Wellness looks set to change how we travel in 2025. Here’s how.
From trips that will have you knowing your body (and pushing your limits) like never before, to wellness experiences that invite deeper mindfulness in locations near and far, we dive into the wellness trends that are causing such a change within our travel itineraries.
Providing new experiences, new activities and new locations for wellness seekers to explore, these are the biggest wellness trends set to define travel in 2025 and beyond.
The Fitness Revolution
Once upon a time, many holidays were about doing little more than reclining on a lounger with cocktails on tap. Now though, wellness-focused individuals are not just committing to upholding their fitness routines while on their travels, they are supercharging their holiday workouts (or even travelling specifically for exercise). This trend has initially been assisted by the wide-reaching improvements in hotel gyms; it’s becoming more and more common that even boutique hotels have a tech-equipped fitness centre rather than just some weights in the corner.
“There is always an incredible gym right there in your hotel when you travel, so I actually tend to exercise more on holiday now than I often do at home,” reveals CF’s content and partnerships director, Lucy Halfhead; a sentiment that’s increasingly being shared by the Citizen Femme team. But, in 2025, things are being taken up a notch, especially since the launch of the world’s first fitness hotel – SIRO One Za’abeel in Dubai (and its exciting European sister hotel that will soon open in Montenegro, SIRO Boka Place). Here the gym, with award-winning technologies, is the centre of your stay alongside a full programme of fitness classes (including in your room), and a whole suite of recovery treatments and therapies to ensure you leave feeling stronger and revitalised from head-to-toe.
Moonlit Magic
In the quick pace of our busy worlds, finding the time (and space) to cultivate some inner calm can feel increasingly difficult to achieve. So perhaps it’s no surprise that one of the wellness travel trends for 2025 is an increase in travellers turning to nocturnal activities to enrich their wellbeing – a time of day which already has a sense of serenity, and which can contribute to how you wake up feeling in the morning (aka refreshed or otherwise). In particular, the Global Wellness Summit has reported a surge in after-dark wellness experiences, including the popularity of stargazing, full-moon meditations, and midnight sound baths.
These nighttime activities often have the power to reconnect us with nature too, as they frequently take place outdoors – popularly under the stars. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s new ‘wellness without walls’ programme includes Luna Yoga, a restorative practice that’s held by moonlit during significant celestial calendar dates, to help guests channel the moon’s energies. Similarly, One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, which celebrates traditional Mexican wellness techniques, has launched the Full Moon Ritual experience, where guests can reconnect and set new intentions through a meditative breath circle, movement and sound. And, if an outdoor retreat experience isn’t for you, even trying a short meditation or yoga session before you go to bed (preferably within sight of the night sky) could help you feel a little calmer.
The Doctor Will See You Now
Wellness traditionally has a reputation (especially among naysayers) for being a bit ‘woo woo’ rather than overall scientific. That’s set to change in 2025. A main trigger: the concept of ‘longevity’, which has boomed in popularity over the past year or so. ‘Longevity’, which is all about living healthily for longer, is heavily associated with technological advancements in healthcare – from full body scans to future-looking treatments – but it also emphasises the need for mental wellbeing alongside physical vitality for true ‘health’. This is bringing wellness into the science-backed health space like never before.
Leading medical retreats such as Lanserhof, Clinique La Prairie and Mayr have never been more popular (even among those who have never tried a detox or wellness retreat before), with their balance of medical assessment, diet management and wellness-based treatments appealing to the emerging results-driven wellness travellers, for which a simple massage will not do. ZEM Wellness Clinic Altea has also just opened its doors in Spain, with six integrated health-boosting programmes (plus an amazing spa) providing personalised care for everything from stress to immunity, and new retreats are cropping up as well, such as (detox clinic) Chenot Palace Weggis’ partnership with celebrated acupuncturist Ross J. Barr in February. It all demonstrates that where medical and wellness combine, excitement follows.
The Big Walk
Get your walking boots at the ready. In 2025, we look set to be walking our way into better wellbeing. Walking wellness isn’t just about promoting cardio and reducing stress through exercise (despite those benefits definitely still being important). Ultimately, people are also increasingly seeing hiking as a way to seek mindful, slow-paced travel experiences that combine physical activity with mental clarity, and – best of all – cultural exploration. After all, “what better way to explore a new location than to lace up your trainers and head out on foot,” says CF’s beauty and wellness director Becki Murray. “You can go to the tourist highlights but also discover things off the beaten track, which feels like you are really seeing the country you are visiting.”
Of all the wellness travel trends in 2025, walking activities are the best opportunity to explore historic trails or beautiful locations at your own pace, shifting your mindset (in the countryside or city centre) from fast-paced itineraries to something more mindful, especially if you digitally detox from your phone at the same time. 2025 is definitely the time to give it a try. Sri Lanka has recently opened the long-awaited Pekoe Trail, a 300-kilometre hiking route that offers travellers an immersive experience through the island’s tea plantations, forests and rural villages. Plus, Camino de Santiago in Spain (one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in the world), the iconic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru and the Kumano Kodo trails in Japan (that incorporate walks with the extra wellness benefits of ‘onsens’ or hot springs) are trending for a newer generation via social media.
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