Wellness tourism is travel associated with maintaining or enhancing personal well-being. The Global Wellness Institute estimates that worldwide wellness tourism generated $830.2 billion across 1,034.5 million trips in 2023, combining primary and secondary, domestic and international travel.
The estimates use tourism data from Euromonitor, and the report revised 2019–2022 figures because of underlying tourism-data revisions and pandemic-era collection delays.
Key Wellness Tourism Statistics
The most useful global wellness tourism figures include:
- In 2023, global wellness tourism expenditures reached $830.2 billion worldwide.
- In 2019, global wellness tourism expenditures were $696.6 billion worldwide.
- In 2020, global wellness tourism expenditures fell to $343.0 billion worldwide.
- In 2023, travelers took 1,034.5 million wellness trips worldwide.
- In 2023, wellness trips represented 7.8% of all tourism trips worldwide.
- In 2023, wellness tourism represented 17.9% of all tourism expenditures worldwide.
- By 2023, global wellness tourism expenditures had recovered to 119% of their 2019 level worldwide.
- By 2023, global wellness tourism trips had recovered to 111% of their 2019 level worldwide.
- In 2023, Asia-Pacific recorded 403.4 million wellness trips.
- In 2023, North America recorded $313.9 billion in wellness tourism expenditures.
- In 2023, average wellness-tourism spending per trip was $1,401 in North America.
- In 2023, domestic wellness trips totaled 900.0 million worldwide.
- In 2023, international or inbound wellness trips accounted for 13% of all wellness trips worldwide.
- In 2023, secondary wellness travel accounted for 83% of wellness trips, or 855.2 million trips, worldwide.
- In 2023, primary wellness travel accounted for 17% of wellness tourism expenditures, or $141.9 billion, worldwide.
- In 2028, global wellness tourism expenditures are forecast to reach $1,351.0 billion.
- In 2023, the United States recorded $300.6 billion in wellness tourism expenditures.
- In 2023, China recorded 158.7 million wellness trips.
Contents
- Key Wellness Tourism Statistics
- Global Wellness Tourism Market Size and Participation
- Pandemic Disruption, Recovery, and Outlook
- Regional Wellness Tourism Spending, Trips, and Spend per Trip
- Domestic and International Wellness Travel
- Primary and Secondary Wellness Travel
- Leading Country Wellness Tourism Markets
Global Wellness Tourism Market Size and Participation
The Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024 estimates that global wellness tourism expenditures rose from $696.6 billion in 2019 to $830.2 billion in 2023. The pandemic-era series was $343.0 billion in 2020, $462.5 billion in 2021, and $637.2 billion in 2022.
| Year | Global wellness tourism expenditures |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $696.6 billion |
| 2020 | $343.0 billion |
| 2021 | $462.5 billion |
| 2022 | $637.2 billion |
| 2023 | $830.2 billion |
Across 2019–2023, expenditures grew at a 4.5% average annual rate, including 30.3% growth from 2022 to 2023. Travelers took 1,034.5 million wellness trips in 2023, compared with 13,262.0 million trips for all tourism worldwide.
Wellness trips represented 7.8% of all tourism trips, while wellness tourism represented 17.9% of all tourism expenditures in 2023. It was the fourth-largest wellness-economy sector and accounted for 13.1% of global wellness spending.
Pandemic Disruption, Recovery, and Outlook
By 2023, global wellness tourism expenditures had recovered to 119% of their 2019 level, and wellness trips had recovered to 111%. All-tourism expenditures recovered to 101% of the 2019 level, while all-tourism trips reached 90%.
The regional and travel-type comparisons below are reported percentages of 2019 levels.
| Measure | 2023 recovery compared with 2019 |
|---|---|
| Global wellness tourism expenditures | 119% |
| Global wellness tourism trips | 111% |
| All-tourism expenditures | 101% |
| All-tourism trips | 90% |
Wellness trips in the Middle East-North Africa region fell 59% in 2020. By 2023, the region’s wellness trips reached 137% of the 2019 level and expenditures reached 155%.
Asia-Pacific wellness trips stood at 61% of the 2019 level in 2022, while expenditures stood at 54%. In 2023, trips rebounded to 125% and expenditures to 116% of their respective 2019 levels.
The Global Wellness Institute forecasts $1,351.0 billion in global wellness tourism expenditures in 2028, with a projected 10.2% annual growth trajectory. This is a forecast, not an observed 2028 result.
Regional Wellness Tourism Spending, Trips, and Spend per Trip
Regional estimates show different patterns for total spending, trip volume, and spending per trip.
| Region | Expenditures, 2023 | Wellness trips, 2023 | Average spending per trip, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $313.9 billion | 224.0 million | $1,401 |
| Europe | $286.5 billion | 328.5 million | $872 |
| Asia-Pacific | $165.8 billion | 403.4 million | $411 |
| Latin America-Caribbean | $37.5 billion | 55.0 million | $682 |
| Middle East-North Africa | $19.1 billion | 15.9 million | $1,198 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $7.4 billion | 7.8 million | $956 |
North America recorded $313.9 billion and 224.0 million trips, while Europe recorded $286.5 billion and 328.5 million trips. Asia-Pacific recorded $165.8 billion and the largest listed trip total, 403.4 million.
Latin America-Caribbean recorded $37.5 billion and 55.0 million trips. Middle East-North Africa recorded $19.1 billion and 15.9 million trips, while Sub-Saharan Africa recorded $7.4 billion and 7.8 million trips.
Average spending per trip was $1,401 in North America, $872 in Europe, and $411 in Asia-Pacific. The corresponding estimates were $682 in Latin America-Caribbean, $1,198 in Middle East-North Africa, and $956 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The report’s regional values are estimates in 2023 US dollars, and spending per trip should not be treated as a measure of trip volume.
Domestic and International Wellness Travel
Domestic travel made up most worldwide wellness tourism activity in 2023. International or inbound wellness trips totaled 134.5 million, compared with 900.0 million domestic wellness trips.
| Travel type | Trips, 2023 | Share of wellness trips, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| International or inbound | 134.5 million | 13% |
| Domestic | 900.0 million | 87% |
The source reports international or inbound trips as 13% of all wellness trips and domestic trips as 87%. These categories combine the trips included in the worldwide estimate, and displayed totals may not sum exactly because of rounding.
In the 2019 comparison, global domestic wellness trips recovered to 114% of their 2019 level in 2023, while international wellness trips recovered to 93%. For all tourism, domestic trips recovered to 90% and international trips to 88%.
Primary and Secondary Wellness Travel
The Global Wellness Institute separates wellness travel into primary and secondary categories. Its 2023 worldwide estimate included both categories in the trip and spending totals.
| Wellness travel category | Share of trips | Trips | Share of expenditures | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary | 83% | 855.2 million | 83% | $688.3 billion |
| Primary | 17% | 179.3 million | 17% | $141.9 billion |
Secondary wellness travel accounted for 83% of wellness trips, or 855.2 million trips, in 2023. Primary wellness travel accounted for 17%, or 179.3 million trips.
Secondary travel also accounted for 83% of expenditures, or $688.3 billion, while primary travel accounted for 17%, or $141.9 billion. These figures describe the composition of the source’s worldwide estimate and do not imply that either category is more beneficial or more expensive for every traveler.
Leading Country Wellness Tourism Markets
The country-level estimates below show how leading markets differ in total expenditures and wellness-trip volume.
| Country | Expenditures, 2023 | Wellness trips, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $300.6 billion | 207.5 million |
| Germany | $77.8 billion | 70.4 million |
| China | $55.7 billion | 158.7 million |
| France | $41.3 billion | 38.7 million |
| India | $16.4 billion | 108.1 million |
| Japan | $22.6 billion | 41.1 million |
The United States recorded $300.6 billion in wellness tourism expenditures and 207.5 million wellness trips. Germany recorded $77.8 billion and 70.4 million trips, while China recorded $55.7 billion and 158.7 million trips.
France recorded $41.3 billion and 38.7 million trips. India recorded $16.4 billion and 108.1 million trips, while Japan recorded $22.6 billion and 41.1 million trips.
All figures are estimates from the Global Wellness Institute unless explicitly marked as a forecast. Dollar amounts are reported in US$ billions unless another unit is stated; historical revisions, pandemic-era collection delays, combined category tables, and rounding limitations apply.