan steam bath rituals in Mexico or ayurvedic tre­atments in India, allowing for a deepe­r connection with local culture and history.
• The trave­l industry’s future direction is heavily influe­nced by the incorporation of eco-frie­ndly practices. The growing recognition of sustainable­ travel has resulted in a highe­r demand for organic dining choices, low-emission transportation options, and plastic-fre­e initiatives that minimize e­nvironmental impact.

Wellness tourism is booming, and by opting for wellness retreats, many guests active­ly engage in a transformative journe­y that not only improves their physical health but improves their focus and overall se­renity.

There­ is a significant opportunity for innovation in the wellness tourism industry, as re­cent trends show a growing prefe­rence for personalize­d experience­s and programs that cater to specific needs, whether that is support in nutrition, fitness or even digital detox. Forecasts indicate­ a positive future for this sector within the­ broader tourism industry. At Glion, we offer hospitality de­grees that provide you with the­ skills and knowledge nece­ssary to thrive in the holistic travel se­ctor. Start your journey with Glion today or explore othe­r exciting careers in hospitality .

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What Is Wellness Tourism? A Complete Guide to Taking a Health-Inspired Vacation

Practicing health and wellness in our daily lives isn’t enough for many of us — we seek well-being when we travel, too.

Enter: wellness tourism, a concept that the U.S.-based nonprofit organization Global Wellness Institute (GWI) defines as travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing overall personal well-being.

It’s important to note that, though “wellness”’ and “well-being” are often interchangeable and related terms, they have slightly different meanings. According to Gallup , wellness is a part of well-being and describes a healthy lifestyle beyond acute illness, whereas both Gallup and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define well-being in a broader life context — feelings of contentment and satisfaction, and positive function in career, social, financial, physical, psychological, and other frameworks — which are important for personal and public health.

Wellness tourism, as a mechanism to support overall well-being, comes in a variety of forms.

For some, it may entail a trip or destination exclusively for wellness purposes, like a yoga retreat in the mountains, and for others, it may involve incorporating healthy habits and experiences into established trips. For example, you might bring your family to a hot spring during your annual vacation, or stop in at a spa for a massage in between sessions at a work conference.

For others still, immersion-based wellness travel, such as a pilgrimage, intensive yoga training, a visit to a humanistic integrative education center (like the nonprofit Esalen Institute ), a silent vipassana meditation retreat, or an indigenous-informed plant medicine retreat, may help deepen a spiritual, self-inquiry, or purpose-driven path.

The main point? These types of trips and health-forward activities aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The global wellness tourism market value currently sits at $451 billion, but a 2022 report by Grand View Research reveals that it’s expected to jump to $1.02 trillion by 2030.

Here, we unpack how wellness tourism works, the possible benefits, and how to plan your next health-inspired getaway.

Common Questions & Answers

History of wellness tourism.

Wellness tourism may be everywhere today, but people have traveled with health or wellness as the primary focus for centuries.

According to  Health-Tourism.com , most ancient civilizations recognized the therapeutic benefits of mineral thermal springs , and many built healthcare facilities around them.

Ancient Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Celtic, and Hebrew cultures created health centers that attracted travelers from all over the world, per past research . Baths of different temperatures, swimming pools, exercise rooms, and rooms for massage and other health treatments became a mainstay in Roman culture, according to the World History Encyclopedia . And as early as 5,000 years ago, people trekked to India to seek benefits from Ayurvedic medicine , a holistic approach to physical and mental health.

But while traveling for wellness dates back thousands of years, wellness tourism as a global industry is relatively new, notes the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) .

“In the early 2000s, the spa industry’s marketing message went from ‘pampering’ to ‘prevention’ and that, along with the so-called ‘wellness revolution’ was the beginning [of wellness tourism],” says Anne Dimon , the Denver-based cofounder, president, and CEO of the WTA , and the editor of TraveltoWellness.com .

These days, the wellness-travel offerings are practically endless. Whether your interests lean toward yoga and meditation, spa experiences, weight loss, hiking, or even treatments purported to be customized to your DNA — like the Chenot Palace Weggis health and wellness retreat in the Swiss Alps — there’s a trip to suit your needs.

How Wellness Tourism Works

Do you ever feel like you need a vacation after a vacation? That may not be the case with wellness tourism. Whereas traditional vacations are often busy and stressful, wellness trips aim to relieve stress and promote health, so you can reenter everyday life feeling rejuvenated and grounded.

“[Wellness tourism] provides an opportunity for people to take a break from their lives and focus solely on themselves and their well-being,” says Jeanette Lorandini, LCSW , a New York City–based licensed clinical social worker and the owner of Suffolk DBT. It can allow you to de-stress and relax without any, or few, distractions.

Many people also find that they’re more open to changing their behaviors when they don’t have to worry about everyday responsibilities. “For the most part, people try to make their lives as orderly and predictable as they can, because the less you have to think about your normal day-to-day life, the easier it is to manage,” says Michael Brein, PhD , a travel psychologist living on Bainbridge Island, Washington. “All that goes out the door when you travel.”

Being in an environment where you don’t have to make everyday decisions may allow you to experiment with new behaviors or focus on cultivating ones you’ve neglected. This can help you create healthy habits, like sleeping better, eating well, and exercising daily, that you want to follow once you return home. A small observational study out of Australia, published in the February 2017 Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found weeklong retreat experiences may lead to substantial improvements in multiple dimensions of health and well-being, maintainable for six weeks after the fact.

Plus, many wellness trips provide access to services that can positively affect mental and physical health, such as massage therapy , yoga classes , and nutrition consultations. These experiences can help you return home feeling refreshed and better equipped to handle day-to-day stressors, Lorandini notes.

Many people plan their own wellness-travel experiences, but you can hire a travel adviser if you don’t have time or need to pull it off, or need help finding high-quality options. The WTA offers a member directory where you can find vetted travel advisers who specialize in wellness tourism.

Types of Wellness Tourists

According to the GWI, wellness tourists fall into two main categories.

This traveler is mainly motivated by wellness when choosing their trip or destination. For example, they may book a weekend at an all-inclusive health resort or go on a dedicated meditation retreat.

This traveler seeks to maintain wellness while traveling, no matter what kind of trip they’re on. For example, they may take a yoga class during a family vacation or visit a spa during a business trip.

Possible Benefits of Wellness Tourism

Most of the health perks of wellness tourism are anecdotal and can’t be backed up by research. Moreover, existing research primarily focuses on general travel, not wellness tourism. That said, we may be able to pinpoint a few potential benefits of wellness travel.

1. It May Boost Happiness

New experiences and changes in scenery can give some people a mood boost. In a study published in July 2020 in Nature , people with more variability in their day-to-day location tended to be happier. Meanwhile, a past study found that women who vacationed twice a year were less likely to suffer from depression and chronic stress than women who vacationed less frequently.

2. It Provides Lasting Stress Relief

A wellness-inspired getaway enables you to escape the stress of everyday life and focus on activities and experiences that promote well-being. And the stress-relieving benefits of this kind of travel are almost immediate. According to a nonacademic online survey by Expedia referenced in 2018 by the Global Coalition on Aging , 88 percent of U.S. respondents reported feeling more relaxed and less anxious after being on vacation for just a day or two, and the same percentage felt optimistic and positive after a trip.

Time spent disconnected from daily stressful situations can also lower your overall stress once you return home.

Even a short trip (including to local venues) can potentially offer lasting stress relief. In one small study published in 2018 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , researchers had 20 midlevel executives spend four nights in a hotel outside their usual environment, while a control group of 20 spent their vacation at home. While both groups noticed immediate improvements in stress and well-being, the hotel cohort saw greater benefits. What’s more, the positive effects could still be felt 45 days post-vacation.

3. It May Improve Heart Health

The stress-lowering effects of travel may have benefits for your heart.

In a past study , middle-aged men at high risk for heart disease who reported that they had taken a vacation in the past year were 17 percent less likely to have passed away than men who hadn’t traveled, in research conducted over a nine-year period.

That said, the authors of the aforementioned study note that, while vacations may improve heart health by lowering stress, it may be that healthier people are more likely to travel. More research is needed to determine if and how travel benefits the heart and mortality risk. If you have a heart condition, be sure to consult your physician before you take a trip.

4. It May Enhance Brain Health

Exposure to new behaviors and environments through travel may stimulate the brain in new ways, potentially helping you stay sharp, according to the report from the Global Coalition on Aging.

In fact, when the authors of a past study followed more than 2,000 older adults for three years, they found that those who regularly participated in social or leisure activities, such as traveling, had a lower risk of dementia. According to the CDC , dementia is a general term for when the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions interferes with everyday life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia , and it mostly affects older adults, per the CDC.

Wellness Tourism Risks

Travel of any kind comes with risks. You may face personal safety or environmental risks, such as altitude challenges, heat and humidity, foodborne and waterborne illnesses, and diseases carried by animals and insects, notes the World Health Organization (WHO) .

Traveling with a medical condition can also be risky. Air travel in particular can pose risks for people with cardiac failure, heart rate or rhythm disorders, epilepsy , and those who have recently had a heart attack or stroke, according to  Johns Hopkins Medicine .

Consult your medical healthcare provider if you plan to take a trip so they can offer guidance and support and help you craft an experience that’s appropriate for your healthcare needs.

Who Might Want to Try (and Avoid) Wellness Tourism

Wellness travel is for anyone and everyone. If you have the desire and the budget for a wellness trip, it may make you happier, relieve stress, and potentially improve brain and heart health.

Given the nature of being outside of your daily comfort zone, wellness tourism may be a stressful experience. “People with underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression may find the experience more difficult than someone without these issues, so it’s best to speak with your doctor before making any plans,” Lorandini says.

People with chronic conditions don’t necessarily need to avoid travel. You should see your healthcare provider as early as possible before traveling to discuss any risks and create a care plan, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Access to Wellness Tourism

Wellness tourism can be expensive — for example, a seven-day stay at the Chenot Palace Weggis health and wellness retreat starts at $5,722, and tuition at Esalen Institute varies from $540 to $8,000 depending upon accommodation choice and workshop fees. But there are plenty of budget-friendly wellness-travel options out there, Dimon says. Just keep in mind that what’s considered affordable to one traveler may not be to another.

When searching for affordable wellness retreats and other health-inspired travel options, be sure to factor in transportation (airfare, train fare, car rental). Staying closer to home can cut down on your expenses significantly, and as mentioned above, even getting away on a local trip brings possible health benefits.

Depending on where you stay and what you do, you may also save money by designing your own wellness vacation; no rule says you have to sign up for a weeklong all-inclusive trip. “Think about it,” Dimon says, “Someone could enjoy a self-guided wellness vacation at a three-star hotel, reading, relaxing, walking in nature, making healthy food choices, getting a good night’s sleep, and simply being away from the stress of their everyday lives.”

Creativity and wellness tourism go hand in hand. With endless options available, you can craft a wellness trip to fit any budget.

4 Tips for Getting Started With Wellness Tourism

Follow this expert advice for making the most of your next wellness-travel adventure.

1. Start Small

You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time to be a wellness tourist. If you already have a family or business trip on the calendar, look for opportunities to focus on your health and well-being while you’re away. Check out the area you’ll be visiting to see if there are any wellness supportive experiences you’d enjoy. Consider yoga studios, hiking trails, healthy breakfast spots, spas, hot springs, and cooking classes. If you don’t have a trip scheduled, consider planning a self-guided wellness vacation. If you’re working with a limited budget, look for a hotel, AirBnB, or campground you can drive to and spend a few days away from your usual environment.

2. Find Inspiration

Wellness tourism offers so many possibilities that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Where should you go? Should you sign up for a weekend retreat or try to DIY? Asking friends and family for recommendations is always a good first step. But you can also find inspiration by reading about other travelers’ experiences. TraveltoWellness.com , an online magazine for wellness-minded travelers, offers many articles detailing new travel options and stories from contributors who have visited a particular place. Use this and other online travel resources to help you discern what wellness experience fits you. (Also, see our wellness travel resources section at the end of this article for more.)

3. Identify Your ‘Why’

What’s your reason — or your “why” — for taking a wellness trip? Do you need a relaxing environment where you don’t have to plan anything or make decisions about food or activities? Or do you want to learn more about yourself, a culture, practice, or activity? Setting your intention and articulating your “why” may guide you toward finding and planning the right travel experience for you, says Lisette Cifaldi , the director of behavioral health at Hilton Head Health, a weight loss and wellness resort on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.

4. Hire an Expert

If you dislike planning trips, you’re too busy, or you’re not sure where to start, reach out to travel advisers who specialize in wellness, Dimon suggests. The WTA offers a directory of travel advisers who offer wellness-travel guidance. Looping in a professional who knows the industry and who can make suggestions tailored to your well-being goals may be a solid starting point.

How to Make the Most of Your Next Wellness Trip

Follow these expert tips for preparing for and winding down from your wellness travel adventures so you can maximize the benefits of taking precious time off.

Before You Go

• Set a goal  Give yourself a goal to focus on during your trip. This way, you can plan your trip around that goal and maximize your time, Cifaldi says. You can also think about how you want to feel after returning home “and use that as inspiration when planning activities or experiences during your stay,” Lorandini says.
• Plan logistics.  Whether you’ve scheduled an all-inclusive experience or you’re DIY-ing, some logistics will be involved. “Read up on the different activities and services available at the destination so you can make informed decisions about how to spend your time there,” Lorandini says. Plan as many logistics as possible beforehand so you don’t have to worry about them during your trip. For example, if you’re doing a self-guided vacation, come up with a list of healthy food restaurants or grocery stores near your place of stay.
• Get support.  Can any friends or family members help with everyday responsibilities (childcare, pet-sitting, plant-watering) while you’re gone? Can your coworkers cover for you while you’re gone? Having a support system in place to handle routine tasks allows you to stay present and relaxed during your trip, Cifaldi notes.
• Practice self-care.  Preparing for a trip can be stressful, but try to take care of yourself mentally and physically in the days leading up to your departure. This means eating nutritious meals, getting enough sleep, practicing relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation, and exercising, Lorandini says.

After You Get Back

• Reflect:   Go easy upon reentering everyday life. Take some time to let the experiences you had on your trip soak in. “Journaling about your experiences can be a great way to process all you learned and hold onto those feelings of relaxation and well-being,” Lorandini says.
• Change your environment.  Continue your wellness journey once you return home by tweaking your environment to encourage the healthy habits you practiced on your trip. “You might clean out your pantry to include more health-friendly options or find a space in your home to dedicate to a daily meditation practice,” Cifaldi says.
• Find a community.  Connect with people who share your wellness interests. Cifaldi suggests starting with group wellness or fitness classes. You may meet people who are walking a similar well-being path and can support you along your journey, she says.

Wellness Tourism Resources We Love

Organizations.

Global Wellness Institute (GWI)

This nonprofit organization advocates for preventative health and wellness worldwide. The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) collects industry research, leads international roundtables, supports wellness initiatives, and offers an online resource where you can find medical evidence for mainstream wellness approaches. Find information about wellness tourism on their website and sign up for email updates.

U.S. Travel Association

The U.S. Travel Association is a national nonprofit organization representing the travel industry. Made up of more than 1,100 member organizations, they work to grow and sustain travel to and within the United States. They offer research, news, and commentary to keep you informed while you plan your trip.

Media and Planning

Wellness Tourism Association (WTA)

Launched in January 2018, the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) is a global network of destination management organizations (DMOs), hotels, tour operators, travel advisers, wellness practitioners, and media. The WTA is a great place to search for wellness retreats, destinations, and travel advisers. Browse their directory for options.

Travel to Wellness

Travel to Wellness is an online wellness travel magazine founded by Anne Dimon in 2004. Here, you’ll find reviews of wellness offerings, everyday wellness tips, roundups of retreats and vacations, product recommendations, and firsthand travel accounts. Stay updated with their email newsletter and start your trip search with the 2023 wellness retreat guide .

Suite Dreams Travel

Hosted by the wellness travel planner Barbara Tuckett, the Suite Dreams Travel podcast covers various topics. You'll find episodes on must-see sights, travel reviews, what makes wellness travel different from other vacations, and how to handle travel stressors like canceled flights.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

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• About. Wellness Travel Association (WTA) .
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• Chikani V, Reding D, Gunderson P, et al. Vacations Improve Mental Health Among Rural Women: The Wisconsin Rural Women’s Health Study. WMJ . August 2005.
• Destination Healthy Aging: The Physical, Cognitive, and Social Benefits of Travel. Global Coalition on Aging .
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• Gump BB, Matthews KA. Are Vacations Good for Your Health? The 9-Year Mortality Experience After the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Psychosomatic Medicine . September–October 2000.
• About Dementia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . April 5, 2019.
• Fabrigoule C, Letenneur L, Dartigues JF, et al. Social and Leisure Activities and Risk of Dementia: A Prospective Longitudinal Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society . May 1995.
• Health Risks When Traveling. World Health Organization (WHO) . April 28, 2020.
• Traveling With Chronic Conditions. Johns Hopkins Medicine .
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• Cohen M, Elliott F, Oates L, et al. Do Wellness Tourists Get Well? An Observational Study of Multiple Dimensions of Health and Well-Being After a Week-Long Retreat. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine . March 22, 2021.
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• Well-Being Concepts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . October 31, 2018.

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The rise of wellness travel, from rewilding to yoga and pilgrimages

Having escaped the confines of the spa, wellness now influences the travel experience far and wide, offering new ways to discover the world.

The number of people concerned about their health and wellbeing has rocketed since the pandemic began. The stats are legion but among them, 80% of those surveyed by Public Health England in 2020 — in the first year of Covid-19 — reported wanting to change their lifestyle in 2021 to become healthier. Meanwhile, an Ipsos study in 2021 noted that 62% of Americans believe health is more important to them than before the pandemic. And this has, as countless more reports will attest, changed the way many of us want to travel.

Just over a fifth (21%) of global travellers are currently travelling for health- and wellness-driven reasons according to the 2022 Travel Trends research by luxury travel network Virtuoso, conducted jointly with YouGov. And its findings suggest this is likely to grow in 2023, with 29% of global travellers stating interest in travelling for wellness reasons in the future. Trends include travel to reconnect — with friends, family, partners or children — and a growing focus on sleep wellness. The research notes ‘the rise in apps like Calm and Headspace permeating travel products, providing flyers the ability to plug in and meditate while in flight’ — not to mention the growing number of sleep retreats aimed at aiding insomniacs.

“Health and wellness technology is moving forward at a very fast pace and creating exciting new possibilities that we’re exploring, from sleep therapy and guided meditation to dynamic bathing, cryotherapy and infrared saunas,” says Emlyn Brown, vice president of wellbeing at Accor, Europe’s largest hospitality and hotels company, which released the Health to Wealth white paper earlier this year.

“Guests now come to us loaded with their own health data,” says Brown of the ubiquity of smartwatches and fitness apps. “We’re exploring ways that we can create bespoke wellness experiences for our guests in spa, nutrition, fitness and sleep.” Accor’s Fairmont Windsor Park hotel, for example, is home to the UK’s first spa multi-person cryotherapy chamber. Hotels Pullman Paris Centre-Bercy and Pullman San Francisco Bay, meanwhile, equip guests with Dreem, a technology wearable that monitors breathing, brain waves, heart rate and sleeping patterns.

Wellness travel is clearly no longer something that’s confined to the spa, but it’s travelled far beyond the hotel, too. “Wellness travel has evolved and expanded to encapsulate all manner of experiences that boost travellers’ mental and physical health,” says Paul Joseph, founder of Health and Fitness Travel , a specialist tour operator for wellness breaks. “Far from the ‘fly and flop’ wellness holidays of old, we’re able to send customers on a hand-picked retreat that includes a tailored wellness programme — from personalised nutrition and exercise plans to one-on-one coaching and holistic healing therapies. Following the pandemic and in spite of the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve seen a marked increase in bookings.”

It’s what Expedia is calling a ‘no-normal’ era of wellness travel. “We’re seeing a new wave of interest in wellness retreats, and a spike in demand for outdoor destinations beyond beaches and mountains,” says Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands. “Not a new normal, but people branching out to unexpected trends: the ‘no-normal’.”

The travel brand has seen a 30% increase in demand for wellness breaks between 2021 and 2022, and found that almost half (46%) of global travellers are more open to wellness breaks than ever before. And the quirkier, the better. Expedia’s Travel Trends report reveals activities as diverse as sylvotherapy (forest bathing), food bootcamps, chakra sessions, puppy yoga and laughter therapy were more popular than some standard spa offerings.

So, what exactly does ‘wellness’ mean today? According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) — the US-non-profit offshoot of the Global Wellness Summit, which has been driving research and business across the industry since 2007 — the term is varied. It can be associated with fitness holidays and adventure travel focused around improving a sense of wellbeing or life balance, along with the obvious mind and body retreats. And it’s a booming sector. GWI projects a 9.9% average annual growth in the wellness economy between now and 2025, when it will reach nearly $7 trillion (£5.5 trillion).

Meanwhile, US-based non-profit the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) was founded in 2018 with the aim of bringing standards to the growing wellness sector of the tourism industry, and defines wellness travel as simply that which allows the traveller ‘to maintain, enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle, and support or increase one’s sense of wellbeing’.

“What constitutes a wellbeing holiday is subjective,” says Justin Francis, co-founder and CEO of activist holiday company Responsible Travel . “I’d say a painting holiday in the Scottish Highlands or a wild camping experience can be as much about wellness as a vegan Pilates retreat. Wellness holidays simply allow you to rest and revive in your own way, mentally and physically.”

The company has added numerous nature-based holidays to its offering since the pandemic, in response to rising demand. It notes that activities like river kayaking are becoming more popular, and that interest in trips that give customers a chance to really focus on their physical wellbeing has risen almost 100% in the last five years. “We’re all much more attuned to the benefits of switching off our phones and being outdoors,” says Francis.

Active relaxation

It’s clear that well before the pandemic hit, our travel habits were changing. A McKinsey report in 2021 noted that 79% of respondents believed wellness was important, and 42% considered it a top priority, but in the preceding two to three years consumers in every market it researched reported a substantial increase (from 27% to 65%) in the prioritisation of wellness. Within the last decade, yoga mats have become the norm in hip hotels and gym access a hospitality standard, while spa-focused accommodation is ever-expanding.

Sports travel, with its tangible benefits and measurable outcomes — such as the number of miles hiked — is a thriving area of wellness. This boom in so-called ‘endorphin tourism’ attracts travellers seeking trips that give them a natural high — from desert marathons to trail running in the mountains. In Europe, the Alps have become something of an outdoor wellness playground. A 2020 report for France Montagnes, an association promoting French Alpine tourism, states that up to 70% of travellers see the mountains as a synonym for wellness.

“For several years now, and particularly since the post-Covid period, the mountains have been popular with visitors looking for an escape, nature and wellbeing, alongside more sporting activities,” says association president Jean-Luc Boch. The activities on offer range from the expectedly athletic to such specialisms as communing with nature while learning how to herd goats, meditative waterfall bathing, guided foraging for medicinal plants and mindful marathon running.

Cycling holidays have also boomed, with weekend/leisure bikers increasing between 30% and 60% across the UK and Europe between 2019 and 2022, according to European Parliament estimates. And surfing is seeing similar spikes in popularity. The International Surfing Association reported that around 35 million people surf worldwide, a figure it forecast to rise to 50 million by 2020, though it’s yet to release numbers. Whatever that number is, it looks set to increase further if the NHS starts adding to its ‘green prescriptions’ — issued for people to improve their mental and physical health by spending time outdoors in nature — by prescribing surfing as a treatment. A 2022 trial by select NHS trusts in England looked into the benefits of surfing for young adults with mental health issues.

Our increased state of ‘permanxiety’, be it fuelled by the stresses of modern life, lack of access to nature, economic instability, political turmoil or climate change, may be alleviated by travelling to immerse ourselves in the natural world, be it forest bathing, cold water swimming or mindful hiking. Travel, it seems, can be a proposition for salvation, not least among the booming number of people making pilgrimages. Both mainstream walking-tour operators and religious organisations are reporting soaring interest in such popular routes as the Camino de Santiago, with pilgrimages offering the chance for a hike to connect with yourself with others and with nature, even if religious beliefs don’t come into play.

But for some, this is exactly what travel, at its best, has always been about. Wellness was not something you singled out, found in a spa or were prescribed, but was about finding yourself out in the world, making connections with others or spending time in the great outdoors. Wellness was integral to the kind of travel that happened as slowly as time and money allowed, staying local, exploring on foot. Walking, for one, is something British travellers have long seen as vital to their health and wellbeing. Ramblers , a charity founded in the wake of the 1932 mass trespass on the Duke of Devonshire’s Kinder Scout grouse moors in Derbyshire, has received lottery funding in recent years for its Walking for Health initiative. The programme has seen some 70,000 people discover the benefits of a hike.

For many of us, working from home or a hybrid approach to work life has simply allowed more opportunities to do the things we enjoy. And the travel industry has responded with almost limitless options. Wellness has even infiltrated the traditional sand and sea resort-based breaks. Package tour operator On the Beach , for example, has curated a list of ‘dopamine-inducing’ destinations — places that boost the body’s natural feel-good factor with high-contrast colours and all-senses stimulation. Think: blue-and-white Greek island villages fragrant with wild thyme and oregano, or high-colour sights and jasmine-perfumed smells of Morocco.

Even Tui , one of the world’s largest holiday companies, is getting in on the act. It launched curated wellness breaks last year, a programme that partnered with television personality Davina McCall as a spokesperson for its ‘find your happy’ campaign. And in some ways, that’s what travel has always been about: getting away from it all, recharging, taking a break from the norm. But as travel and wellness become ever-more inexorably linked, our choices on exactly how we find our happy have become more nuanced and focused, immersing us in the outside world to soothe our inner one. Whether it’s working with a goat farmer in Morzine or running a marathon in a desert.

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More From Forbes

The future of wellness: new data on wellness travel, mental wellness.

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It’s no surprise, wellness is here to stay. We all knew it. And the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) , a leading global research and wellness industry nonprofit, just released the data to prove it.

The comprehensive 100-page report on the wellness industry, The Global Wellness Economy Monitor Report: 2023, was recently revealed at this year’s annual Global Wellness Summit in Miami. The upshot is that the global wellness economy is not only well on its way to recovery after the shock waves of the pandemic, it is surging. Not only is that a very good thing, it is exactly what we all need to hear right now. A 2023 survey released by the American Psychological Association showed that three-quarters of adults say their stress levels have increased over the past year.

In the report, GWI forecasts that the consumers will continue to increase spending on wellness, and the global wellness economy will grow at an annual rate of 8.6 percent. By the end of this year, it will reach $6.3 trillion, $7.4 trillion in 2025, and $8.5 trillion in 2027­, which is almost double its size in 2020.

The biggest growth rates since 2020 were seen in these wellness markets: wellness tourism (36 percent annual growth); spas (22 percent); physical activity (14 percent); and mental wellness (12.5 percent). Through 2027, some of the largest gains will be seen in wellness real estate (17.4 percent annual growth), wellness tourism (16.6 percent), thermal/mineral springs (14.3 percent); and mental wellness (12.8 percent).

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The GWI Report took 10 months to complete. Research was led by Ophelia Yeung, senior research fellow, Global Wellness Institute, who holds a post-graduate degree from Princeton University, and Katherine Johnston, senior research fellow, Global Wellness Institute, with a post-graduate degree from Georgetown. The long-time economists have worked in research, consulting, and public policy in dozens of countries, working for multinational organizations, companies and governments, in economic development. They initiated their wellness research 15 years ago, in 2008, when they first started working with the Global Wellness Summit to measure the size of the global spa industry.

Here is Yeung and Johnston’s fascinating insight on what the wellness market will look like over the next few years, and why.

How do you define "wellness economy"?

The wellness economy consists of eleven industry sectors that enable and support people to live a healthy lifestyle, to prevent disease and to move toward a state of holistic health. What we measure as the $5.6 trillion global wellness economy captures the massive global consumer marketplace that has arisen to provide people with access to a mind-boggling array of products, services, and experiences to support their wellness and preventive health, and also to capitalize on the exploding consumer interest in all things related to wellness.

However, we need to be clear that just because something is included in our wellness economy measurements does not mean that it is necessarily “essential” to wellness. There is a huge amount of diversity, choice, and innovation in the wellness marketplace. But we also do not have to spend a lot of money on wellness in order to “be well,” and there are many activities and lifestyle choices that we can pursue to support our health and well-being that do not cost anything at all (e.g., spending time with friends, enjoying nature, etc.). Therefore, our wellness economy data are an important economic measurement of the evolution and explosion of wellness, but that is not the same thing as measuring whether people are truly well!

If you had to summarize the biggest takeaways from your research, what would those be?

Wellness is driven by one of the biggest consumer movements in history. Although many segments of the wellness economy were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (due to business shutdowns, border closures and travel bans, etc.), wellness is resilient and the underlying forces driving the movement have only increased since the pandemic–and have increased because of the pandemic.

We project that spending on all things related to wellness will continue to rise rapidly. However, a key question in the future will be what is the impact of all this spending? Is it truly making people more healthy or improving their well-being? And is the wellness economy providing essential services to the people who need wellness the most?

What was most surprising to you?

The speed and the strength of the recovery of the wellness economy and the resilience of consumer spending on wellness took us by surprise. When we set out at the beginning of this year to start compiling data and making our estimates–country-by-country and sector-by-sector–we did not expect to find how rapidly most wellness sectors (and the overall wellness economy) came roaring back from the dip they took in 2020 due to the pandemic.

What do you think is impacting wellness tourism and mental wellness data the most right now?

In terms of wellness tourism: the pandemic has made travelers become more intentional about their trips, and many people are seeing traveling as an important part of their mental wellness. More travelers are experiencing and interpreting their travel experience from a wellness lens, whether it is spending more time in nature, to challenge yourself and physical ability, to be awed by something specular, or to feel a sense of connection to the place, through interaction with local people and their culture in an authentic, and less touristy way.

For mental wellness: the pandemic has propelled a huge shift in consumer awareness of and interest in mental health and well being, and it has helped to continue to reduce stigma around these issues. Spending on mental wellness grew rapidly during the pandemic because people were desperate to find ways to address the immense stressors they were facing. There is a growing understanding among consumers about how many activities and aspects of their lifestyles can help their mental wellness–like exercise, or how they eat–and so the growth in mental wellness extends far beyond what we can measure for that specific industry sector and touches on many other parts of the wellness economy.

Taking a meditative break after working out at home.

What are the top five to 10 global forces impacting the wellness economy right now?

On the positive side, propelling growth of the wellness economy, are: population aging, global rise of chronic disease and unsustainable health care costs; deteriorating mental conditions across the world, wellness is a rising consumer value and immense technological innovations (such as AI applications in research, diagnostics, creation of wellness content).

On the negative/risk side, challenges affecting the wellness economy include: widening wealth/income gaps, which are encouraging a premiumization trend in wellness; the environmental crisis and climate risks may threaten wellness destinations, products, and services; uncertain global economic conditions and consumer confidence; social media and influencers who spread wellness ideas and concepts without qualifications; geopolitical developments that affect the flow of people, investments, technology and ideas.

Wellness comes in many ways, including travel to far-flung destinations such as the Faroe Islands.

Where do you see wellness tourism growing the most?

Wellness tourism is a subset of the overall tourism industry–therefore, the places that have been seeing huge overall growth in tourism are also seeing big growth in wellness tourism.

In the future, we expect to see especially strong wellness tourism growth in regions that are not just marketing the typical standalone spa and wellness resorts, but are able to develop a holistic wellness offering for visitors that builds upon their unique and authentic local healing/wellness traditions, nature/geography (e.g., hot springs), culture, foods, etc.

How do you account for the extraordinary projected growth in wellness tourism from 2022 to 2027?

We project that wellness tourism spending will grow by 16.6 percent annually through 2027. One reason for this high growth is simply because the sector is still recovering from the huge drop it experienced due to the pandemic (wellness tourism shrank by over 50 percent in 2020).

But looking beyond just the post-pandemic recovery of the tourism sector, there are also important, long-term drivers that are supporting wellness tourism growth. More and more consumers are proactively seeking out ways to stay healthy and improve their physical and mental health and well being, and these consumers take these values with them when they travel

Looking at the wellness economy overall, many wellness sectors, including several large ones, are going to grow at a pace much faster than overall economic growth, such as wellness real estate, mental wellness, wellness tourism, physical activity, complementary medicine, and healthy eating. Spending on these sectors will be stimulated by increasing consumer spending to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Same for spa? Do you attribute spa growth to the integration of wellness modalities?

Growth in the spa industry is driven by the same factors driving wellness tourism growth, and overall wellness economy growth–that is, rising consumer awareness of wellness all around the world. The spa industry is becoming increasingly diverse in the many different types of experiences it offers, which is bringing more diversity in terms of the customers who are visiting spas.

A huge driver for the future of the spa industry is that there are so many new types of businesses being launched that are similar to spas, or overlap with spas, but we would not necessarily call them a “spa”–for example, single service operations like salt chambers, flotation therapy centers, or napping studios. In large cities, there are all kinds of new hybrid wellness centers and clubs that combine social aspects, spa services, coworking, complementary or integrative medicine, and much more.

These developments are creating more competition in the spa and wellness industry but they are also vastly expanding the options for consumers (at different price points) and helping to shift our mindsets on how we can integrate wellness into our daily lives in new ways.

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Alternative Medicine and Wellness Tourism: Exploring Holistic Healing and Wellness Retreats

The Wellness Retreat Experience

Wellness retreats offer a unique escape from the stresses of daily life. These immersive experiences are often set in picturesque locations, such as serene mountains, tranquil beaches, or lush forests. The primary goal of these retreats is to promote overall well-being through a combination of activities, therapies, and treatments.

At wellness retreats, participants can expect a holistic approach to health. This includes yoga and meditation sessions to promote mental clarity, stress reduction, and mindfulness. The nutritious and often organic meals served at these retreats aim to nourish the body from the inside out.

Alternative Therapies

Traditional chinese medicine (tcm), naturopathy, energy healing, holistic nutrition, holistic healing and preventative care.

Wellness tourism is not just about addressing existing health issues; it also emphasizes preventive care. Many retreats offer workshops and educational sessions on nutrition, stress management, and healthy lifestyle choices. Participants can gain valuable insights into how to maintain their well-being long after the retreat ends.

Wellness retreats encourage guests to take an active role in their health and well-being. This empowerment often leads to lasting positive changes in lifestyle and habits, reducing the risk of future health problems.

The Mind-Body Connection

One of the core principles of holistic healing is the recognition of the mind-body connection. Wellness retreats often incorporate practices like mindfulness meditation and yoga to promote mental and emotional balance. These practices can have profound effects on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

Furthermore, some wellness retreats offer psychological therapies such as art therapy, equine therapy, and counseling. These approaches help participants explore and address the emotional aspects of their well-being, providing a comprehensive approach to healing.

Wellness tourism is a growing industry that offers a holistic approach to health and well-being. Wellness retreats, alternative therapies, and holistic healing practices are transforming the way people approach their health, shifting the focus from treating symptoms to addressing the root causes of health issues.

Whether you’re seeking relaxation, relief from chronic ailments, or a deeper connection between your mind and body, wellness tourism provides a range of options to cater to your needs. These immersive experiences not only offer rejuvenation during your stay but also empower you to make lasting changes to enhance your overall quality of life. So, consider embarking on a wellness journey to discover the transformative power of alternative medicine and holistic healing.

In addition to these aspects, it’s essential to highlight the growing recognition of the role of spirituality in wellness tourism. Many wellness retreats incorporate spiritual practices, such as mindfulness, meditation, and even shamanic ceremonies, to help guests explore their inner selves and connect with a deeper sense of purpose. These spiritual elements add a profound dimension to the holistic healing experience, fostering personal growth and self-discovery.

As wellness tourism continues to evolve, it’s clear that it offers a diverse and multifaceted approach to well-being. With its emphasis on alternative therapies, holistic healing, preventive care, and the mind-body connection, it’s no wonder that more travelers are embracing this transformative journey towards health and self-improvement. So, whether you’re a seasoned wellness traveler or someone considering their first wellness retreat, the world of alternative medicine and holistic healing awaits, promising not just relaxation but a profound and lasting transformation.

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6 Wellness Retreats That Promise High-Tech Healing

Yoga classes and beach massages? That’s so 2019. Since the pandemic, hotels and resorts around the world have embraced services like comprehensive blood tests, IV infusions and 3-D scans.

By Nora Walsh

Travelers have long flocked to resort destinations for yoga retreats, deep tissue massages and fitness boot camps. But when the pandemic hit, wellness took on a new urgency, and people have begun to focus on their health in new ways — with many seeking high-tech preventive care.

That shift in priorities has supercharged demand. According to a June 2022 report by Grand View Research, a firm that studies business trends, the global wellness tourism market is expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of nearly 10 percent over the next eight years.

In response, hotels and resorts are trading in the old-school yoga-and-massage approach for advanced wellness treatments that claim to foster longevity, often blending Western diagnostic testing with Eastern therapies.

“The majority of our guests are suddenly much more interested in wellness,” said Anna Bjurstam, the head of wellness at Six Senses on the Spanish island of Ibiza. “Those who were already eating, exercising and sleeping well are now looking into their hormones, peptides, exosomes and stem cells, so we’ve had to step it up.”

Dr. William Kapp, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and a founding partner of the preventive health and longevity company Fountain Life , also sees the shift. “Consumers are looking for alternatives to what medicine is traditionally providing,” he said. He notes that treatments like red-light therapy and cryotherapy for reducing inflammation have been shown to decrease stress on the rest of the body’s systems, but says there are not yet enough long-term, double-blind studies to prove how effective some other alternative treatments are for longevity. “A lot of these therapies will make you feel better, but I wouldn’t hold out hope they do anything else,” Dr. Kapp said. “There is no magic bullet yet.”

Here’s what six destinations around the world are doing to cater to these new wellness travelers. (Remember to consult with your own medical professionals before beginning any treatment program.)

Salt-float baths and smart mattresses

Tammy Pahel, the vice president for spa and wellness at the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort in Miami Beach, has witnessed the changing demand. “When we reopened the hotel in November 2020, people were calling with specific issues like anxiety, insomnia and muscle tension and asking what we offered that could help,” she said. “They didn’t want to just take a pill.”

During the pandemic, the Carillon invested more than $1 million in state-of-the art equipment for its 70,000-square-foot spa, creating seven wellness circuits aimed at addressing problems like stress, insomnia and back pain. The equipment, called touchless tech because it doesn’t require a spa therapist, can also be reserved à la carte. Popular treatments include a salt-float bath and calming red-light therapy , as well as beds that use sounds and electromagnetic waves , which are said to put the body into a deep resting state.

The resort also offers access to a team of wellness experts, including those versed in Chinese practices like acupuncture (both traditional and with laser instead of needles) and in functional medicine , which looks at a person’s whole health to assess the root causes of illness. And last year, it introduced the Biostation, where the results of a comprehensive blood test of hormones and mineral levels are used to design custom treatment plans that incorporate diet and lifestyle modifications, stress management, nutrient injections, therapies using plant-based hormones , and more. A physician directs the program, and licensed doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners administer the treatments.

Guest rooms are also being furnished with Bryte mattresses , which use artificial intelligence to analyze sleep preferences like firmness and temperature. Those settings are saved for future stays at any place that uses Bryte mattresses. (Rooms start at $699; touchless tech services can be booked individually, starting at $99 for 25 minutes. The blood work is $499, or $299 with qualified health insurance plans.)

‘A moment of quiet in the chaos’

In New York, the newly opened Aman debuted with a 25,000-square-foot, three-level spa that offers three-day to 12-week programs. A team of medical doctors, Chinese medicine practitioners and physiotherapists customizes treatments and diet using high-tech tools that measure body fat, cognition, minerals and toxic metals, glucose levels, and functionality of the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous and musculoskeletal systems. The physician on staff may also request previous medical records or order further testing.

Since opening, the spa — which is open to hotel guests and members only and offers an infrared sauna, hot and cold plunge pools, and a cryotherapy chamber — has experienced a jump in the number of visitors using its purification and detox services. “We have found that guests are visiting the hotel to find a moment of quiet in the chaos and improve their overall well-being instead of visiting New York to sightsee and explore,” said Sanali McFadden, the director of spa and wellness at Aman New York. (Rooms start at $3,200; the three-day immersion program starts at $15,600, including accommodation, food and nonalcoholic beverages.)

Assessing sleep cycles and the aging of cells

Six Senses Ibiza , which opened in Spain in the summer of 2021, is teaming up with the longevity clinic RoseBar to offer programs that include comprehensive wellness screenings and the option of one, three or seven days of services like hyperbaric oxygen therapy (breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized capsule, which is thought to help speed up the healing process); cryotherapy; and tests that analyze DNA to show how fast cells are aging. This will be RoseBar’s first location.

Packages include consultations with in-house medical experts, IV infusions, oxygen therapy and massages. Additionally, the brand will roll out a new program this year that assesses a person’s chronotype , or natural sleep cycle.

Sara Nielsen, a working mother of two from London, visited Six Senses Ibiza last summer with her husband. The experience prompted her to change her lifestyle after she returned home. “I meditate daily now in front of a red-light therapy device, I bought a cold plunge pool for the garden, and I now do slow gentle exercise instead of HIIT classes to calm my nervous system,” she said, referring to high-intensity interval training. “I realized I don’t have to make big, sweeping changes in my life. I can consistently stack small habits to support myself and create a better balance.” (Rooms start at $827, including breakfast.)

A focus on building healthy habits

In Uruguay, Alive Resort takes its cues from established European spa retreats like Sha Wellness Clinic , Priedlhof and the Bürgenstock Waldhotel . As part of Alive’s care, medical professionals, including general practitioners, nutritionists and therapists, are coupled with technology like 3-D scanners and zero-gravity beds, which adjust position to relieve pressure on the body.

Personalized plans focus on introducing new habits around diet, fitness and stress management, and the majority of travelers come from all over Latin America to quit smoking, lose weight and detox. Most guests stay for a week, while others stay for months, the resort said, and about half of the guests book their next visit before checking out.

“Our weight-loss program is a huge success,” said Patricia Fernandes, an owner of Alive. She said her mother died of a cancer for which obesity is a risk factor , an event that inspired her to open the resort. “In the restaurant, every guest is eating something different because each person has different objectives, requirements and states of health,” Ms. Fernandes said.

Guests can also participate in workshops with a nutritionist, where they learn how to read food labels and make healthy eating choices, and take part in cooking classes and consultations with a therapist and a life coach. Before departure, they receive personalized diets and fitness plans to continue at home, as well as follow-up video appointments with a nutritionist to adapt those plans over time.

“It is life-changing for our guests when their glycemic levels, cholesterol and blood pressure return to normal levels,” Ms. Fernandes said. (Rooms start at $449 based on single occupancy with a three-night stay minimum.)

Tailored treatments on a lush island

In December, when Mary Lamb, who splits her time between New York City and Singapore, visited Joali Being , a new wellness resort in the Maldives, she hoped to leave with a goal. “Every time I go to a wellness retreat, I do a bit of self-reflection and have a takeaway that I work on at home,” she said.

The wellness concept at Joali Being is rooted in four pillars: mind, skin, microbiome and energy. This informs everything — from the design of the property, on a lush island, to the culinary offerings and the treatments provided by a panel of physicians, Ayurvedic doctors, Chinese medicine specialists and an herbalist, among others. As part of the resort’s approach, guests receive five consultations: pre-arrival, three times during their stay and post-trip to ensure the integration of new habits. “We’re finding that our guests want to go beyond just relaxing,” said Magdy Abdelaty, the director of well-being at Joali. “They want a deeper understanding of themselves and what they need physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.”

During her stay, Ms. Lamb received an evaluation with a Qest 4 device , which claims to use electric currents to test the health of organs and other body parts, providing data that helps tailor treatments for each guest. “The results said my gut needed attention, which is true,” Ms. Lamb said. She also discovered that her balance needed improvement after a functional movement analysis using a 3-D camera and a force platform, a device that helps gauge balance, posture and gait.

A personal trainer also gave her individualized exercises that she continues to do weekly. Ms. Lamb recommends the Watsu hydrotherapy 60-minute massage — one of the resort’s most frequently booked treatments — which combines massage, acupressure, stretching and rocking in the spa’s thermal pool. “I felt weightless, as though I was floating in space,” she said. (Rooms start at $2,146, plus tax, per night.)

Breathing, meditation and oxygen therapy

The new Longevity House at Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand offers more than 100 treatments and 17 wellness programs. The wellness sanctuary, which has been open for nearly two decades, relies on an array of Eastern and Western medical personnel, visiting practitioners in areas like acupuncture and reiki, and life-enhancement mentors specializing in pranayama breathing exercises and meditation. Its programs fuse the ancient healing and spiritual traditions of various Asian cultures with Western science.

“The Longevity House is designed to augment our various wellness programs and maximize benefits in a short amount of time,” said Karina Stewart, a co-founder and the chief wellness officer of the retreat. À la carte services include customized IV vitamin infusions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and a preventive cancer screening that claims to use blood tests to help detect illness before symptoms have appeared.

“We cover many, many different aspects of health and wellness,” Ms. Stewart said. “But ultimately, we specialize in helping our guests fulfill their life’s potential.” (Rates start at about $1,425, plus tax, for three-day programs, including meals and excluding accommodation; rooms start at approximately $200.)

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An earlier version of this article misstated the price of accommodations at Aman New York. Rooms start at $3,200 a night, not $3,000.

An earlier version of this article misattributed a quotation about guests choosing to visit the Aman spa in New York instead of sightseeing and exploring. The speaker was Sanali McFadden, the director of spa and wellness at Aman New York, not Yuki Kiyono, Aman’s global head of wellness and spa.

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5 Medical Resorts Redefining Wellness Tourism

Last updated January 4, 2024

Combining world-class medical services with the amenities of a resort, medical resorts have quickly gained popularity and are reshaping the way wellness travelers approach their health and well-being.

These havens of tranquility offer more than just picturesque landscapes and lavish accommodations. They provide a transformative escape, where opulent indulgence weaves in cutting-edge medical expertise.

Whether you seek holistic therapies, medical treatments or a combination of both, below we help you discover the world of medical resorts for your next health-focused getaway.

What Are Medical Resorts?

Medical resorts, also known as medical spas or health retreats, are facilities that integrate medical treatments, wellness programs and luxurious amenities in a single location.

These retreats cater to individuals who desire medical attention or rejuvenation while also enjoying the services typically found in high-end resorts.

In addition to medical treatments, medical resorts place a significant emphasis on holistic healing and well-being—with their wellness programs typically encompassing nutrition, fitness, stress management and alternative therapies such as yoga, meditation and acupuncture.

The integration of these elements allows guests to address not only their physical health concerns but also their mental and emotional well-being.

Unparalleled Facilities & Services

One of the distinguishing features of medical resorts is the emphasis on luxurious accommodations and services. Guests stay in elegant guest rooms or suites that provide a serene atmosphere, promoting relaxation and tranquility during their stay.

Guests can expect gourmet dining options, spa and wellness centers, fitness facilities and recreational activities—ensuring a well-rounded experience.

While medical resorts prioritize luxury, they also prioritize the provision of high-quality medical care. Many facilities boast state-of-the-art equipment and technology alongside skilled healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses and therapists, who specialize in various medical disciplines.

From elective procedures and cosmetic treatments to rehabilitation and wellness therapies, medical resorts offer a broad spectrum of services tailored to individual needs.

Benefits of Medical Resorts

Each guest at a medical resort is unique, and these facilities understand the importance of personalized care. Prior to arrival, guests undergo a thorough assessment to identify individual needs and expectations.

This information is then used to create a personalized treatment plan and itinerary, ensuring the most effective and suitable care.

• Enhanced Recovery and Healing

The combination of medical expertise, luxurious surroundings and comprehensive wellness programs can accelerate the healing process and promote overall well-being.

• Reduced Stress and Improved Mental Health 

Medical resorts provide an escape from the stresses of daily life, offering a calm and supportive environment. The inclusion of wellness activities and stress management techniques can help guests achieve mental and emotional balance.

• Comprehensive Approach to Wellness

By addressing various aspects of health, medical resorts encourage guests to adopt a holistic approach to their well-being. This ultimately promotes long-term lifestyle changes and disease prevention.

• Access to Advanced Treatments

Medical resorts often provide access to cutting-edge medical treatments and technologies that may not be readily available in traditional healthcare settings.

Our Top Five Favorite Medical Resorts

These five medical resorts are redefining the conventional clinical experience, seamlessly merging advanced medical treatments with the soothing ambiance of a luxurious retreat.

1. Euphoria Retreat — Greece

Euphoria presents an impressive array of spa services, from energy healing, cosmetic facials and slimming treatments to homeopathic sessions, acupuncture and lymphatic drainage.

Embracing the knowledge of age-old healing practices, the treatments address the physical, emotional and spiritual facets of total, holistic health. Whether you’re indulging in a spa weekend, participating in one of the immersive wellness programs or enrolled in a transformative retreat, you’re free to add or stack treatments.

Their massages are famed and vary from the soothing aroma massage infused with orange and pine scents to hot stone and Thai. If you’re pursuing subtle energy work and emotional tranquility, you’ll appreciate Reiki, the five-elements balancing treatment and the hallmark sanctuary for busy minds.

As you unwind and shed the pressures of routine life, you activate your senses and embrace your true self.

2. Carillon Miami Wellness Resort — Florida

Experience stylish high-tech and touchless wellness treatments offering various health perks such as rapid recuperation, weight reduction, relaxation and revitalization.

Yield to a higher state of tranquility with avant-garde wellness options that include cutting-edge quantum harmonic sound therapy synced with your body’s energy centers, full-body red light therapy, or photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy, halotherapy, along with acupuncture, cupping and more for a well-rounded, integrated approach to maximum rejuvenation.

3. Preidlhof Dolce Vita Resort  — Italy

Nestled in the scenic South Tyrol region, this family-managed, adult-only luxury wellness sanctuary has earned top marks as a comprehensive health spa, specializing in holistic, preventative and medical health.

Each visit is tailored to facilitate a comprehensive rejuvenation journey encompassing physical, social, emotional and spiritual aspects. Guests are nudged toward activity, with a full schedule of inclusive fitness sessions. The roster includes classes such as meditation, sound healing, yoga nidra and strength training.

The spa amenities break new ground, boasting a wellness water park and a six-story sauna tower with numerous saunas, a steam room, two infinity rooftop pools and a relaxation zone. The area is also renowned for outdoor pursuits such as forest bathing, hiking and biking—all readily accessible from your doorstep.

4. Chenot Palace Weggis

Overlooking the majestic Lake Lucerne and the stunning Swiss Alps, Chenot Palace Weggis is more than a wellness retreat. It’s a journey toward an optimum lifestyle. This wellness oasis marries the wisdom of traditional Chinese therapies with groundbreaking Western medical practices and cutting-edge technology to offer a unique healing experience.

The clinic offers three bespoke wellness programs—Advanced Detox, Recover & Energise, and Prevention & Aging Well—tailored to individual biomarkers and specific health needs.

Each program integrates a set of diagnostic tests, medical consultations, personalized treatments and dietary regimens aimed at cleansing, revitalizing and recalibrating both body and mind.

Additional facilities include an advanced metabolic and sports lab, an in-house blood analysis lab, a cryotherapy chamber and antigravity technologies. All these elements come together to create an environment conducive to detoxification, relaxation and rejuvenation. 

5. SHA Wellness Clinic

At the forefront of health and wellness clinics stands SHA, a unique sanctuary that blends time-honored asian disciplines with innovative western methodologies.

SHA comprises three core divisions: The SHA Method, anti-aging and aesthetics medicine, each dedicated to ensuring guests enjoy a serene and luxurious stay, as well as leave feeling rejuvenated, healthier and noticeably younger.

This comprehensive immersion into health and wellness makes SHA a standout choice for those seeking to experience a revitalizing retreat, inside and out. At SHA, it’s not just about a fleeting visit, but rather a life-changing venture.

A Fusion of Health & Luxury

The uptick of medical resorts represents a paradigm shift in healthcare. One where the traditional hospital experience transforms into a luxurious and holistic journey toward health and well-being.

By blending world-class medical care with upscale accommodations and wellness programs, these wellness havens have created a unique space that cater to the growing demand for comprehensive and personalized healthcare experiences.

As medical resorts continue to evolve and gain popularity, they offer individuals a chance to rejuvenate, heal and prioritize their well-being in a truly exceptional setting.

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WellnessTourism.com is Back!

Discovering the Journey within yourself with Holistic Therapy

Where hotel standards prioritize safety, health, and guest experience.

Many tend to confuse holistic therapy with complementary, alternative or even integrative medicines. While these focus on physical wellbeing, holistic healing therapy would take care of the mind, body and soul. People believing in and practicing holistic healing therapy claim to feel well, fresh and complete all the time.

‍ Curing the Bigger Picture of the Illness

‍ Many consider holistic therapy to be an alternative treatment for conventional medicines and therapies. However, holistic therapy dives into the emotional aspect of an illness. It claims that every single physical discomfort or illness would be a manifestation of some sort of physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual imbalance. Therefore, the therapy would take into consideration, physical healing, emotional well being, mental health and wellness as well as spiritual beliefs in general. The therapy would help you get rid of the illness from its roots forever.

‍ Caring for Self in a Lively Manner

‍ Holistic healing therapy does more than just get rid of an illness forever. It aims build a wholesome approach to life. It helps individuals understand their bodies better in order to become better human beings. The therapy focuses on an ongoing journey that would provide answers that would help these individuals live better and healthier, as well as strive for wholeness. It focuses not only on the connection between the body and mind, but also on the lifelong maintenance of wellness and wholeness.Individuals who find wholeness via holistic therapy would learn to care for others around them, including the planet and the surrounding environment. They would understand the importance of retaining relationships as well as accepting differences between individuals. Their compassion quotient would increase manifold.

‍ Leading to an Enriched Lifestyle

‍ Holistic therapy aims to help individuals release the inner potential trapped inside their minds. Holistic healers would therefore, conduct psycho-counseling sessions to understand the root cause of an illness. These sessions would help reveal the physical, emotional and mental imbalances hidden inside the body and mind. This would then be followed by more holistic psychotherapy sessions aimed at repairing these damages and imbalances.At the end of it all, the holistic healers would strengthen the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being of individuals so that they can embark on their respective paths with renewed vigor, without worried about these imbalances affecting them ever again. Thus, holistic healing therapy can help individuals explore their inner souls, find out their emotional calling and solve their problems in order to improve their lives significantly.

From Trauma Healers to In-House Psychologists, Hotels Are Increasingly Catering to Travelers' Mental Health

By Debra Kamin

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Raj Mahal travels for work multiple times a month, and last winter, while staying at the  Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago, he was feeling down.

Mahal, 34, is the founder of Plan More Trips , an app that helps travelers book low-cost travel, and the stress of running a startup, he says, was beginning to take a toll on his mental health. In his hotel room that day, he saw a flier for a  partnership Kimpton was rolling out with  Talkspace , a company that offers virtual, online psychotherapy, offering guests at Kimpton properties a free video therapy session with its licensed counselors.

“I had tried therapy before,” says Mahal. “I find it useful to have somebody to bounce things off of, and to make sure I’m approaching things in the right way.”

He logged on and did his first session there in the hotel room, connecting with a therapist who listened to his concerns. The year-long program, which launched last February to “increase access to mental health resources at a time when it was needed most,” per a statement from Kimpton, also provides guests with a $100 code to continue therapy after they check out. Mahal took advantage of this and signed up for a plan; he now has a regular weekly meeting with that same virtual therapist, and makes sure he doesn’t miss it—whether he’s home or on the road.

The Global Wellness Institute projects that the wellness tourism sector will grow by 21 percent annually through 2025, thanks in no small part to the pandemic. Three years after lockdown, America remains in a mental health crisis, with nearly half of respondents in a 2021 study reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to the National Institute of Health. As travel continues to pick up, hospitality brands are expanding their offerings in response, moving beyond yoga, massages, and juice cleanses to offer concrete, science-backed solutions focused on travelers’ mental and emotional health.

Emotional health and wellbeing are prioritized at the recently opened Sensei Porcupine in Rancho Mirage, California.

Beyond Kimpton, whose Talkspace partnership concludes at the end of the month, the holistic wellness-minded  Miraval Resorts is collaborating with The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to create virtual events and video content, all designed to increase awareness of mental well-being and widen access to resources for travelers who might be struggling with their own mental health. Sleep, a continually elusive mistress for millions,  is being touted as a new luxury at wellness retreats across the globe—a trend that took root before the pandemic and has only grown in popularity. Meanwhile, at 30,000 feet, anxious fliers are finding succor with targeted video content:  JetBlue reports that its guided breath work and meditation videos, produced in partnership with Mindfulness studio Open , are now the second most-watched in-flight content on their planes after  Curb Your Enthusiasm .

But as the wait lists for the services of seasoned mental health professionals  continue to grow , some travelers are craving in-person treatment and connection. And properties are stepping up, adding psychotherapists and counselors to their staff so guests can schedule a therapy session as easily as they might order a burger from room service.

“Hotels have been offering different workout classes and gyms for a while,” says Logan Brantley, a licensed psychotherapist and clinical social worker, who starting in February will offer couple’s therapy sessions to guests at San Diego’s  The Guild Hotel . “Now they’re bringing mental health into the playing field and showing it’s important—and you can access it during your stay. We’re turning the page in the treatments we offer, and including mental health in overall wellness.” Her presence at the historic property, which sits in a renovated former YMCA building in the heart of San Diego’s downtown, is part of a new package, “Work It Out,” which offers couples a one-night stay in the hotel’s penthouse along with private yoga and kickboxing workshops, and a therapy session with Brantley.

Shannon McMahon

CNT Editors

Hannah Towey

At Sensei Porcupine Creek in the mountains of Rancho Mirage, California, evidence-based healing has become a foundation of the property’s wellness philosophy, and some packages, including the Guided Wellness Experience , see guests paired with personal guides who hold PhDs in psychology and provide private, one-on-one sessions.

Preidlhof , an award-winning wellness resort in northern Italy, bills itself as a “healing hotel,” offering five, six, and 10-day retreats focused on helping guests with unlocking and releasing trauma. Renowned trauma healer Stefano Battiglio is on staff, as is an in-house psychologist who teaches classes on mindful eating and yoga nidra, and a medical doctor who uses biofeedback to help guests understand how their state of stress affects their body.

“This has been my passion for the last 18 years,” says Patrizia Bortolin, Wellness Project Manager and Director at Preidlhof. “And now everybody is in need and asking for this kind of approach.”

SHA Wellness Clinic in Alicante, Spain

SHA Wellness Clinic's Health Screening Lab

Lingering stigmas continue to deter some travelers from seeking help for mental health issues, specialists say. So the integration of tourism and psychological care, at a time of increased need, is particularly powerful.

“Some of our guests, who normally don’t talk about their issues, want someone to discuss them with,” says Cinthya Molina, an in-house psychologist at SHA Wellness Clinic , a resort in Alicante, Spain. At SHA, guests can choose from a number of mental health programs, including a psychological consultation and an emotional coaching session. Those two services, Molina notes, are identical. But for some guests, simply labeling their experience as a coaching session and nixing the word “psychology” helps ease them into the process.

Travelers who are experiencing mental health crises should not consider hotel-based treatments as a substitute for clinical psychological care, and those who feel they may be a risk to themselves or others should reach out to crisis centers and trained psychotherapists for help. But when it comes to lowering stress, increasing happiness, and widening the circle of care for the public’s mental health, hotels can offer a convenient, well-positioned catchall.

“The emotional coaching is for people who might be embarrassed to ask for help,” says Molina. “So they say, ‘I want to see a coach.’ And I say, ‘Ok! I’m a psychologist.’ But if they prefer that I call myself a coach, that’s fine,” says Molina. “It’s really nice that we have this wellness space to put into practice the things that we are trying to teach.”

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Medical Tourism

Medical tourism and wellness retreats: a holistic approach to health and healing.

The healthcare industry has seen a surge in the integration of wellness retreats into medical tourism, as patients seek a more comprehensive healing experience that goes beyond traditional medical treatments. This shift towards a holistic approach to health and healing has created a unique niche in the global healthcare market, with wellness retreats offering a range of services, including medical, psychological, and spiritual care, aimed at promoting overall well-being.

Benefits of Integrating Wellness Retreats into Medical Tourism

• Comprehensive care: By combining medical treatments with wellness programs, patients receive a more complete healing experience. This holistic approach addresses the mind, body, and spirit, resulting in better long-term health outcomes and a greater sense of well-being.
• Stress reduction: Wellness retreats offer a serene environment, allowing patients to relax and focus on their recovery. Reducing stress has been linked to improved immune function, faster healing, and better overall health.
• Personalized treatment plans: These retreats often provide customized care plans tailored to the individual's needs, incorporating both traditional medical treatments and alternative therapies to optimize health outcomes.
• Enhanced patient satisfaction: The combination of medical care and wellness activities can lead to higher levels of patient satisfaction, as individuals feel more supported in their journey towards better health.

Industry Growth and Trends

The global wellness tourism market has been witnessing significant growth, driven by an increasing focus on preventive healthcare and a growing awareness of the importance of mental health. This has led to the development of various wellness retreats, offering services ranging from detoxification and weight loss programs to yoga and meditation.

Key factors contributing to the success of wellness retreats in medical tourism include:

• Accessibility: Improved transportation and the availability of affordable flights have made it easier for patients to travel internationally for medical care and wellness retreats.
• Quality of care: Many wellness retreats have partnered with renowned medical facilities and practitioners to ensure high-quality care and positive health outcomes.
• Cultural experiences: In addition to providing medical care and wellness programs, these retreats often offer cultural experiences that enrich the patient's overall healing journey.
• Marketing strategies: Effective marketing campaigns have played a vital role in raising awareness of the benefits of wellness retreats and medical tourism, attracting patients from across the globe.

The integration of wellness retreats into medical tourism presents a unique opportunity for patients seeking a holistic approach to health and healing. By offering a comprehensive range of services aimed at promoting physical, mental, and emotional well-being, these retreats have the potential to transform the patient experience and contribute to the overall growth of the global healthcare market. As the demand for holistic healthcare solutions continues to rise, the integration of wellness retreats in medical tourism is set to become an increasingly important aspect of the industry.

To receive a free quote please click on the link: https://www.medicaltourism.com/get-a-quote

Patients are advised to seek hospitals that are accredited by Global Healthcare and only work with medical tourism facilitators who are certified by Global Healthcare Accreditation or who have undergone certification from the Certified Medical Travel Professionals (CMTP). This ensures that the highest standards in the industry are met. Click the link to check out hospitals accredited by the Global Healthcare Accreditation: https://www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com/

It is recommended that consumers do not share their personal and confidential information on random medical tourism platforms as they may not be secure. Consumers must be cautious when disclosing their private information as some organizations may not protect their privacy and could misuse their information. Additionally, there are agencies that may prioritize their commissions over the well-being of the patients. Consumers should avoid choosing the cheapest price and instead make a thorough comparison across multiple facilitators to make an informed decision.

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The Medical Tourism Magazine (MTM), known as the “voice” of the medical tourism industry, provides members and key industry experts with the opportunity to share important developments, initiatives, themes, topics and trends that make the medical tourism industry the booming market it is today.

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Tourism as a Tool in Nature-Based Mental Health: Progress and Prospects Post-Pandemic

Ralf c. buckley.

1 School of Environment & Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia

Mary-Ann Cooper

2 Instituto Profesional de la Fundacion Duoc UC de la Pontificia, Universidad Católica, Viña del Mar 2336, Chile

Associated Data

All data included in article.

The healthcare sector recognises the role of nature in mental health. The tourism sector is equipped to take people to national parks. The conservation sector gains support from visitors. Theoretical frameworks for mental health benefits from nature tourism include: tourism destinations and activities; tourist personalities and life histories; sensory and emotional components of tourist experiences; and intensity and duration of memories. Mental health deteriorated worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovery of global economic productivity requires immediate, accessible, affordable mental health measures at national scales, and nature-based approaches provide the best option. Different countries have adopted a variety of public, private, or voluntary mechanisms. Some focus on design of activities, others on provision of facilities. Costs and implementation depend on key research questions: marginal benefits of nature tour guides or psychologists compared to self-guided nature experiences; comparisons between repeated brief visits and one-off nature holidays; effects of biodiversity, flagship species, and scenic or wilderness quality; and differences between individuals, depending on personalities, life histories, and mental health status and symptoms.

1. Introduction

Tourism can contribute to tourist wellbeing; and wellbeing has social and economic value, underpinning healthcare and health insurance. In particular, tourism takes people to parks and nature destinations, where contact with nature can improve their mental health. Here, we compare and analyse what practical methods and measures have been trialled, in different countries, to take advantage of the overlap between nature tourism and nature therapy, and with what outcomes. We review progress and prospects, in both theory and practice, at four scales: global, national, sectoral, and individual. We consider the role of nature tourism in post-pandemic recovery of population-scale mental health, as a key component in workplace economic productivity.

We propose that there is very considerable potential, and profitable opportunities, for the tourism sector to contribute to nature-based mental healthcare. We argue that approaches taken to date by various countries have been rather ineffective or small scale. Larger-scale approaches are now under adoption, but several key research questions remain unanswered. Answers to these questions are important for all three of the sectors involved, namely tourism, healthcare, and conservation. They are also important for national governments to be able to adopt nature-based approaches to mental healthcare as an immediate, accessible, and affordable mainstream measure in post-pandemic economic recovery.

2. Theoretical Frameworks

Theoretical frameworks in this field are still under development, and there is as yet no generally accepted consensus approach. At broad scale, there have been multiple parallel lines of research on tourism and wellbeing, focussing on different aspects and subsectors ( Table 1 ).

Threads and Terms in Tourism, Wellbeing and Related Research Topics.

Recently, links between tourism and mental health have been explored through a series of sequential approaches, each with slightly different theoretical frameworks ( Table 2 ). These focus on mental health as a component of clinical medicine and public health, rather than lifestyle health and wellbeing. The most recent and general of these frameworks includes: tourism destinations and activities; tourist personalities and life histories; sensory and emotional components of tourist experiences; and intensity and duration of memories ( Figure 1 ). The main components of this framework have a long history of research as independent topics, with recent research on senses [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], emotions [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ], and memories [ 36 ]. Mechanisms derived from recent research on tourism and mental health are closely analogous to those developed during earlier research on tourism experience value [ 37 , 38 ].

Current Theoretical Framework for Tourism Mental Health Benefits.

The focus on mental health rather than wellbeing has been pursued particularly by an Australian research group, using an argument that is essentially economic. Within the healthcare sector, wellbeing is a term used largely in reference to discretionary, patient-funded lifestyle medicine. This is treated as marginal to mainstream clinical and public healthcare, funded through medical insurance and government budget allocations. Effects of tourism on wellbeing are seen as personal benefits, paid for and received by individual tourists. Improvements in mental health, in contrast, are seen as contributing to broader society and economy. Governments routinely maintain economic statistics and analyses on costs of mental health [ 39 , 40 ]. The research requirements for measuring effects of tourism on mental health, however, are set by the expectations of medical rather than business research [ 41 ]. This approach has shown that parks worldwide have an economic value via visitor mental health of USD 6 trillion per annum, including USD 2.1 trillion from reduced healthcare costs and improved workplace productivity [ 42 ]. Mental health approaches have now been expanded across tourism and recreation research more broadly [ 43 , 44 ].

Recent Development of Frameworks for Mental Health of Nature-Based Tourists.

The frameworks outlined in Table 1 and Table 2 and Figure 1 are tourism research frameworks. Different theoretical frameworks are used within healthcare and conservation research, as outlined in Table 3 , because the sectors have very different aims and structures.

Frameworks for mental health in tourism, healthcare and conservation.

In the healthcare sector, the benefits of nature for mental health are well established and accepted at proof-of-concept level; but they are not yet converted to the details of dose, response, and duration in relation to patient symptoms and personality, required to construct prescriptible courses of psychotherapy [ 41 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 ]. Evidence to date indicates that a minimum of 2 hr/wk nature contact is required to achieve any therapeutic effect [ 66 ]. To achieve adherence to therapy and sustained behavioural change seems to require a larger dose, e.g., 4 hr/wk, and a minimum course duration of 12 weeks [ 45 , 48 ]. These figures are likely to differ between: patients and symptoms; place and intensity of outdoor activities; and whether they are led by a qualified psychologist or nature guide, or unguided. So-called green prescriptions, as currently implemented, seem to be much too limited to be effective, and do not include any practical means of implementation [ 57 ].

From a conservation perspective, there are two central considerations. Conservation policies, and declaration of conservation reserves, need political support, and this is derived partly through the economics of ecosystem services. Practical management of protected areas needs cash, either from government budget allocations, or other sources, or both. These can differ considerably between countries, and between conservation areas in the same country. Visitor mental health is a newly recognized mechanism to calculate one significant economic value of nature and national parks [ 42 , 47 ]. It could also be harnessed to provide direct cashflow to parks agencies, but at the risk of increased ecological impacts and loss of control.

3. Scales and Social Context: Trends and Patterns

3.1. global scale: access to natural resources and ecosystem services.

Mental health benefits for parks and nature tourists are a form of cultural ecosystem service [ 56 ]. At global scale, human access to natural resources, including ecosystem services, follows four main models, either in series or in parallel ( Table 4 ).

Systems for Human Access to Natural Resources & Ecosystem Services.

The same resource or service may be available via each of these models, at different times and places; or even at the same time and place, as is often the case for drinking water. Mental health benefits from nature depend on access to relatively undisturbed natural areas, either public, communal or private. Currently, most of the world’s population is urbanized, and access either to private rural lands, urban greenspace, or public lands such as national parks, is quite inequitable. In developed nations, nature-based mental health is available largely at level 3 above, taxpayer-funded public lands; but increasingly, it is moving to level 4, as commercial enterprises seek to capitalise on increasing demand and limited supply.

At present, private estates, and private or rented nature holiday homes, are available only to wealthier individuals. Many rural residents have access to rural production lands, such as farmland. Public urban greenspace is unevenly distributed, with higher house prices correlated with greater greenspace. At least a third of urban populations in developed nations, and two thirds in newly industrialized nations, do not visit national parks [ 47 , 68 ]. Reasons may include: lack of time or money; social and cultural preferences; or individual life histories. There are also cultural differences in preferred activities within national parks: not everyone visits principally for nature appreciation.

At level 4 in Table 4 , there is competition between private stakeholders, for access to natural resources or ecosystem services. Enterprises can profit by: capturing exclusive use or access rights to natural areas with high environmental quality; obtaining preferential government funding to provide a public service; constructing and marketing retail products directly to consumers of nature-based mental health; or a combination of the above. Nature tourism enterprises whose business models rely on access to public protected areas, find themselves in political as well as market competition, depending on the types of access rights they hold. For example, those who have a fixed-site private foothold inside public protected areas, via various mechanisms, seek to exclude those who rely on mobile use of public infrastructure [ 69 ]. Demand for access is increasing, as tourism enterprises use mental health to enhance their marketing. In future, private healthcare and health insurance corporations, much larger and more powerful than the tourism sector, may buy tourism enterprises simply to acquire their parks access rights. This already happens through acquisitions within the tourism sector.

3.2. National Scale: Approaches to Nature-Based Mental Healthcare

Different countries have taken a range of different approaches to incorporating nature-based components in their national mainstream mental healthcare systems. Some of these include or rely on commercial tourism models; some on community outdoor recreation models; and some on public or clinical healthcare models. To date, tourism models have proved more successful, healthcare models less so. The option of combining the two sectors has rarely been adopted, though the most recent measures within China, outlined below, appear to be moving in that direction.

Some countries simply have strong cultural incentives for individual outdoor recreation, and social mechanisms that provide easy access to natural areas. In New Zealand, backcountry hiking is known as tramping, and is a powerful component of the national psyche. There is an extensive system of national parks, and most people have access to them. In Norway, Sweden and Finland, there is a long and continuing tradition of outdoor recreation, termed friluftsliv , fresh-air life; and public hiking access to private as well as public lands, through the historical doctrine of allemansrett .

Historically, much of the UK was accessible via public walking or horseback rights-of-way, though these are now greatly reduced through long campaigns by private landholders. In countries such as USA, Canada, Australia, and Chile, there is no public access to private lands. There are national park systems with maintained hiking tracks and trails. There are traditions of outdoor recreation, but these apply only to some population subsectors. They also include motorised and consumptive activities, though these are declining in popularity nationally, relative to lower-impact activities such as hiking, kayaking, and birdwatching.

The key issue from a mental health perspective in these countries, however, is that there are substantial population sectors who do not take part in any of these outdoor activities, or visit national parks or other public lands at all: either independently, or as clients of tourism operators or outfitters, as nature and adventure enterprises are known in North America. From a public health perspective, therefore, one of the critical considerations is, how to encourage and enable park visits by nature-deprived population subsectors. There has only been limited research to date on the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of those subsectors [ 68 ].

In both USA and UK, there have been rather half-hearted and unsuccessful attempts to link outdoor recreation activities into mainstream healthcare funding. In the USA, healthcare funding relies heavily on employer-funded private health insurance. The federal government established a funding program aimed at using exercise to reduce diabetes, which reimbursed health insurers for the costs of private employees enrolling in provider programs. Insurance brokers took advantage of this to promote outdoor exercise programs to large health insurers, using patented software intended to match patients to providers, with automated tracking and billing [ 57 ]. To increase the number of patients, they marketed this approach to employers and health insurers as a preventive nature-based mental health program, applicable to all staff, not only the smaller proportion with diabetes. This seems to have started in 2018. The brokers still exist, and so does the diabetes funding, but as of September 2022, the link to nature-based exercise for mental health seems to have disappeared.

In the UK, the taxpayer-funded National Health Service commenced a large-scale approach under the title of Social Determinants of Health, SDH. One component of this was intended to improve equitable access to outdoor nature-based exercise opportunities. The actual measures taken, however, were rather ineffective. The national government intended to fund 100 positions within local governments: individuals who would act as information brokers between doctors and local outdoor voluntary recreation groups, such as hiking clubs or competitive mountain-running associations [ 57 ]. The therapeutic role of wetland visitor centres has also been mentioned [ 70 ]. It is not clear how many positions were actually funded, nor how many patients were referred to voluntary groups, nor whether those groups were able to accept new members in poor mental health. The SDH program still exists [ 71 ], but no longer mentions nature-based mental health.

In Australia, healthcare is funded through a combination of: individual-premium private health insurance; budget allocations to state government health portfolios; and direct patient payments. Mental healthcare is substantially underfunded by government, and relies on semi-voluntary organisations that receive both government funds and donations. There are national educational marketing programs aiming to overcome historical stigma in discussion of poor mental health. There are private social-purpose enterprises that operate participant-funded nature-based mental health programs, using charity-challenge tourism business models [ 57 ]. The largest of these [ 48 ] is marketed principally to urban mothers, and has successfully attracted 1% of the national adult female population to date. The fundraising component, >$40 million to date, was historically donated to mental health organisations, but that has now changed to a cardiac health organisation. The principal mental health contribution is for the participants themselves, and this remains effective. The main function of the fundraising component is to prevent participants dropping out of the program, which runs for 12 weeks. There are also enterprises offering a broader range of shorter small-group programs with a stronger tourism focus, where the charity challenge fundraising is parallel to the activity component. These enterprises survived the COVID-19 disruption, and remain operational.

In Japan, there is a long tradition of peaceful contemplation of natural landscapes, especially those with forests and streams. In recent decades, this has been formalised as shinrin-yoku , forest bathing, which has also been exported worldwide as a lifestyle medicine concept. There are forest therapy societies and associations, and a government-run certification program for forest therapy destinations. There do not seem to be any published data, at least in English, as to what proportions of their populations take part in shinrin-yoku programs. Some forest national parks, but not all, are accessible via public transport from metropolitan cities. There are similar though less well-known programs in Korea.

In China, there is a new and rapidly expanding government program, apparently the only national-scale, cross-portfolio attempt at nature-based mental health therapy [ 72 , 73 ]. Initiated by the national forestry agency under the name of Forest Therapy Hubs, it has now been brought into a joint initiative by national health, tourism, and land management agencies, under a title which translates as Healthy Life Bases, effectively nature therapy centres. These are visitor centres designed for self-guided mental health therapy, e.g., via short interpretive forest trails. Details differ between sites, and it seems that they combine redesign and rebranding of existing visitor centres, and newly constructed facilities. The goal is to construct 1200 of these bases nationwide. The program started last year, and ~100 had been opened by the end of the year [ 73 ]. Improvements in public-transport access, and options for on-site guiding and counselling, are apparently under consideration but not yet operational.

3.3. Sectoral Scale: Patterns and Updates

Nature and adventure tourism, international as well as domestic, are substantial and profitable subsectors of the tourism industry. There are powerful and long-running campaigns by tourism industry advocates in a number of countries, to extend private commercial tourism access to public protected areas and other public lands. Until recently, these did not include mental health components. Similarly, research on tourism and wellbeing has only recently focussed on nature-based products. Currently, there seem to be two relevant trends within the tourism sector. The first is to include mental health benefits in marketing for nature tourism products and destinations, more explicitly than in the past [ 55 ]. That applies for both fixed-site accommodation and facilities, and mobile tours. The second is the expansion of charity-challenge events and programs marketed specifically for participant mental health, such as those outlined above.

To date, however [ 46 ], we have not seen tourism products restructured and rebranded directly as mainstream nature therapy products. This seems to be a substantial opportunity. In some countries, private patient-funded psychotherapies are very widespread and commonplace amongst urban populations, and the therapists concerned have considerable latitude in how they construct their products. It seems that they could quite easily partner with outdoor tour guides and nature tourism enterprises, to offer nature-based psychotherapies at upper-tier prices. That may not do much for public mental health more widely, but it would provide profitable new commercial opportunities.

More broadly, parks and nature contribute to the mental health of independent tourists, with corresponding economic benefits [ 47 , 59 ]; but in general, national public and clinical healthcare systems have not yet taken advantage of this. In Australia, for example, the national government healthcare program, known as Medicare ® , has a funding code for 10 sequential 1 h sessions of small-group counselling, by a single psychologist, for 6–10 patients simultaneously. That option, however, requires diagnosis and prescription by general medical practitioners, and seems to be little used. Some psychologists offer counselling outdoors, but sessions are only 20 min, well below the 2 h/wk effectiveness threshold.

Therefore, it appears that a considerable public mental health benefit could be achieved by relatively minor modification to the Medicare ® code definitions, with partnerships between psychologists and nature tour guides and enterprises to provide parks access permits, safety and logistics, and nature interpretation. This option would not require rebranding or medical certification of tourism products as therapies. It would require some additional public funding for the extended Medicare ® service. It would also require funding, either public or private depending on patient means, to cover the costs of the tourism components. Given the very large scale of pandemic-related mental health deterioration, however [ 74 , 75 ], these costs would represent a small investment with a large return.

From a healthcare perspective, key considerations are the design of courses of treatment, relative to patient symptoms and characteristics. Evidence to date has converged on courses with at least 2 and preferably 4 hr/wk, for at least 12 weeks. This is 2–4 times the maximum length of individual treatments, and double the overall duration, of current standard courses for publicly funded psychotherapy and physiotherapy. It is less, however, than some private psychotherapies, so it is within the envelope of current mental health treatment systems.

We do not yet have evidence as to whether a single intensive nature holiday may be more or less effective, from a mental health perspective, than a 12-week course of brief weekly nature activities. Medical funding and insurance systems can accommodate both one-off major operations, and extended courses of treatment, so either option should be feasible. There is also no medical evidence as yet, as to whether a skilled nature tour guide boosts mental health outcomes from time in nature; or only knowledge, enjoyment and satisfaction. Nor is there any medical evidence whether being accompanied by a psychologist adds anything to mental health benefits from direct experience of nature itself. Finally, we do not yet know how long mental health benefits of nature experiences may last. To date, we only have evidence that: mental health benefits improve with pristineness and biodiversity [ 19 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 ]; intense individual experiences remain memorable for many decades [ 58 ]; and fade-out in wellbeing after non-nature vacations can extend over months or years [ 10 ]. Additional evidence on each of these topics is therefore required, in order to refine nature therapy designs.

Nature therapies may also need to be modified to suit different patients. Physical capabilities may differ greatly depending on age, and on factors such as fitness and body mass index; and mental health gains from nature may depend strongly on personality factors such as nature relatedness [ 82 ] or connectedness [ 83 , 84 , 85 ], and on life history factors such as ageing [ 22 , 86 ], and childhood exposure to the outdoors [ 27 , 47 , 83 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ]. Different individuals may need different incentives or social levers to start and continue nature therapy courses, depending whether any barriers are individual, cultural, social, or geographical and economic [ 45 ].

From the perspective of the nature conservation sector, there is a distinction between political support for improved government budgets, and immediate financial support by charging for access or activities, either for individual park visitors, or via permitting processes for commercial enterprises. Currently, commercial tourism enterprises in many countries operate in public as well as private lands. Protected areas already have publicly funded access, infrastructure, and visitor facilities, as well as the primary nature attractions. These represent a public subsidy, along with the taxpayer-funded costs of managing ecological impacts. Fees differ greatly, depending on types of activity and local politics and regulations.

In some countries, notably developing nations in African wildlife tourism destinations, conservation funding relies heavily on tourism, and at least some commercial tourism enterprises make net positive contributions to conservation [ 59 , 91 ], through up-market, minimum-impact lodges, many on private reserves or communally owned lands. In other countries, in contrast, including some developed nations, there are a growing number of commercial property developers who have obtained permits to construct permanent lodges inside public national parks, with net negative effects on ecology, social equity, and regional economies [ 69 ]. To date, the healthcare sector has not copied these approaches. If tourism and healthcare enterprises form partnerships, however, as we currently predict, then their political clout and potential adverse impacts will greatly exceed that of tourism alone.

3.4. Individual Scale: Psychological Mechanisms

At the most fine-grained level, the therapeutic effects of nature-based tourism differ between individuals. Individual differences are well established in psychological research, and tour guides and psychologists both learn to customise their approaches to their clients’ interests, personalities, and life histories. In tourism mental health and tourism experience value ( Figure 1 ), different individuals may experience different senses and emotions during the same activity at the same place and time. This has been recorded in practice, e.g., for wildlife tourism [ 58 ] and adventure tourism [ 92 ]. Attitudes, motivations and memories differ correspondingly, with consequent effects of mental health outcomes.

Across the three sectors considered here, namely tourism, healthcare, and conservation, it seems to be tourism that has achieved the greatest practical recognition of these individual differences, which are central to targeted marketing, choreography by tour guides, and experience value for tourists. Learned tacit skills of nature tour guides could be applied to maximise the mental health benefits of outdoor tourism. From a theoretical perspective, psychological mechanisms for tourism experience value and tourism mental health are closely congruent [ 38 , 57 ]. As the healthcare sector takes greater advantage of nature-based therapies, the psychological skills of nature tour guides will achieve greater recognition.

4. Discussion: Research Priorities

In tourism research, there seem to be two priority topics. The first is to measure tourist wellbeing outcomes using mental-health methods and terminology, so that the therapeutic benefits of tourism products can be compared to those of courses designed directly as therapies. Currently, mental health benefits may be marketed as one additional reason to purchase a particular tourism product or visit a particular tourist destination, but without evidence that would be accepted in the healthcare sector.

The second is to analyse the psychological drivers and factors, at individual scale, that determine: what mental gains are achieved; by what mechanisms; and how long they last. Some people are happily challenged to climb a mountain in bad weather, and unhappily bored lying in the sun with a drink; whereas for others, the reverse applies. Some outdoor tourists want active adventure thrills, even if they involve risks and fear. Others want more contemplative nature experiences, such as scenery, waterfalls, wildlife, or birdwatching. Currently, the tourism approach is simply to offer products of different types, and leave purchasers to choose. As digital tourism marketing becomes more tightly targeted to individual consumers, however [ 93 ], an understanding of mechanisms will gain increased commercial significance. Currently, tourism research does consider satisfaction and future motivations, and fade-out of self-perceived wellbeing post-vacation; but it does not yet track in detail how satisfaction from one tourist experience may gradually be converted, post-vacation, to motivation for future experiences.

Within the healthcare sector, the priority is to design, construct, test and implement nature-based mental-health therapies within mainstream healthcare systems, funded by health insurers and government health portfolios as well as individuals. This will include systems for diagnosis and customisation to individuals, using the terminology of patients rather than clients. The measure of value is via long-term mental health outcomes, rather than short-term customer satisfaction. The logical approach is for the healthcare sector to take advantage of accrued expertise within tourism, to provide all the outdoor components that are unfamiliar within healthcare. This has not yet happened, but healthcare research could focus on testing the mental health of nature tourism products that already exist, relative to the psychological characteristics of the tour clients.

For conservation, there would seem to be three immediate research priorities. The first is in the economics of health services value, the mental health value of visiting parks, at national or state government scale. Currently, there are calculations showing how visits to national parks increase economic productivity and reduce healthcare costs [ 42 ]. As yet, however, there has been no attempt to calculate marginal returns, via these mechanisms, on increased investment in the budgets of protected area management agencies. The second is in the practical politics of using parks for nature-based mental health therapies. On the one hand, partnerships between health insurers and outdoor tourism enterprises may provide financial opportunities for both; but on the other, both may arise at the expense of conservation and public parks agencies [ 69 ]. Therefore, those agencies would be wise to devise and test appropriate access control and fee systems immediately, before they are taken unawares. The third priority is to test the differential mental health effects of different components of conservation, such as biodiversity and flagship species, and how these differentiate national parks from urban greenspace.

5. Conclusions: Progress and Prospects Post-Pandemic

There has been considerable recent progress in research on nature tourism and mental health. Economics approaches have shown that the value of parks and nature tourism for human capital and mental health is very substantial, large enough to merit more detailed research on psychological mechanisms. Previous research on individual personalities, tourism settings and activities, sensory and emotional experiences, and memories and wellbeing, have been integrated to construct a general mechanistic framework, which can provide a basis for finer-grained quantification in future research. The principal tourism research priority is to quantify the types, intensities, and durations of therapeutic outcomes from a variety of different tourism products, in relation to: tourist or patient personalities and life histories; tourist setting and activity; guiding and/or counselling; and specific components of scenery, vegetation, or wildlife, such as biodiversity or flagship species, and specific sensory experiences.

Commercial and policy opportunities and risks have been identified in the tourism, healthcare, and nature conservation sectors; and how these play out will depend on differences between countries. At present, the most detailed design to be implemented and tested in practice at large scale, is an activity-oriented approach, a 12-week program of energetic weekly small-group national-park hikes, with a set of social levers to encourage high participation rates and low drop-out. This, however, may not be suitable for everyone. An alternative approach, under large-scale construction and testing in China, is through a large number of fixed-site self-guiding nature therapy facilities, in public parks and forests nationwide. Not yet trialled, but worthy of research, would be a combination of the activity and facility approaches, with multiple repeat visits and activities at or adjacent to readily accessible parks visitor centres.

All of these considerations, already important worldwide per-pandemic, have become increasingly urgent and significant post-pandemic. There is now very extensive research detailing the effects of COVID-19 itself, and associated personal and social disruptions, on: deterioration in mental health [ 51 , 74 , 75 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 ]; access to, and enjoyment of nature during the pandemic [ 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 ]; and the effects of nature on maintaining mental health [ 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 ]. There is also a growing body of statistical and modelling information on the effects of the pandemic in decreasing economic productivity at various scales [ 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 ]. Governments are now urgently seeking to establish immediate and affordable national-scale public health programs to restore mental health and hence national economic productivity. They do not have time or funds to train and employ three times the number of certified psychologists and psychiatrists, to match the tripling in frequency of poor mental health at peak pandemic.

What countries do already have, is national parks and nature. Individuals who were already accustomed to visit parks as part of their pre-pandemic lifestyles, took steps to continue even during lockdowns, and there have been surges in park visitation post-pandemic [ 113 , 114 , 115 ]. In both developed and newly industrialised nations, however, and urban areas in developing nations, there are substantial population sectors who do not visit parks, and may not have equitable access to urban greenspace. One constraint is opportunity, in time as well as money for access and transport [ 45 , 48 ]; but another is unfamiliarity, including cultural constraints and lack of childhood experience [ 47 , 68 ]. There are thus substantial sectors, one to two thirds of the population in many countries, whose mental health could benefit considerably from repeated, guided visits to existing national parks. From healthcare perspectives, that could combine 12-week, ~4 hr/wk small-group outdoor activities as in Australia, with fixed-facility Healthy Life Bases as in China. From a tourism perspective, it would combine outdoor nature, parks and adventure tourism enterprises and tour guides, with national parks destinations, visitor infrastructure, and interpretation centres and programs. The role of nature tourism in mental healthcare has thus become especially important and significant.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, R.C.B. and M.-A.C.; draft and final writing, R.C.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Conceptual article, no ethics approval required.

Informed Consent Statement

Conceptual article, no consents required.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Is Holistic Therapy Right for You?

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

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Types of Holistic Therapy

What holistic therapy can help with, effectiveness, things to consider, how to get started.

Holistic therapy, also sometimes referred to as holistic psychotherapy or body-centered psychotherapy, is an integrative type of therapy that incorporates both traditional and non-traditional treatments to help the individual as a whole.

Rather than focusing on a narrow problem, it considers mental, physical, and spiritual factors that influence a person's well-being and seeks to help people heal and thrive on a deeper level.

Holistic therapy combines aspects of traditional talk therapy and non-traditional approaches, including hypnosis, breath therapy, and meditation. 

Holistic psychotherapy is an umbrella term that can encompass a number of different types of treatments. Professionals who offer this type of treatment may refer to themselves as holistic therapists, but they may also refer to their practice as:

• Eclectic or integrative therapy : An approach that draws on multiple traditions and techniques in order to best address a person’s needs.
• Mind-body therapy : This refers to groups of techniques that focus on improving body functioning and inducing relaxations as a way to improve health.
• Somatic therapy : A body-centric approach that utilizes strategies such as breathwork, dance, and meditation to heal trauma, stress, and other mental health issues.
• Spiritual therapy : An approach that incorporates belief systems and spiritual faith to explore problems that a person faces in their life.

Holistic therapy utilizes a range of techniques to help individuals understand their symptoms. In addition, such strategies are designed to foster a greater sense of self-awareness to better understand the connections between their body, mind, and relationships and how these elements play a role in mental health. 

Such techniques are often rooted in mindfulness and bodywork practices. These techniques may include techniques commonly used in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that are designed to promote relaxation and help individuals better understand the connection between the body, mind, and spirit.  Some of these practices include:

• Acupuncture
• Biofeedback
• Guided imagery
• Mindfulness

In addition to these elements, therapists incorporate psychotherapy approaches including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychoanalysis , and person-centered therapy .

Holistic therapy may be helpful in the treatment of a number of different psychological conditions. Some of these include:

• Emotional difficulties
• Family problems
• Work-related problems

Since this type of therapy seeks to heal the whole person, it may be helpful for problems that do not have a single, definable cause or those that affect multiple areas of a person's life. 

Benefits of Holistic Therapy

The wellness practices that are frequently utilized in holistic therapy are often used more generally to help people deal with tension and stress and to promote overall well-being. 

One benefit of holistic therapy is that it is a whole-body approach that addresses mental, physical, and spiritual health. It often allows individuals to better see the connections between these different aspects of their lives and better understand how this affects their health and wellness.

Many holistic techniques are also strategies that people can practice and perform on their own outside of therapeutic sessions. This can be particularly helpful in daily life when people are facing situations that can trigger stress, anxiety, or changes in mood.

By implementing tactics such as deep breathing , mindfulness, or meditation, people can better manage the situations that are contributing to distress.

Holistic approaches are also often centered on prevention in addition to treatment. Rather than waiting until a problem emerges, learning to utilize holistic treatments may be helpful for preventing problems that can harm a person's emotional, physical, social, or spiritual well-being.

Because of the wide variety of techniques and approaches utilized in holistic therapy, it can be difficult to evaluate its efficacy. However, it often incorporates other empirically validated therapies such as CBT and brief dynamic psychotherapy.

Techniques such as acupuncture, yoga, and deep breathing have also been effective for many purposes.

Some research does suggest that integrated, holistic care can have many benefits. 

• One 2017 article suggested that holistic approaches offer physical and mental benefits that are also cost-effective.
• Research has found that mindfulness and meditation are useful for reducing anxiety and stress and can be adapted for various purposes and situations.
• Guided imagery, often used in holistic practices, may help improve sleep, improve mood, decrease stress, and improve relaxation.
• Research has shown that deep breathing techniques can reduce stress levels and promote relaxation, which can benefit both physical and mental health.

As with other types of therapy, it is essential to be willing to work with your therapist to deal with the emotional and mental conflicts you are facing. Holistic approaches require participation and are often very hands-on. 

The non-profit academic medical center Cleveland Clinic notes that holistic therapy should not take the place of traditional medicine but can be used in conjunction with other treatments to help improve the healing process and overall well-being.

In some cases, your therapist may begin with more traditional, psychotherapeutic techniques before moving to other alternative therapies.

It is often helpful to approach treatment with an open mind in order to enjoy the full benefits of the process.

If you are interested in trying holistic therapy, there are a few things you should do before you get started.

Find a Therapist

The first step is to find a professional in your area who practices holistic therapy. Online therapy may be an option in some cases, but many of the more hands-on practices (massage and Reiki, for example) require in-person appointments. 

You might start your search by talking to your primary care physician to see if they can refer you to a local holistic therapist. Another idea is to do a general online search or look through a therapist directory.

People who incorporate holistic techniques into their practices may go by other titles including clinical psychologist or marriage and family therapist, so you may need to ask about the techniques that they practice if there is a specific experience you are interested in trying.

Get Help Now

We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

What to Expect

During your first session, your therapist will evaluate your current state of functioning and work with you to develop goals for your treatment. Because holistic therapy is flexible, your needs can be evaluated, and your plan adapted as you progress through therapy based on your needs.

You should also find out about insurance and payment options before you begin your treatment. Because many holistic approaches are not covered by insurance, your therapist may not accept insurance as a form of payment. Check with your insurance provider to find out what services are covered before you begin treatment.

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Cleveland Clinic. Guided imagery .

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By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."