News and Insights

All’s Wellness that Ends Well

May 8, 2026

Like the hottest of the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine, the latest forecast from the Global Wellness Institute reveals “a wellness market on fire.” GWI’s 2025 Global Wellness Economy Monitor, released in November, reported the market doubling since 2013 and rising 7.9 percent since 2023 to a new peak of $6.8 trillion in 2024, with every wellness sector from Mental Wellness to Personal Care & Beauty, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers. Wellness Tourism, defined as travel intended to enhance one’s wellbeing, was the fourth loftiest sector, contributing nearly $900 billion. Spas, standalone or hotel and resort-based, added another $157 billion.

Along with its head for numbers, GWI has an eye for wellness trends. Among 10 forecast in the Future of Wellness 2026 Trends report are a “rise of neurowellness,” which sees traditional modalities such as massage, yoga, and breathwork being recast as medicine for the nervous system; “fragrance layering,” with technologies aiding hospitality and leisure spaces shift aromas in different environments; and “skin longevity redefines beauty,” with anti-aging messaging out and optimization of skin health and function over the long term in. There’s also “the ‘festivalization’ of wellness,” with events such as wellness raves, sober morning dance events, and more to make wellness playful, group-oriented, and inclusive.

Meantime, hospitality-derived wellness has graduated from optional to expected. As observed by Today’s Hotelier of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, “The shift toward health and wellness isn’t merely a trend; it’s a fundamental change in consumer behavior.”

This shift in wellness travel is evidenced across the globe. As noted in The Intentional Traveler report prepared by FINN’s Hong Kong office for The Luxury Group by Marriott International, well-being is everything for high-net-worth travelers in APAC, with 90 percent citing wellness offerings as key factors to their booking decisions in 2025, up from 80 percent – still pretty solid – in 2024.

In the UK, the growing number of public saunas is on path to reach 200 by year-end 2025, up from just 45 near the start of 2023, according to the non-profit British Sauna Society, and in keeping with another GWI trend, “the over-optimization backlash”. And Food & Beverage departments across the hotel industry are fashioning health-conscious menus for everything from gut health to athletic performance, planting chefs’ gardens with seasonal produce, and choreographing experiential culinary offerings to teach guests to transform local ingredients into culturally astute meals.

In Florida, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort remains a shining star of tech-driven wellness, leading in AI for personal health management, as it did pioneering “touchless wellness technologies” for therapeutic healing during the darkest days of the pandemic. From Vibroacoustic Electromagnetic Infrared technology (V.E.M.I.) that uses healing sound resonance with full-body vibrations, natural earth frequencies, and infrared to eliminate effects caused by electro-smog radiation; to leveraging AI to provide detailed insights into imbalances in organs, tissues, bones, and mental well-being (OYA Health), the resort has long been a destination for optimizing health and wellness, embracing advances to offer unparalleled experiences and, often, services unavailable elsewhere in the U.S. or around the world.

If properties like Carillon Miami represent the future of wellness through high-tech AI, Langham Hospitality Group proves that the ultimate ‘personalization data’ may actually be thousands of years old. The Hong Kong-based hospitality brand has spent the last two decades perfecting a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern science. The brand’s Chuan Spa – the name means ‘flowing water’ – does not just offer treatments; it offers a diagnostic system rooted in the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Through a signature Five Element questionnaire, Chuan Spa identifies current internal imbalances, enabling therapists to curate a sensory journey specifically for that moment in time. From the elemental oils used in the treatment to the specific ‘element tea’ served in the relaxation lounge, the experience is a bespoke roadmap to equilibrium. In an era of seeking ‘fountains of youth’ and stress relief that goes deeper than the skin, Chuan Spa stands out by translating centuries of TCM philosophy into a high-touch, data-driven wellness experience, offering a tailored prescription for emotional and physical equilibrium.

McKinsey & Co.’s most-recent Future of Wellness Survey trumpeted in-person experiences and wellness travel as poised for growth, with boutique fitness classes and retreats as standout offerings, especially in the U.S. The survey also anticipated the uptick in longevity-focused wellness, with consumers – especially Gen Z, who feel “almost always stressed” – pinpointing longevity as an area in which their needs are unmet. A recent move by The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in Southern California addresses precisely that glitch, with its Mila Moursi Spa partnering with Dr. Sarah Corey, a leader in integrated concierge medicine, to craft a new Staywell Longevity Menu featuring hormone therapy, peptide therapy, IV Therapies, and more.

Meanwhile, Upper House Hong Kong from Swire Hotels, overlooking the shimmering city from the Admiralty business district, offers a half-dozen “wellness residences” including 10x Longevity. Originally introduced during the pandemic in keeping with surging local demand for cellular rejuvenation, 10x is designed for busy urban professionals to “level up” their healthspan and provide relief for sufferers of jet lag, incorporating high-pressure oxygen therapy, infrared saunas, and cold plunges to boost energy, promote relaxation, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation.

Even with such strides forward, FINN Partners can’t help noticing a return to tradition in wellness. “There are a lot of bright, shiny, fast-moving offerings these days, but the flipside is wellness programming rooted in ancient traditions, rituals, and philosophies that are true to the destination,” observes Elise Carlin, Associate Vice President on FINN’s North American travel team. Carlin points to the Songstam Group, which has begun offering Sowa Rigpa, an ancient Tibetan medical system that blends natural energy with cultural wisdom to spark physical and spiritual transformation, at seven of its 18 boutique hotels and resorts in Tibet and the Yunnan Province of China.

At the Qiyuan Healing Space of The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, “Qi Yua,” a word used by Taoists, conveys the meaning of gathering and restoring inner energy, as well as a calm atmosphere in the meditation and healing space. Guests can immerse into transformative experiences featuring the transcendent gong bath, long considered as an excellent tool for sound healing and uplifting the mind and body in ancient Chinese culture.

Far from everything except the dramatic landscapes that define them, luxury safari operator Wilderness is underscoring how wellness has evolved into a central pillar of the modern luxury traveler’s mindset with the debut of The Sanctuary at Wilderness Bisate Lodge in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and at Wilderness Mombo Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Purposefully embedded into each destination, The Sanctuary reflects a broader shift in luxury travel toward presence, ritual, and place-driven wellbeing, offering guests space to re-center through curated soundscapes and signature scents; a heated saltwater indoor lap pool designed for quiet reflection; steam rooms and ice baths for therapeutic renewal; and cocoon-like meditation pods created for stillness and solitude. Both Sanctuaries also feature fully equipped gyms, treatment rooms for massage and beauty therapies, and fireplaces that encourage guests to slow down and linger.

“Today’s luxury traveler is no longer compartmentalizing wellness and cultural immersion as separate experiences,” said Caroline Keane. “We are seeing a clear evolution toward wellbeing that is intrinsically tied to destination, landscape, and local tradition. What Wilderness is doing with The Sanctuary feels emblematic of where the market is headed – wellness that is quietly sophisticated, deeply contextual, and designed to enhance the journey rather than interrupt it. In the same way Carillon’s touchless, tech-forward approach reflects Miami’s innovation-led energy, The Sanctuary is a natural extension of the environments Wilderness explores, reinforcing that the future of luxury wellness is rooted in authenticity, intention, and a sense of place.”

Similarly, the city of Seoul has emerged as the world’s “fountain of youth,” as the Wall Street Journal put it, for travelers seeking savings on skincare procedures that can’t be accessed elsewhere. As reported in The Korea Herald, local luxury properties have been targeting Millennials and Gen Z with creative skincare specials such as last-summer’s “Pool-cation” package at Vista Walkerhill Seoul, a seasonal partnership with vegan beauty brand Frebits from Moxy Seoul Insadong, and Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul’s “Blooming in Pink” program with the French skincare line NUXE.

These examples also signal a broader shift toward wellness as an integrated, sensory experience, shaped as much by atmosphere and design as by treatments or programs. At Pan Pacific London, wellbeing is embedded into the guest journey from the moment of arrival. The hotel’s lobby sets the tone with a deliberately calm, minimalist aesthetic, where muted materials, curated artworks, and softened acoustics create a sense of decompression from the city outside.

“As wellness matures, it’s becoming less about individual treatments and more about the overall experience of a place,” says Gregory Cole, Senior Partner in London. “The most effective hospitality environments are those that support wellbeing continuously, through design, atmosphere, and rhythm.”

At the heart of the experience sits the dedicated SENSORY Spa & Wellbeing floor, conceived as a holistic environment supporting physical, mental, and emotional balance through space, ritual, and technology. The floor integrates a high-performance fitness center – among the most advanced hotel gyms in London – and a temperature-controlled 18.5-metre infinity pool overlooking the Square Mile. Treatments blend Western clinical research with South East Asian traditions of clean beauty and restorative practice, delivered through tailor-made seasonal rituals. From mindful, biometric-led training and immersive spa journeys to family-friendly wellness initiatives – including the UK’s first Bonpoint children’s spa treatments – the experience is designed not as an escape from the city, but as a calm, sensory counterpoint to its intensity.

The Middle East has gone bold on wellness to boost the health and well-being of local populations and attract travelers.

As noted by the Global Wellness Summit, whose examination of wellness in the region was penned by Thomas Morris, Senior Partner, Middle East, of FINN Partners, the dramatic landscapes of the region offer a backdrop for authentic wellness experiences such as stargazing and hiking experiences inspired by the Bedouin culture of Jordan, even as world-class training for young athletes unfolds at Aspire Academy in sports-crazy Qatar, and investments in AI, digital healthcare infrastructure, and more are setting up the Middle East as a leader in wellness.

“The Middle East is not borrowing wellness from anywhere else; it is building something entirely unique of its own,” says Thomas Morris. “This is a region where ancient hammams, desert rituals, and spiritual traditions sit comfortably alongside AI-driven healthcare, longevity science, and next-generation hospitality. Wellness here is not a retreat from modern life; it is being hardwired into national visions, cities, and destinations. For decades, the region imported the concept of wellness from Asia or the US. That era has ended.”

Wellness staycations are fast emerging as one of the most visible shifts in India’s travel landscape, driven by changing consumer expectations from “holiday” to “recovery.” With burnout levels rising and time for long vacations shrinking, urban Indians are increasingly choosing short-format getaways that deliver tangible outcomes – better sleep, stress relief, digital detox, clean eating, and structured wellness routines rooted in yoga, Ayurveda, and mindfulness. “Wellness staycations are no longer an indulgence – they’re becoming a form of preventive self-care,” says Shivani Gupta, Managing Partner of FINN Partners India. “People today are actively looking for spaces that help them switch off from screens, slow down, and reset their mind and body. That’s why purpose-led stays focused on rest, restoration, and digital detox are seeing strong demand across India.”

Like those savoring staycations, the demand for wellness isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Here’s looking forward to more innovation, trends, and growth to come.