The global wellness economy reached $7.5 trillion in 2025, growing by 8.9 per cent in a single year and by 49 per cent since 2019, according to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2026 Global Wellness Economy Monitor, unveiled this week at the Global Wellness Summit in Phuket. The report forecasts that the sector will reach $10.9 trillion by 2030.
The headline figure was announced as the summit formally opened in Phuket on Wednesday, with Her Majesty Queen Suthida presiding over the opening ceremony at the Angsana Laguna Phuket hotel. The summit, held under the theme “The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness”, brings together around 600 delegates from Thailand and overseas for four days of talks on the future of the industry.
The number that matters most for the travel industry is wellness tourism, which the report puts at $982 billion in 2025, up 11.4 per cent year on year. The institute projects that wellness tourism will pass $1.4 trillion by 2030, which would make it one of seven wellness sectors worth more than a trillion dollars each.
Within the wider wellness economy, spas grew by 12.8 per cent to $184 billion, and thermal and mineral springs reached $78 billion. The fastest regional gains in wellness tourism came from the Middle East and North Africa, at 21.5 per cent, followed by sub-Saharan Africa at 18.1 per cent and Asia at 15.6 per cent. The United States still accounts for 36 per cent of all wellness tourism spending.
The report runs to 160 pages across 11 sectors and is free to download. It paints a picture of an industry that has grown rapidly since the pandemic, as consumers have become more willing to spend on their health, on preventive care and on experiences that promise rest and recovery.
Phuket, which is hosting the summit, is using the event to advance its ambition to become a global wellness destination. The province is pursuing a 10 Pillar Plus development strategy, which connects tourism, healthcare, community development and sustainable economic growth, and which was presented by the provincial governor in a policy discussion earlier this week.
The summit’s programme includes keynote speeches, plenary sessions and panels on international wellness developments, alongside an exhibition and a student programme. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is running an exhibition titled “Thailand Wellness Journey: The Ultimate Healing Sanctuary”, showcasing Thai massage, herbs and cuisine.
The summit also reflects a wider shift in the hospitality industry. The luxury hotel group Aman has announced a third brand, Atma, built around sport, wellness and what it calls performance living, with the tennis player Novak Djokovic signed as a global partner. The move underlines how wellness has become a central part of the luxury travel offer.
For Thailand, the summit is part of a larger bet on wellness tourism as a driver of growth. The country is positioning itself as a place where medical expertise, traditional therapies and resort hospitality meet, and the summit is intended to put Phuket’s offering in front of the investors, entrepreneurs and academics who shape the global industry.
Whether the growth figures in the Global Wellness Institute’s report translate into lasting benefits for the places that host wellness travellers will depend on how the industry develops. But for this week, with the summit under way in Phuket and the $7.5 trillion figure now in the open, the industry’s attention is firmly on the island — and on an economy that is now larger than most countries’ gross domestic product.
