Wellness tourism is now one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry, projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2028. Australia has been ranked the No.1 destination for wellness tourism by the Global Wellness Institute, surpassing New Zealand and Japan. Travellers now seek longevity, mental clarity, emotional reset, and meaningful connection. In 2026, health is the new wealth, and wellbeing has become the ultimate luxury status symbol. For hotels and resorts, wellness is no longer an optional extra — it is central to the guest experience.

At Wanderlust Union, a boutique luxury travel and lifestyle PR agency, we help hotels, retreats, and destination brands translate these wellness trends into guest experiences and captivating stories that resonate with discerning travellers.

1. Longevity & Preventative Wellness

Wellness retreats are evolving from indulgent escapes to performance-focused, health-optimising experiences. Guests are drawn to personalised longevity programs, metabolic health tracking, cryotherapy, and other evidence-based therapies. Resorts such as COMO Shambhala, Bali and Lanserhof Tegernsee, Germany are leading the way, offering high-net-worth travellers measurable health outcomes amidst luxurious surroundings.

2. Nature-Immersive & Rewilding Experiences

Nature is the star of wellness in 2026. Travellers are seeking forest bathing, rewilding adventures, alpine yoga, lake floating, star bathing, and full moon ceremonies, reconnecting with the elements and themselves. Resorts like Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman and Aman Kyoto, Japan blend eco-therapy with immersive wellness experiences, proving that sustainability and mindful design are now integral to luxury travel.

3. Mental & Emotional Wellbeing

Mental wellness is taking centre stage. Contemporary wellness offerings prioritise mindfulness, breathwork, dark retreats, somatic therapy, and creative wellness—including art, music, and movement—to help guests reset emotionally and mentally. Resorts such as Canyon Ranch, Tucson are setting the benchmark for transformative mental wellness experiences.

4. Authentic, Culturally Rooted Programs

Travellers crave authentic local experiences. Resorts collaborating with indigenous healers, local artisans, and regional traditions — like Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand — provide meaningful, culturally immersive experiences. These practices enrich wellness programming while reinforcing a destination’s identity and story.

5. Wellness Beyond the Stay

Leading hotels and retreats extend wellness beyond the physical stay. Through digital programs, take-home rituals, and post-visit engagement, they foster long-term loyalty and lifestyle integration, ensuring wellness becomes a lasting habit.

Wellness isn’t just a trend — it is the language of modern luxury travel, and one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, with Australia leading the world as the top wellness destination.

For strategic luxury travel PR, lifestyle PR, wellness PR, and brand positioning across hotels, resorts, and destinations, connect with Wanderlust Union — a boutique agency specialising in luxury travel and lifestyle brands in Australia and internationally.

Man sitting on train reading newspaper - luxury travel PR Sydney

There was a time when luxury travel was defined by velocity - private jets, jam-packed itineraries, and the ability to tick off five countries in a week. But somewhere between burnout and border closures, a quiet shift began. One that’s less about collecting stamps, and more about collecting meaning.

Welcome to the era of slow travel - where luxury is no longer about how fast you go, but how deeply you experience.

At Wanderlust Union, we work with brands at the forefront of luxury travel, lifestyle, wellness, and design, and the message from the modern traveller is clear: slow is seductive. It’s not about doing less - it’s about doing better. With intention, immersion, and emotional resonance.

You see it in the revival of the Orient Express, poised to glide through the Italian countryside in all its restored Art Deco splendour. This isn’t just a train - it’s a moving work of craftsmanship, a return to the romance of the journey itself. Onboard, guests won’t rush to their next destination. They’ll dine, dress, converse, and watch the world unfold.

Beyond Italy, Belmond journeys continue through the Scottish countryside, where luxurious accommodations blend local tradition with contemporary elegance. Artfully designed by Scottish creatives, with personalised touches including a Dior Spa, butler service and private transfers, ensuring every moment of the journey is savoured.

That same desire for stillness and depth is also fuelling the rise of luxury wellness retreats - properties that have shifted from offering ‘escapes’ to creating environments of real transformation. From Ayurvedic immersion in Sri Lanka to breathwork in Tulum and medical wellness programs in the Swiss Alps, today’s retreats are no longer add-ons - they are the destination.

What we’re seeing, increasingly, is a recalibration of values. Time has become the ultimate status symbol. And those who can afford the best are choosing to invest in moments, not movement. A two-week stay at a boutique hotel where design, food, and service reflect the rhythm of the land feels far more indulgent than a whirlwind itinerary.

It’s a philosophy echoed by brands like Six Senses, Aman, and even smaller design-led villas and lodges that understand that storytelling and slowness are not just desirable - they’re defining.

And for those of us behind the scenes - the PRs, marketers, and storytellers - this shift matters. Because it changes how luxury brands must communicate. At Wanderlust Union, this is more than a trend - it’s a transformation. Our work with boutique hotel, heritage experiences, and high-end wellness brands is grounded in this belief: that great travel is about depth, not distance.

So here’s to slowness. To the long, late breakfasts, to watching landscapes unfold from a train window. To travel that doesn’t promise a quick fix but offers a slow return to self.