Wellness · Data · 7 min read
India's Wellness Travel Boom: What the Numbers Show
Global wellness trips reached 819 million in 2022 and most were domestic. What the Global Wellness Institute's figures say, and what they cannot tell you about India.
Wellness tourism is one of the fastest-growing parts of travel, and most of it is local. The Global Wellness Institute counted 819.4 million wellness trips worldwide in 2022, worth $651 billion, and about 88% of those trips were domestic. International wellness tourists spent about 2.6 times as much per trip as domestic ones.
819.4 million
wellness trips worldwide in 2022
Domestic and international
88%
of those trips were domestic
12% were international
2.6 times
international spend per trip against domestic
$1,764 against $668
Retreats, ashrams and Ayurveda stays are growing in India, and the figures that get quoted come from a small number of sources. This is what they say, and what they leave out.
How big is wellness tourism?
According to the Global Wellness Institute, an industry research body, travellers took 819.4 million wellness trips in 2022 and spent $651 billion, which was recovering after the pandemic. It projected that the market would pass $1 trillion in 2024. Its earlier 2018 report put wellness tourism at $639 billion in 2017.
Different editions of the report use revised definitions and methods, so we do not compare the 2017 and 2022 figures to calculate growth.
Who takes these trips?
Mostly people travelling within their own country. Domestic trips were about 88% of the total in 2022, or 725 million, against about 95 million international arrivals, which is 12%. International wellness tourists spent more per trip, about $1,764 against $668, but there are far fewer of them.
For India, this points to the Indian traveller. The audience for a yoga weekend in the hills or an Ayurveda stay in Kerala is as likely to be someone from Bengaluru, Delhi or Mumbai as a visitor from abroad.
What about India specifically?
The Institute’s 2018 report named India as the second-fastest-growing wellness tourism market between 2015 and 2017, adding about 17 million trips. We could not obtain India-specific totals for 2022 from public material, because the Institute’s country data sits behind its data tables. Readers who need them should check the Institute’s current reports.
How should you read wellness market numbers?
- The definition is broad. Wellness tourism here includes trips motivated by activities such as fitness, spas, healthy eating and mindfulness, so the totals do not equal retreat bookings.
- The source has an interest. The Global Wellness Institute is an industry research body that promotes the sector. Its numbers are widely used, but they are estimates and projections.
- Headline forecasts are forecasts. A projection of a trillion-dollar market is not a measurement.
- Global figures are not India figures. Use them for context, not for local claims.
What does this mean for travellers?
A growing market brings more choice and more marketing. The practical lessons are the ones in our guides: choose a named teacher or a qualified physician, ask for the daily schedule, check the refund policy and be wary of cure claims. See how to choose a yoga retreat in India, Ayurveda in Kerala and mental health and retreats.
Questions readers ask
How big is wellness tourism?
The Global Wellness Institute estimated 819.4 million wellness trips and $651 billion of spending worldwide in 2022. It projected the market to pass $1 trillion in 2024.
Is wellness tourism growing in India?
The Institute's 2018 report ranked India second in the world for growth in wellness trips between 2015 and 2017, with about 17 million added. We could not obtain India-specific figures for 2022, so check the Institute's data tables.
Do domestic or international tourists spend more on wellness trips?
Per trip, international wellness tourists spent about $1,764 and domestic wellness tourists about $668 in 2022, which is around 2.6 times as much. But domestic trips are far more numerous.
Does wellness tourism only mean retreats?
No. The Institute's definition is broad and includes trips motivated by wellness activities such as spas, fitness, healthy eating and mindfulness, so the totals are far larger than retreat bookings alone.
Sources
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