PERSPECTIVE
Shaping Up
10 INSIGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF WELLNESS IN HOSPITALITY.
By MIA KYRICOS, FOUNDER, KYRICOS & ASSOC.
The $ 6.3-trillion wellness economy is both inspiring and, at times, perplexing. For those of us who work in it, the effort to legitimize wellness as both a human need and a business driver has required equal parts passion, patience and persistence.
Unlike years past when market data and key performance indicators were largely unavailable, the reverse is now true. The wellness conversation has climbed far outside the walls of traditional spas, fitness centers and recreation to more sophisticated opportunities designed to make business, community and even planetary wellbeing attainable for hospitality at large.
The Global Wellness Institute reports that wellness tourism is now an $ 830-plus-billion market. What’ s more, it’ s growing faster than overall tourism, and wellness travelers spend considerably more than the average tourist— sometimes nearly twice as much.
As we look ahead to 2026, here are 10 insights shaping how wellness and hospitality may continue to evolve together.
➊ Wellness and hedonism can indeed live side by side. Much like politics, there’ s very little room for progress when you’ re dealing with extremes. Wellness
48 hotelsmag. com Jan / Feb 2026