INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Wellness is the word at the tip of everyone’s tongues now. While it used to be a concept limited to gym memberships and green juices, it has now seeped into every part of how people live and travel—and, consequently, created an enormous wellness economy.
This article explains what the wellness economy is, what sectors it includes, what markets of the wellness industry are growing the fastest, and where it is headed.
What Is the Wellness Economy?
The wellness economy refers to the collection of industries that enable people to actively enhance their well-being. What distinguishes wellness from healthcare is that it is predominantly consumer-driven and signified by a proactiveness in the pursuit of health, as opposed to reactivity.
While the activities and sectors in the wellness economy are diverse, ranging from fitness to wellness real estate, they are connected by the consumer intention of investment in better feeling and functioning, which is behind the spending.
The size of the wellness economy was valued at $6.8 trillion in 2024, and this is no surprise considering the statistics on its rising importance in the daily lives of consumers.
McKinsey research found that 82 percent of U.S. consumers, 73 percent of U.K. consumers, and 87 percent of consumers in China consider wellness a top everyday priority. In the United States alone, the wellness market represents more than $500 billion in annual spend.
Understanding the wellness economy is important for hospitality operators, as wellness programming has become a baseline expectation for the modern traveler. Especially in the (upper) upscale and luxury segments, hotels without a credible wellness offering are at a real disadvantage.
The 11 Sectors of the Wellness Industry
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has identified 11 specific sectors that belong to the wellness economy.
The included industries are:
- Personal care;
- Beauty and anti-aging;
- Nutrition;
- Healthy eating and weight loss;
- Wellness tourism;
- Fitness and mind-body;
- Preventive and personalized medicine and public health;
- Traditional and complementary medicine;
- Wellness real estate;
- Mental wellness;
- Workplace wellness;
- Spas; and
- Thermal and mineral springs.
While each sector has its own modus operandi and targets different consumer needs, many of them overlap, creating a web-like configuration of wellness offerings.
Global Wellness Economy Market Size
The wellness economy reached $6.8 trillion in 2024 and is projected to hit $9.8 trillion by 2029. It has consistently grown faster than the global economy, rising 6.2 percent annually since 2019, while global GDP grew 4.5 percent annually over the same period.
To put those numbers in context, the wellness market is now almost four times larger than the pharmaceutical industry and larger than the entire green economy, IT, tourism, and sports markets.
What Is Driving the Growth of the Wellness Economy?
There are several structural changes that are driving the growth of the wellness economy.
Preventative Health
While health used to be approached reactively, meaning that wellness became a consideration only in the face of illness or injury, consumers now have a more proactive understanding. Consumers are now investing in nutrition and fitness to support their quality of life and are more likely to get mental health support and regular health checks to preempt health issues.
Aging Population
The global population is aging rapidly, and by 2030, one in six people worldwide will be aged 60 or older.
This demographic cohort is more health-literate and financially capable of wellness spending than any generation before them, translating into a rising demand for offerings focused on longevity and well-being.
The Effect of the Pandemic
The pandemic propelled the wellness economy to new heights, as consumers became acutely aware of their health and social connections. Furthermore, what became obvious is the impact of living environments on well-being. Wellness markets that were already picking up speed significantly accelerated in growth after 2020.
Technology & Personalization
Technology has made its way to nearly every crevice of the wellness economy, resulting in more access and personalization.
Wearables that gather health data are now commonplace, and there has been a proliferation of wellness apps in fitness and nutrition, as well as mental health platforms.
The Future of the Wellness Industry: Sectors to Watch
The predicted biggest gainers through 2029 by annual growth rate are wellness real estate (15.8 percent), traditional and complementary medicine (10.8 percent), mental wellness (10.1 percent), and thermal and mineral springs (10 percent).
Wellness real estate refers to homes and workplaces that are designed with well-being in mind, and it has been by far the fastest-growing market in the wellness economy, doubling from $225 billion in 2019 to $548 billion in 2024. While wellness real estate used to be more niche, now consumers expect the built environment around them to support their health.
Another standout is mental wellness, an area that has experienced outsized growth compared to other categories. Awareness around mental health is rising, also leading to reduced stigma around the topic. There is now a plethora of digital therapy platforms and meditation apps, as well as a new generation of in-person treatment programs and rehabilitation clinics.
Traditional and complementary medicine that includes approaches such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as well as the fast-emerging longevity and biohacking space, is projected to be the second fastest-growing sector.
As highlighted in the general growth drivers, consumers are increasingly taking a preventative approach to their health and are looking for alternatives or complementary additions to conventional medical care.
The Wellness Economy & Hospitality
The wellness economy is growing faster than almost any comparable sector, which has made it a guiding principle for a significant share of consumer spending and investment.
Hospitality has a particular stake in the wellness economy, as wellness tourism is not only one of the largest but also fastest-growing sectors within it. Hotels, resorts, and spas are some of the most common avenues through which consumers experience wellness while traveling.
The hospitality industry is well-positioned to capitalize on this growth but must ensure that the offerings are well thought-through. The average wellness consumer has become extremely mindful and expects more from wellness tourism than a spa menu and granola at breakfast.
I think the biggest challenge for hospitality will be to cater to shifting expectations in a substantial way, where wellness has been considered at each point of the offering, from architecture to service touch points.
Read the EHL Psychological Well-being in Hospitality Report.
About the Author:
Emma Näpänkangas is an M.Sc. Student in Hospitality Management, EHL.
