What's Happening?
The Global Wellness Summit is set to take place in Dubai from November 18 to 21, 2025, focusing on the future of wellness in travel and hospitality. The summit will gather executives from major wellness travel companies, investors, academics, and government
tourism leaders to discuss the evolving $830 billion wellness tourism market. Key topics include the increasing demand for medical-wellness and longevity destinations, mental and emotional wellness, nature, spirituality, and planetary health. The summit will also address the growth of the $19 billion Middle East wellness tourism market, which has seen significant growth at an annual rate of 12% from 2019 to 2023.
Why It's Important?
The summit highlights the growing importance of wellness tourism, a sector projected to reach $1.35 trillion by 2028. This reflects shifting consumer preferences towards health-focused travel experiences. The discussions at the summit could influence future trends in the wellness tourism industry, impacting how destinations develop their offerings to meet these demands. The focus on sustainability and innovation in wellness travel could lead to new business opportunities and partnerships, benefiting both local economies and global tourism stakeholders.
What's Next?
The summit will feature discussions led by hospitality entrepreneurs and executives from preventative diagnostics companies, exploring the convergence of longevity, hospitality, and new wellness concepts. The Global Wellness Institute will release its 2025 Global Wellness Economy Monitor, providing new data on the growth of wellness tourism, spa, and thermal/mineral springs markets. These insights could guide future investments and strategies in the wellness tourism sector.
Beyond the Headlines
The summit's focus on planetary health and spirituality in wellness travel suggests a broader cultural shift towards holistic and sustainable travel experiences. This could lead to increased collaboration between tourism and environmental sectors, promoting eco-friendly practices and conservation efforts.