The travel industry is recovering dynamically with shifting traveller preferences and behaviour. This highlights the importance of comprehensive consumer segmentation in order to tailor strategies and product offerings that respond to discrete target segments’ needs, values and wants. The growing interest in wellness signals a white space to be tapped into by travel destinations and players. Exploring Euromonitor’s traveller type, the Wellness Worshipper, reveals interesting and diverse demographics seeking and willing to pay more for relaxation in-destination. Differentiating out of physical wellness is key to leverage the wellness opportunity in travel.
Wellness gains traction in the new normal
Wellness is one of Euromonitor’s 10 megatrends which is expected to have long-term impact on consumer behaviour and demand across age bands. Consumers have a heightened awareness of and interest in embedding wellness into their lifestyles. One third of global respondents expect to increase spending on health and wellness in 2024, with higher tendencies amongst younger generations, according to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey, fielded January to February 2024. As a spending priority, younger generations seek wellness out of physical health but also spiritual, mental and emotional wellbeing with higher levels of personalisation driven by technology expected.
Global in-destination wellness spending is expected to reach USD128 million by 2029, growing at a 4.8% CAGR over 2025-2029, driven by medical tourism and spa expenditure
Source: Euromonitor Voice of the Consumer: Travel Survey, fielded January to February 2024
Wellness has higher priority than travel when it comes to future spending habits. With rising awareness of and interest in spiritual and sleep tourism, together with yoga and wellness retreats, wellness in travel is more than a spa or massage at a luxury hotel. Maintaining physical health is top of mind but alternative health and wellness habits such as dietary wellness and mental wellness see increasing relevance.
Wellness Worshippers and where to find them
As part of Euromonitor’s traveller segmentation, Wellness Worshippers are defined as travellers who prioritise relaxation as an important travel feature and exercise at least weekly with at least one leisure trip taken in the past year. 16% of global travellers are Wellness Worshippers with higher male penetration as 52% of Wellness Worshippers are male respondents, according to Euromonitor Voice of the Consumer: Travel Survey, fielded January to February 2024. The top three source markets of this group are Argentina, the Netherlands and China, according to the same survey. The diverse source markets mean destinations and travel players need to embrace diversity and build inclusion and loyalty into offerings.
76% of global Wellness Worshippers are willing to pay at least 10% more for relaxation in-destination
Source: Euromonitor Voice of the Consumer: Travel Survey, fielded January to February 2024
Tapping into white space opportunities for wellness tourism
Amongst current wellness offerings focusing on treating physical health, there is room for transformation and differentiation as a destination or a travel player to capture travellers’ attention. There are white spaces in wellness tourism to explore, where wellness goes beyond the pure Luxury Seeker and speaks to all ages and incomes.
- Immersive Experience: Travellers are increasingly experience-driven as 59% of global respondents agreed it is important to spend money on experiences, according to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey, fielded January to February 2024. This shows potential in combining wellness offers leveraging technologies for immersive phygital experience and personalisation to attract tech-savvy younger generations seeking novel experiences.
- Mental Wellbeing Focus: 53% of global respondents are moderately or extremely concerned about depression and mental health and their impact on their future health, with higher agreement amongst younger generations, according to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey, fielded January to February 2024. The purpose of travel is elevated as a means towards self-empowerment, renewal and positive endorphins through new experiences, to overcome small challenges and facilitate personal growth. Mental health-related wellness offerings are expected to become a blank space for industry players to capitalise on rising awareness and concern levels amongst consumers.
- Embedded Wellness: Wellness experience is expected to diversify and democratise to different phases of a traveller journey. A traveller journey includes discovery and planning, booking, mode of transport and in-destination. The traveller’s journey is not necessarily linear, especially when it comes to discovery, planning and booking. Embedding wellness products throughout the traveller journey, such as increasing offers through booking processes and embedding bite-size wellness experiences in travel modes, could appeal to wellness-seeking travellers.
Read our report, Targeting High-Value Traveller Segments for Sustainable Growth Opportunities, for more analysis on traveller segmentation.