Wellness tourism to peak in 2024

Wellness is slated to be a 7 trillion-dollar economy globally in 2025. The Indian wellness market is estimated to be worth Rs.499 billion, and India is in the top 20 contributors globally. Based on a survey done by CGH Earth Experience Wellness, there is a clear indication of the rise in wellness tourism. Their centres in Kerala and Gokarna have seen a definite shift from a majority of international travellers to having 50 per cent Indians as of year-end data in December 2023.

The survey reveals some exciting trends:

More than just going to the gym- The centres are seeing an increase in the number of men signing up for wellness and detox-related programs. Post-COVID, they realised that achieving ideal health is not just about going to the gym and lifting weights. It requires a complete mindset change that addresses holistic health and lifestyle.

Sleep epidemic- Another reason why people want to rebalance their lives and look at holistic healing is so that their sleep deprivation and sleep patterns can be corrected. Hence, sleep is becoming increasingly important.

Workforce Wellness- Corporates have Chief Wellness Officers, Chief Spiritual Officers and health apps to help colleagues manage work stress.

Curative Wellness – An age-wise analysis also showed statistics of maximum preventive wellness visitors aged 30 to 50 and guests in the age group of 50- 59 specifically visiting for curative wellness. This age group has been defined as the ‘disease manifesting’ age, and this segment is now conscious that they can’t afford to continue to live the way they currently do and are seeking sustainable long-term lifestyle change.

Women’s Health-related retreats and programs are also becoming more sought after to address both postpartum as well as menopause-related issues.

Doctor Cijith Sreedhar, Chief Medical Officer at Prakriti Shakti-Clinic of Natural Medicine by CGH Earth, said the Yoga & Naturopathy medical system of healing has proved that our body has remarkable recuperative power to heal itself with external medical intervention applied where necessary. This concept of the capacity of a body to heal itself has gained global attention and has now become one of the most significant driving forces in the wellness industry the world over. This concept is the cornerstone of the healing practices followed at “Prakriti Shakti”, CGH Earth’s clinic for Natural medicine.

Additional insights from the report show that a new emerging segment is Family Bonding over Wellness. Whilst wellness has mostly been an individual pursuit, families are now involving their children, and one is seeing multi–generational wellness holidays so kids can inculcate a healthier lifestyle from their early years.

SwaSwara’sSwa Wellbeing program offers a family bonding retreat aimed at fostering healthy eating and exercise habits not just for parents and the kids but also for grandparents – which involves healthy cooking classes, guided art and pottery classes, family fitness activities using Yoga alongside spa time for the adults amongst other activities.

The new mantra of 2024 is “Feeling good is as important, if not more, than looking good. In 2024, the buzzword for wellness will be all about Longevity and the concept of living a longer and healthier life, both of which can be addressed very effectively by the Indian holistic sciences Ayurveda and Naturopathy, which have withstood the test of time and proven to be very efficient healers in the long run.