Find balance and renewal in destinations designed to restore.
This year’s most in-demand feel-good getaways run the gamut, from high-tech biohacking pursuits to low-key immersions rooted in nature.
In 1860, American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson declared that “the first wealth is health,” and today that sentiment seems to resonate more than ever. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness economy hit a new peak of $6.3 trillion in 2023, and it’s expected to reach $9 trillion by 2028. As travelers increasingly choose vacations that incorporate – if not revolve around – physical and mental wellness, some trending pursuits have emerged in the industry. We’ve highlighted eight of them here, along with intel on the luxury hotels, spa resorts, destinations, and travel companies that can help you find your zen.
A Serious Focus on Getting Better Rest
Sleep tourism is one of luxury wellness travel’s fastest-growing niches. Excellent sleep hygiene has become a core pillar of the wellness experience, rather than just a peripheral benefit, with luxury resorts and spas offering everything from soothing, stand-alone sleep-health treatments to immersive, multiday biohacking programs designed to help guests get more (and better-quality) z’s. Sign up for a retreat that’ll teach you deep-relaxation techniques, try acupuncture to overcome insomnia, or slip away to a remote destination for a tech-centric approach to snoozing with a sleep-optimized suite as your base.
BodyHoliday
Canyon Ranch Tucson
Canyon Ranch Woodside
Chenot Palace Weggis
Fairmont Century Plaza
Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda
Miraval Berkshires
The Chedi Lustica Bay
Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Los Cabos
Hormone Therapy and Menopause Retreats
In the not-too-distant past, matters of health for middle-aged women – such as menopause and other hormone-related conditions – were largely treated as taboo. But as social norms shift, these complex (and for many women, confounding) processes are getting the attention and research they deserve. In Mexico, women can settle in for a seven-night program that combines metabolic assessments, hormone-balancing diets, pelvic and muscle therapies, and stress relief. In the Maldives, specially designed spa treatments spotlight women’s health, and across the U.S., menopause retreats feature expert-led workshops focused on everything from sleep and nutrition to hormone management and emotional balance.
1 Hotel South Beach
Canyon Ranch, Lenox
Joali Being
Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa
SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico
Tuscany’s hot springs offer a place to nurture the mind and body.
Sauna- and Soak-Centric Experiences
In some parts of the world, saunas have long been viewed as integral to wellness, thanks to both the heat’s healing and detoxifying benefits and the sense of community the experience creates. Soaks and sauna sessions aren’t just treatment add-ons or post-workout wind-downs – they’re experiences worth planning a trip around. In Iceland, travelers can partake in a traditional Viking sauna ritual that blends breathing techniques, guided mindfulness, and immune-boosting hot-and-cold contrast therapy. Across Europe, Canada, and Central America, soaks in naturally occurring hot springs boast good-for-you benefits. And at a retreat on Saint Lucia, days are spent hopping between dry and infrared saunas and volcanic mineral pools.
Deep Dives That Emphasise Longevity
Longevity is now one of wellness travel’s biggest buzzwords, and luxury hotels, resorts, spas, and clinics are offering robust and highly personalized programming to help people live longer and in optimal health. Travelers can expect lots of DNA-based nutrition plans, advanced diagnostics and hormone therapies, IV drips, cryotherapy sessions, epigenetic testing, and more. Many spas administer vitamin and mineral IV infusions under guidance from doctors, while others build bespoke multiday programs around complete wellness evaluations and diagnostic testing that assesses more than 100 key biomarkers. There are even retreats for specific age groups, from middle-aged to senior.
Mental and Emotional Fitness
People are prioritizing their mental health in tandem with their physical wellness, and spa resorts are answering with an expanded focus on therapies that promote stress relief, emotional resilience, and even trauma healing. In a wide range of locales – Dubai, the Maldives, the French Riviera, and Mexico among them – wellness and medical practitioners are at the ready to guide travelers through drop-in or multiday programs featuring somatic therapy, digital detoxes, sound healing, breathwork, creative activities, and silence.
Indigenous and Ancestral Healing Practices
One of travel’s most meaningful takeaways is the opportunity to learn about cultures and traditions other than our own, which can include culturally rooted healing practices. Virtuoso advisors specializing in wellness travel can recommend destinations and resorts that showcase these cultural connections, from ancient Mayan temazcal rituals and shaman-led sessions to other practices and treatments that incorporate ancient techniques and indigenous ingredients celebrated for their healing properties.
In Switzerland, scenic hikes on Interlaken’s trails turn movement into mindfulness.
Spa Experiences Rooted in Nature
This wellness travel trend packs a double punch: It can benefit travelers and the environment. Regenerative wellness travel shines a light on resorts that are carbon-negative, fund local conservation efforts, and offer experiences that celebrate natural immersion – think forest bathing, foraging, and plant-based culinary programs. This year’s Virtuoso Luxe Report revealed that travelers are increasingly opting to book vacations that combine nature and wellness. Easy access to garden walks, hiking trails, and wild swims are great for the body and soul – and they pair well with a suite of post-activity spa treatments.
Stays That Come with Total Gut Resets
Wellness experts love to talk about the gut-brain connection, especially as increasing evidence shows that our microbiome affects everything from digestion and immunity to mood and cognitive function. Fittingly, spa resorts and clinics in popular destinations are offering programming designed to optimize gut health through personalized nutrition, digestive diagnostics, special menus, and more. Jet off to India for a customized program designed to identify and treat digestive maladies; spend time in Europe for a detox created to purify the body; or spend a weekend in Southern California or Mexico for spa experiences and cuisine that aim to reduce inflammation, decrease stress, and improve overall vitality.
