Travel has become our fountain of youth. Recent research shows that more than half of American travellers are prioritising holidays designed to enhance their lifespan and wellbeing. Longevity, the concept of living a longer and healthier life, continues to be the hottest buzzword in the trillion dollar wellness tourism space. But amidst a global epidemic of loneliness, fewer people want to be cocooned in a clinic undergoing DNA testing and stem cell treatments. More and more, travellers are craving community and connection and some of the new longevity-focused programmes are centred around communal activities like hiking and vision boarding.
A more holistic approach to wellness means we’re finally paying attention to our brains, with retreats offering everything from neurofitness training to psychedelic-assisted feedback. And women finally have a plethora of programming tailored specifically to their health needs, from menopause to fertility. Taking a vacation is now the antidote for nearly every ailment, from insomnia to technology addiction. It won’t be long before doctors are prescribing holidays. Here are the wellness travel trends and destinations, resorts, and retreats that promise to revitalise your health in 2025.
Chris Simpson
Longevity through community
Our quest to live not just longer, but healthier, shows no sign of waning: The richest 1 per cent are investing in pricey medical-based offerings, like Canyon Ranch’s new four-day, $20,000 (£15,757) Longevity8 package, which combines diagnostics and one-on-one consultations with daily group hikes and shared meals, and Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea’s $44,400 (£34,981), four-session Next/Health Longevity Protocol, which involves NAD+ IV drips, customised vitamin shots, and stem cell and ozone therapy, all while enjoying the resort’s poolside cabanas and new 14-seat Japanese restaurant, Komo.
But a growing number of wellness resorts are looking to move the needle with less spend-y retreats focused on quietly hyped, Blue Zone-backed factors including purpose, community, and natural movement. Research shows that social connection can increase our odds of survival by 50 per cent, and time spent outdoors can majorly boost our mental health. With that in mind, Sensei’s latest retreats ditch the bloodwork and instead foster longevity through group hikes on native lands around Palm Springs, accompanied by mindset coaching and vision boarding. Others are following suit. Palazzo Fiuggi in Italy, Caldera House in Jackson Hole, and bespoke alpine adventure outfit SwisSkiSafari, have all introduced longevity-focused, group retreats rooted in bonding over hikes and other mountain adventures. And this March, Amangiri in Utah will host a Longevity Powered by Nature retreat led by renowned Buddhist Monk Geshe Yong Dong.
Hydrotherapy circuits
Gone are the days when you’d arrive at the spa one hour early for a steam or a soak before your facial or massage. Now, you might just forgo the treatment all together and instead spend an afternoon socialising with friends as you dip in and out of hot tubs and cold plunges. Sprawling hydrotherapy circuits have become a non-negotiable for new spas. When guests arrive at the new Evian Spa at the Hôtel Royal in the French Alps, they’re ushered into a planetarium-like relaxation room to watch a film showing water trickling down from snowy mountains to rocky streams, and then move on to a circuit that includes an aqua bar and snow room. Waterfall showers and a saltwater flotation experience are highlights of the hydrothermal gardens at the new 50,000 square foot Kiolani Spa at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort on Maui. Eynsham Baths at Estelle Manor in the UK offers two guided thermal journeys – one for relaxation and one for invigoration. Your goal dictates how you move between six areas, from a Frigidarium to Caldarium, Tepidarium to Hay Sauna. Sensory showers (aka emotional showers) with coloured lights, aromatherapy, and varying modes of water pressure are the latest circuit essential. Try them for yourself at Monteverdi Tuscany and the forthcoming spa at Grand Hotel Villa Servelloni in Lake Como.
Channeling our inner athlete
If 2024 was the year to travel as a sports fan, 2025 is when we’re traveling as wanna-be athletes. Hospitality company Accor predicts athletic adventures will be one of the biggest travel trends in 2025. According to its trend forecasting report, there’s been a 50 per cent uptick in searches for “workout holidays” over the past year. Perhaps the recent competitive comebacks of 40-somethings like Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and legendary climber Chris Sharma are fuelling the motivation. The desire to achieve personal health goals is driving people to incorporate recreational sports into their travel plans. Racketeering, a term to reflect the growing racket sports craze, has spurred hotels, such as Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne and Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in California, to invest in state-of-the-art pickleball courts, clinics, and tournaments.
