As predicted, 2024 has been a particularly stressful and complex year, characterized by rising geopolitical unrest and climate disasters. More than 50 countries, including the US, UK, Russia, and India, are grappling with divisive national elections that put the future of democracy to the test. In response, people are searching for wellness, peace, and healing more than ever before.

The wellness market has become increasingly intricate, showcasing many contradictory business models and trends. Published by the Global Wellness Institute, The Future of Wellness is a unique trends report informed by insights from hundreds of health and wellness experts—including CEOs, doctors, investors, academics, and technologists—who convene annually at the Global Wellness Summit.

But with 2025 on the horizon, The Future of Wellness report has been released which is filled with innovative ideas and examples of pioneering companies aiming to help navigate the promising yet diverse landscape of wellness for the coming years. Key trends this year include:

1. Climate-Adaptive Wellness: The planet’s struggle with heat is giving rise to cooling solutions in architecture, urban design, wearables, tourism, and travel.
2. The Power of the Pilgrimage: An increase in new and revitalized pilgrimage trails draws younger generations to engage with this ancient and spiritual form of travel.
3. From Manning Up to Opening Up: A cultural shift is occurring, leading to a rise in social and emotional wellness programs designed specifically for men.
4. The Rise of Postpartum Wellness: Postpartum care must transform to emphasize comprehensive support for new parents, integrating maternal and paternal mental health alongside physical well-being.
5. Longevity Has Longevity: This emerging sector is the fastest-growing area in wellness, combining medical insights with wellness practices to foster longer, healthier lives.
6. A Wellness Check for Weight Loss Drugs: New weight-loss medications such as Ozempic are revolutionizing traditional weight management practices, highlighting the need for integrating these with healthy lifestyle choices.
7. Sports Finds Its Footing in Hospitality: The intersection of wellness and hospitality is developing, with fitness-focused tourism, including specialized training facilities and tailored wellness experiences, gaining traction.
8. The Home as the Highest-Tech Health Hub: Cutting-edge home environments equipped with advanced diagnostic technology are enhancing wellness through personalized experiences.
9. A New Multisensory, Immersive Art for Wellness: Immersive art experiences, utilizing technology and AI, are emerging as tools for promoting mental and physical well-being across diverse settings such as museums and hospitals.
10. Under the Radar Trends: Emerging topics from the Global Wellness Summit touch on the importance of inclusivity in wellness spaces and the growing need for wellness diplomacy in global relations. This year’s report reflects a landscape where the complexity of wellness models can serve as a beacon of hope and adaptation in an unpredictable world.

Susie Ellis’s recent Global Wellness Summit notes capture possible future trends, as themes emerged under the radar from Summit keynotes, panels and discussions with top-level international delegates.

Global Wellness Summit Chair and CEO Susie Ellis in conversation with Olympian Simone Biles at the 2023 GWS.

Amy McDonald, owner and CEO of Under a Tree Consultancy, has spoken out about lowering spa age limits to allow teens, while Anjan Chattergee, MD, professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, speaks about the benefits of “slow-looking” in art.

Before attending the 2023 Summit, Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki delivered a talk at the Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium, saying wellness is the big motivator in real estate purchase decisions.

Meanwhile, Deborah Birx, MD has also spoken out about why wellness diplomacy will be a growing need.

Some exciting destinations have also been highlighted, including Velvaere, a new wellness community in Park City, Utah. It offers almost every wellness offering imaginable and recently partnered with Fountain Life, a pioneer in using AI-powered advanced diagnostics to prevent disease before it happens.

When it comes to art therapy, there is also a new Multisensory, Immersive Art for Wellness. From museums to hospitals to hotels, new immersive art experiences leveraging technology and AI promote mental and physical wellness in entirely new ways.

Canadian-Korean artist and pioneer Krista Kim has created the immersive installation Heart Space in Dubai, which allows guests to connect through the universal language of the human heartbeat. The Museum of the Future’s Al Waha Wellness Zone in Dubai is aimed at uniting the senses, and there’s an ultrasonic therapy room at the Museum of the Future’s Al Waha wellness exhibit in Dubai.

The insights given into the wellness industry are key to this report which is available to download here. FREE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION | PURCHASE FULL REPORT

All Images: GWS