Arkansas Wellness Tourism Report 2025

‘Our Natural State is a Wellness Destination for Everybody’

“Global Wellness Tourism Surges Toward The $1 Trillion Mark
A sizable number of today’s travelers are adding wellness components to their agendas as they seek to explore the latest trends in such time-honored practices as yoga, mindfulness and meditation.” - Forbes Travel 2025

What is wellness tourism?

Wellness tourism is travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal well-being. With so much un-wellness embedded in today’s travel, wellness tourism brings the promise of combating those negative qualities and turning travel into an opportunity to maintain and improve our holistic health.

The global wellness tourism industry continues to grow at a very rapid pace and is predicted to be worth around $1.35 trillion in 2028, according to Statista. This marks an increase of more than 100% on the market size from 2022, at which time global wellness tourism stood at just over $637 billion. In fact, global wellness tourism now constitutes the fourth largest segment of the behemoth world-wide wellness industry, behind only personal care/beauty, nutrition/weight loss and physical activity. A growing number of travelers desire to discover unique wellness retreats and are willing to spend accordingly.

We project that the global wellness economy will grow at a robust rate of 7.3% annually from 2023-2028, a growth rate substantially higher than the projected global GDP growth (4.8% according to current IMF forecasts). As all of the eleven sectors recover from the pandemic, the wellness economy is expected to reach nearly $6.8 trillion in 2024, and march toward
nearly $9.0 trillion in 2028.
-Global Wellness Institute.org 2025

There is a common misconception that wellness travelers are a small, elite, and wealthy group of leisure tourists who visit destination spas, health resorts, or yoga and meditation retreats. In fact, wellness travelers comprise a much broader and more diverse group of consumers with many motivations, interests, and values.

There are two types of wellness travelers:

Primary wellness traveler: A traveler whose trip or destination choice is primarily motivated by wellness.

Secondary wellness traveler: A traveler who seeks to maintain wellness while traveling, or participates in wellness experiences while taking any type of trip for leisure or business.

Wellness tourism supports overall tourism development and can bring multiple benefits to communities:

Wellness tourism is a growing niche that offers economic benefits, boosts visitor spending, helps manage seasonal fluctuations, and supports rural areas. Before the pandemic, many destinations promoted high-end resorts, retreats, spas, and self-care opportunities. Travelers now often carry wellness habits with them, seeking to address stress, sleep, exercise, and healthy eating while traveling. Wellness tourism can provide richer experiences, including local wellness practices, food, nature, culture, and attractions tied to the destination's community and traditions.

Diversifies Markets & Boosts Spending:

Attracts varied visitors, increases spending, and smooths seasonal peaks.
Brings investments and growth to rural and underdeveloped areas.

Evolving Wellness Focus:

Originally centered on high-end resorts, retreats, and spas.
Now includes everyday self-care practices addressing stress, burnout, sleep, exercise, and healthy eating.

Rich Local Experiences:

Offers authentic encounters with local wellness practices, food, nature, and culture.
Enhances visitor experiences by integrating community traditions.

Encourages Sustainability:

Nature, a key draw for wellness travelers, motivates governments and communities to protect natural assets and invest in sustainability.

COVID & Tourism:

Wellness tourism is a rapidly growing trend that is reshaping the travel industry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, making up 10% of global jobs and GDP. It plays a crucial role in many economies by driving investment, creating jobs, and generating revenue. Within this sector, wellness tourism has been expanding even faster. According to the Global Wellness Institute, it grew 50% faster than the overall tourism industry between 2017-2019, reaching a peak of $720 billion in 2019 before the pandemic disrupted travel. While global travel is still rebounding from COVID-19, wellness tourism is emerging as a leading force in the industry. Travelers today are more intentional about well-being, prioritizing mental health, resilience, and recovery. The rise of remote work, digital nomads, and wellness-focused business travel is increasing demand for wellness experiences in both traditional and non-traditional hospitality settings. Additionally, as the global population ages, interest in longevity, disease prevention, and holistic health is growing. These shifts in traveler priorities are set to reshape the tourism industry for years to come.

According to recent reports, the wellness tourism market size is projected to reach approximately $978.14 billion in 2025, with a CAGR of 9.3%, indicating significant growth in the sector compared to previous years; this includes trends like a rise in "soft travel" focused on mental health, "digital detox" experiences, and a growing interest in "sleep tourism" where travelers seek destinations specifically designed for quality sleep.

Key points about wellness tourism in 2025:

Market size: Estimated to reach $978.14 billion.
Growth rate: CAGR of around 9.3%.

Emerging trends:

-Sleep tourism: Increased focus on booking trips to hotels or destinations focused on improving sleep quality.

-Digital detox retreats: Destinations promoting disconnection from technology. Trips focused on self-discovery and mental health

-Longevity retreats: Trips designed to extend lifespan and focus on health practices

-Outdoor adventure wellness: Combining fitness activities like yoga, hiking, and cycling with wellness experiences

Wellness Tourism globally is now worth $651 billion annually and has a forecasted average annual expenditure growth of 16.6% to 2027. The sector provides sustainable benefits to both local regional and urban economies as well as improving the visitors mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. The GWI Wellness Tourism Initiative team are excited to share some of this year’s trends for you to consider for your destination or wellness travel offering or business.

Wellness Travel Trends:

Trend 1: Wellness Holidays with Kids – Child Enrichment

Families increasingly seek travel that boosts children’s well-being, education, and personal growth.
Immersive programs include creative workshops on local traditions, foods, biodiversity, and marine conservation.
Examples:

Gleneagles Hotel (Scotland): Offers extensive outdoor nature activities for kids.
Jayasom’s Family Wellness: Provides family counseling, enrichment, VR experiences, and a shared hydrotherapy space.
Reiters Finest Family (Austria): Features 125+ hectares of outdoor space, farm adventures with 400+ animals, thermal waters, and a health and longevity center.

Trend 2: Recovery Retreats – From Sport to Burnout

Shift from sports recovery to addressing stress, burnout, and overall wellness.
Uses innovative technologies such as wearable stress monitors, photo-biomodulation, hyperbaric chambers, and red-light therapy to aid cell recovery.
Urban wellness clubs (e.g., Remedy Place in California/NYC) and dedicated health resorts (e.g., Chenot Weggis Palace, Switzerland) offer comprehensive recovery experiences.

Trend 3: In Search of Calm

Growing focus on mental wellness to combat stress and burnout.
Retreats now combine yoga, breathwork, meditation, and even equine therapy for emotional healing.
Notable offerings include transformative experiences at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat (Australia) and NIHI Sumba (Indonesia), as well as re-wilding retreats like The Dreaming (Wales) and AroHa (New Zealand).

Trend 4: Growing Exploration of Wellness Travel for Men

More men, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are embracing holistic health.
Interest spans from executive health check-ups and adventure fitness to mindfulness practices like breathwork and meditation retreats.
Example: Eleven Experiences at Deplar Farm (Iceland) offers off-grid adventures, Viking saunas, and geothermal pools exclusively for men.

Trend 5: Diagnostic Boom in Wellness Travel

Travelers increasingly desire personalized health insights alongside wellness experiences.
Resorts integrate advanced diagnostics (e.g., genetic testing, body composition, metabolic assessments) with traditional wellness therapies.
Examples:

Canyon Ranch (Tucson, Arizona) offers comprehensive health evaluations.
Longevity Spa at Hotel Portrait Milano and KĒPOS by Goco (Crete) provide cutting-edge DNA and epigenetics testing.

Trend 6: Art and Wellness – The Perfect Pairing

Fusion of creative expression with holistic well-being for a multi-sensory experience.
Immersive art installations by creators like Refik Anadol combine technology and public art to transport guests.
Wellness retreats, such as those at Como Shambhala Estate (Bali) and Miraval (Arizona), blend yoga, meditation, and artistic workshops to inspire self-discovery.

Trend 7: Celebrating Cultural Traditions and Healing

Indigenous healing practices and traditional medicines are becoming central to authentic wellness experiences.
Retreats offer indigenous therapies, herbal remedies, and cultural ceremonies that honor local traditions and landscapes.
Example: Wai Ariki Hot Springs in Rotorua, New Zealand, showcases ancient healing methods alongside modern wellness offerings, while Asian therapies (Thai, Chinese, Ayurvedic) remain popular globally.

Trend 8: It’s All About a Good Night’s Sleep

Growing sleep dissatisfaction drives demand for sleep-focused wellness tourism.
Programs provide detailed sleep diagnostics and tailored plans emphasizing gut health, relaxation, exercise, and mental coaching.
Examples:

LANS Med Concept integrates modern Mayr medicine with naturopathy.
RAKxa Integrative Wellness Retreat (Thailand) and Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie (Bangkok) offer treatments like hyperbaric oxygen therapy to enhance sleep quality.

Trend 9: The Menopause Revolution in Wellness Travel

With over 1.1 billion women experiencing menopause by 2025, tailored retreats are emerging to support this transition.
Retreats focus on symptom management (brain fog, mood changes, fatigue, joint pain, night sweats) through expert guidance, practical workshops, and communal support.
Examples:

Six Senses runs bespoke menopause retreats in Portugal’s Douro Valley.
Change of Life Retreats (Great Ocean Road Resort, Australia) and metabolic health retreats at Combe Grove (Bath, UK) provide targeted wellness experiences.

These trends illustrate how wellness travel is evolving into diverse, enriched experiences that combine health, culture, and personal growth, offering transformative journeys for all ages and lifestyles.

What can we do now in our community, industry and business to increase our Arkansas Wellness Tourism?

#1: Increasing the Reach & Impact of Wellness Tourism

The Issue: Many people have a limited view of wellness tourism, often associating it only with luxury resorts, spas, and yoga retreats. However, wellness travel is much broader than that. Importantly, Primary and Secondary wellness travel can be done by the same person on different trips, and these two types of wellness travel reinforce one another.

Key Insights

Wellness tourism isn’t just luxury resorts – It includes travelers who prioritize health-conscious choices, even if wellness isn’t their main reason for traveling.
Primary vs. Secondary Wellness Travel:

Primary wellness travel – The main purpose of the trip is wellness (e.g., retreats, spa vacations).
Secondary wellness travel – Wellness influences travel choices, even when the trip is for business or leisure (e.g., choosing healthy hotels, food, fitness options).

Secondary wellness travel dominates the industry, making up 88% of all wellness trips and 85% of wellness tourism spending in 2022.
Travelers today are increasingly focused on mental wellness, sleep, exercise, healthy food, nature, and cultural experiences in all types of trips.
As wellness influences more travel decisions, businesses and policymakers must broaden their approach to include both primary and secondary wellness experiences.

Wellness tourism is not just a niche market—it’s shaping the future of travel.

The Action: Governments, businesses, and communities should broaden their understanding of wellness tourism and its potential benefits.

Key Strategies

Shift the Narrative: Wellness tourism is more than just luxury spas and retreats. It includes local businesses (gyms, healthy restaurants, nature activities, cultural experiences) and public infrastructure (parks, trails, waterfronts).
Boost Local Economies: Wellness tourists spend more—in 2022, international wellness travelers spent 41% more than average, and domestic wellness travelers spent 175% more.
Integrate Wellness into Tourism Development: Destinations should embed wellness into urban planning, economic growth, and community well-being, benefiting both locals and visitors.
Clear Branding & Marketing: Differentiate wellness tourism from medical tourism to avoid confusion. Destinations offering “medical wellness” (e.g., sleep analysis, genetic testing) should clearly define their services.
Invest in Wellness Infrastructure: Build parks, green spaces, walkable areas, and recreational facilities to support wellness for both tourists and residents.
Align with Purpose-Driven Travel: Promote wellness tourism as a way for travelers to maintain healthy habits, explore new wellness experiences, and connect with local culture and nature.

By expanding wellness tourism beyond high-end resorts, destinations can attract more travelers, boost local businesses, and enhance community well-being.

#2:Connecting Wellness Tourism to Local Communities

The Issue: Wellness tourism often operates separately from local businesses and communities, limiting its economic benefits.

Key Challenges

Revenue Leakage: Up to 50% of tourism revenue may leave the local economy due to imported products, labor, and franchise fees.
Missed Local Opportunities: Many wellness resorts offer generic services (e.g., chain hotel spas using imported products) instead of unique local experiences.
Exclusion of Local Residents: High-end wellness businesses often alienate local customers, sometimes due to bias or discrimination.

By integrating local businesses, products, and traditions into wellness tourism, destinations can keep more revenue in the community, create jobs, and provide authentic experiences for visitors.

The Action: Boost Local Involvement in Wellness Tourism

Key Actions

Expand Wellness Tourism Beyond Luxury Resorts

Include local businesses, products, and traditions.
Create more opportunities for community participation.

Support Local Businesses in the Wellness Economy

Help small businesses connect with tourists through:

Loans, grants, and mentorship.
Training in product development, marketing, and quality assurance.
Digital tools like e-booking and payment systems.

Encourage hotels and spas to use local products (e.g., skincare, herbal medicine, food).
Protect indigenous wellness knowledge and ensure authenticity.

Make Wellness Tourism Welcoming for Locals

Reduce exclusion by addressing unconscious bias and discrimination.
Train hospitality staff to value and engage local customers.
Offer discounts, vouchers, and off-season deals to encourage local participation.
Host wellness events to integrate locals into the wellness economy.

By involving local businesses and residents, wellness tourism can boost the local economy, create authentic experiences, and build a more inclusive industry.

#3: Improve the Wellness of the Tourism Workforce

The Issue: Wellness Workers Are Struggling

Many wellness and hospitality workers face low wages, job insecurity, and lack of benefits.
The pandemic worsened staffing shortages, leading to high stress and burnout.
Workers are demanding better pay and conditions, forcing employers to rethink well-being in the workplace.
Supporting worker wellness isn’t just ethical—it also benefits businesses.

The Action: Protect and Support Worker Well-being

1. Enforce Safety and Utilize Machinery to Reduce Employee fatigue

Post signage, conduct protocol meetings and enforce safety policies throughout
Educate workers on their rights, protections, and how to report violations.
Review systems and protocols to innovate new technology/equipment to streamline processes.

2. Engage Employers in Workforce Wellness

Encourage businesses to prioritize worker well-being to boost retention and brand reputation.
Offer surveys to understand worker health and well-being.
Promote employee wellness programs covering physical, mental, and financial health.
Highlight success, overcoming challenges, teamwork and sense of community
Discuss often the company mission and how each employee is engaged in meeting that effort.

3. Support Career Development

Fund training, certification, and career advancement programs, especially for disadvantaged groups.
Combat negative stereotypes about tourism and hospitality careers through education and awareness.
Promote stable employment, fair pay, and benefits to improve worker satisfaction and mental well-being.

#4: Embed Equity and Sustainability In Wellness Tourism Development and Stewardship

The Issue: The Hidden Costs of Tourism on Communities

Tourism, including wellness tourism, often harms local communities when poorly managed. Overtourism strains infrastructure, threatens ecosystems, and diminishes both visitor experiences and residents’ quality of life. Rising rents and property prices driven by tourism businesses can displace locals, while cultural and natural landmarks risk degradation.

The pandemic exposed tourism’s vulnerabilities but also provided a chance for a reset. There is increasing scrutiny over who controls tourism profits—often large corporations or governments—while local and Indigenous communities that sustain these destinations receive little benefit. When communities feel exploited or excluded, tensions can rise, as seen in the 2023 Machu Picchu strike, which temporarily shut down one of the world’s most iconic destinations.

The Action: Protecting Environmental, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Assets in Wellness Tourism

Wellness tourism is often mistaken for sustainable or responsible tourism, yet they are not the same. While they share values and goals, wellness tourism can sometimes develop at the expense of community and environmental well-being. However, there is an opportunity to align wellness tourism with sustainability and responsible tourism principles. Travelers today seek more than spa retreats; they are drawn to nature, indigenous healing traditions, local cuisine, and cultural authenticity—all assets that must be protected to ensure long-term success.

Key Actions for Responsible Wellness Tourism Development

1. Develop a Responsible Destination Stewardship Strategy. Wellness tourism attracts high-spending travelers who seek authentic, meaningful experiences, reducing the pressure to compete on price and volume. This makes it a valuable tool for countering overtourism and extending tourism beyond peak seasons.

Destinations can use wellness tourism to diversify visitor flows, such as ski resorts promoting summer hiking or coastal areas offering off-season retreats.
Wellness tourism can bring economic growth to rural and less-traveled areas, promoting biodiversity and cultural conservation.
Regions like Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Bhutan have successfully implemented sustainable tourism strategies that balance development with environmental and cultural preservation.

The post-pandemic reset provides an opportunity for policymakers, businesses, and communities to work together on responsible tourism strategies. Existing frameworks from organizations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and UNESCO can guide these efforts.

2. Craft an Authentic and Unique Destination Story. Travelers today prioritize meaningful and immersive experiences over generic luxury. Destinations must craft narratives that celebrate their unique heritage, indigenous cultures, and local traditions.

New Zealand’s "If You Seek" campaign highlights Māori values of hospitality and environmental stewardship.
Canada’s "Original Original" campaign promotes Indigenous tourism businesses and ensures they retain control over their cultural assets.
Uganda’s "Discover Uganda" campaign moves beyond stereotypical safari imagery, showcasing urban life, local food, and cultural vibrancy.

Authentic storytelling can also reshape tourism narratives, moving beyond Eurocentric perspectives and embracing Black and Indigenous heritage tourism, fostering deeper connections with travelers from diverse backgrounds.

3. Protect Local and Indigenous Wellness Assets. Many modern wellness practices—yoga, herbal medicine, energy healing—originate from indigenous traditions. However, these traditions are often commercialized without benefiting their original communities.

Safeguarding Indigenous Knowledge: Governments should document, protect, and invest in indigenous medicine research, ensuring these traditions remain in the hands of their communities.
Balancing Commercialization & Conservation: The demand for native plants and wellness rituals can lead to over-harvesting, threatening biodiversity and local self-care practices. Policies must regulate resource use to ensure sustainability.
Returning Stewardship to Indigenous Communities: Some governments have begun transferring control of natural and cultural sites to Indigenous groups, such as Australia returning vast lands in Kakadu National Park to Aboriginal owners.

Governments and tourism stakeholders can implement policies to embed sustainability, including:
✅ Supporting local and Indigenous participation in wellness tourism businesses.
✅ Offering tax incentives, grants, and loans for responsible tourism development.
✅ Encouraging certifications for sustainable tourism among businesses.
✅ Protecting intellectual property rights for Indigenous healing traditions.
✅ Ensuring access to cultural and natural sites for local communities.
✅ Promoting visitor education and community engagement programs.

By integrating sustainability, equity, and cultural preservation into wellness tourism, destinations can create a thriving tourism sector that benefits both travelers and local communities for generations to come.

#5: Support Wellness Tourism with Up-to-Date Wellness Market Knowledge and Regulations

The Issue: Wellness Sectors Evolve Faster Than Policies

The wellness industry is vast and rapidly evolving, spanning real estate, food, spas, and traditional medicine. New treatments—from cryotherapy and IV drips to psychedelic therapies—emerge constantly, often outpacing scientific research and regulation.

Wellness tourism exposes travelers to untested or high-risk treatments, often influenced by social media and celebrity trends. Governments struggle to monitor safety, update regulations, and guide consumers in this fast-moving landscape.

Policymakers must balance consumer protection, scientific integrity, and personal freedom, ensuring wellness tourism remains safe, ethical, and culturally respectful.

The Action: Informed Policies for Evolving Wellness Sectors

Providers must track market trends, scientific research, and consumer safety to develop effective wellness policies. Balancing business innovation, consumer rights, and public health is key.

Thermal/Mineral Springs: Enhancing Standards & Safety

Growing popularity of thermal/mineral springs tourism requires updated regulations.
Some countries (e.g., Japan, Europe) enforce strict water quality and safety laws, while others lack clear standards.
Key concerns:

Poor sanitation (risk of bacteria and pathogens).
Unregulated water use leading to environmental strain.
Misleading information on natural vs. treated water.

Providers should:

Establish clear classifications and safety standards.
Implement best practices for water management and sanitation.
Educate consumers on health benefits and risks.

Hallucinogens & Cognitive Enhancers: Clearer Regulations Needed

Increased use of psychedelics, cannabis, and nootropics in wellness tourism has led to inconsistent laws.
Some countries have decriminalized substances without proper regulation, creating safety risks.
Key concerns:

Legal confusion for travelers crossing state lines.
Lack of consumer awareness on risks and evidence-based benefits.
Potential exploitation in wellness tourism offerings.

Providers should:

Set clear guidelines and safety standards for use in wellness tourism.
Educate travelers on risks, regulations, and reputable providers.
Monitor scientific research to inform policies.

Invest in research to track wellness trends, safety issues, and efficacy of treatments.
Develop informed policies that protect public health while supporting innovation.
Promote consumer education to ensure safe and ethical wellness tourism experience

ARTICLE: AMERICAN SPA 2025

An Increase in Wellness Activations in Guest Rooms:

Hotel and resort guests are looking for unique and simple ways to focus on wellness, and that includes areas outside of the spa. By Ashley Helmick, Director of Spa and Wellness at Salamander Spa at Salamander Middleburg (VA)

With wellness tourism on the rise, health and wellness activations throughout the entire property will definitely be a trend we see in 2025. Guests are looking for unique and simple ways to focus on wellness, and that also includes areas outside of the spa. Wellness is multifaceted and may mean different things to different people. Some guests might be far into their wellness journey and already practicing ways to be well, and some may just be starting out and wanting a kickstart into their journey. Hotels and resorts need to be thinking about wellness experiences and activations that will be suited for any guest, no matter their wellness goals or needs, and the guest room is a perfect place to start. The range of wellness-based opportunities for guest rooms is vast and growing. With sleep tourism also on the rise, products to promote a good night’s rest are a perfect addition to an honor bar. These can be a product, such as CBD gummies for relaxation, or something more technologically driven, such as the SleepMask from Therabody that features three vibration patterns to help guests fall asleep faster. Functional mushrooms are also a great wellness offering for honor bars. With options like coffees, creamers, and alcoholic beverage alternatives, functional mushrooms can support better focus and mood and really enhance the drinks guests would likely be drinking anyway. It’s a simple and small way to boost their wellness with a healthier alternative. We are also seeing more wellness-based amenity offerings and a range of brands already creating amazing packages and protocols that make it turnkey. The Lilikoi Dreams Sleep Ritual by CauseMedic is an uncomplicated way to offer a luxurious wellness experience in the comfort of the guest’s room. The protocol is perfectly curated for a calm evening and deep sleep. Turndown amenities are also ideal ways to enhance your wellness offerings. Aromatherapy inhalers, eye masks, The Good Patch wellness patches, and essential oil rollers are great turndown offerings, but it can also be as simple as a breathing technique or stretch sequence printed on plantable seed paper. These are easy ways for the guests to take a moment for themselves before bed and then hopefully begin to create a habit after their stay. Mental health is also imperative to overall wellness, and practicing gratitude is a perfect way for guests to focus on mental health during their stay. Offerings, such as gratitude jars and journals in the guest room, can help promote the practice. At Salamander Spa, we offer a gratitude journal in our spa reception area so guests can end their spa experience with a note of gratitude. They also love to go back and read what others are thankful for. There are so many ways to create wellness experiences throughout the property for your guests and promote approachable wellness. This trend is definitely on the rise for 2025, and it is incredibly exciting to see wellness being prioritized more. • BIO: Ashley Helmick, director of spa and wellness at Salamander Spa at Salamander Middleburg (VA), is a seasoned spa and wellness professional with over 11 years of experience in the operation and leading high-performance teams in luxury environments. She is dedicated to curating exceptional wellness experiences across the property and fostering a culture of excellence at Salamander Spa.