Wellness travel can take many forms. Photo / Unsplash
From forest bathing to yoga retreats, Travel Magazines Editor Sarah Pollok shares what ‘wellness’ can mean for travellers in 2026.
What is wellness travel? It’s a good question to consider in January, as we emerge from the summer holidays, fresh-faced and eager for this year to be better than the last. Perhaps not just examining the way we spend our time at home but on holiday too.
Spend any time in the travel industry, and the exponential yet sustained interest in wellness travel in recent years is impossible to ignore. Globally, the sector is predicted to be worth a humble US$1.35 trillion by 2028, more than doubling since 2022, according to estimates from Statista.
And since wellness has become a key way to demonstrate upward mobility and status, it’s no surprise wealthy travellers have led the wellness travel charge, making it difficult to parse luxury travel from wellness travel. Roll up to almost any five-star resort, exclusive experience or expensive destination, and you can guarantee its facilities and marketing are geared towards wellbeing; natural environments are said to calm the mind, activities designed to enliven the body, the food and treatments promoted as deeply nourishing.
If you’re like me, this can make it feel as though wellness travel, much like wellness itself, is reserved for those with generous budgets to spend; as if one must spend thousands to stay at an eco lodge or an expensive health retreat to access the benefits.
There is certainly nothing wrong with these experiences. As someone who loves pursuing refined wellness experiences, the marriage of these two concepts is beautiful and predictable and at Herald Travel, we often share some of the best to try.
However, I’m thrilled to report that wellness travel doesn’t need to come with a hefty price tag.
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) defines wellness tourism as “travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing”. It’s a broad definition, but that’s a good thing for travellers.
How does one maintain or enhance personal wellbeing? Well, GWI separates it into six categories: physical (nutrition, exercise and sleep), mental (learning, creativity or problem solving), emotional (cultivating awareness of and expressing feelings), spiritual (seeking meaning or a higher purpose), social (meaningfully engaging with others), and environmental (fostering a positive relationship with nature).
Hang on, you may protest, with this framework, almost any trip could be “wellness travel”; there are countless ways to engage with others, connect with nature or learn while abroad. And you’d be correct. The industry may favour the physical and emotional aspects, presenting opportunities to care for our bodies and ease our busy brains, but wellness truly does mean tending to any of the above.
However, even if we do wish to focus on the former, there is no premium on experiences that do this, especially in a natural mecca like Aotearoa. Your “wellness trip” could be as comprehensive as a tech-free overnight hike to a DoC hut or as simple as attending a yoga class when visiting a city. You may rent a bike and cycle through forest trails or around lakes, head to a free natural hot pool for the day or commit to cooking from a wholefoods recipe book during a weekend away.
Want to hop on a 2026 travel trend? Gather some friends (social!), book a humble beachside bach (environmental!) and tuck into some novels (mental!) for a reading retreat.
It doesn’t have to be domestic either. One of my biggest wellness travel hacks is a DIY retreat. Several times my sister, mother and I have flown to Ubud, Bali, and spent a week staying in a small jungle villa, eating plant-based meals and doing two yoga classes a day at a nearby studio, followed by a massage. All for less than $100 per day.
Admittedly, wellness practices aren’t always enjoyable, and one advantage of luxe hotels or hosted retreats is some good old-fashioned accountability, whether it’s for attending the pilates class or ditching the digital device. So, if a DIY wellness escape is on your 2026 bucket travel list, don’t go at it alone! Recruit friends or family as you plan your wellness-boosting escapes – just let them in on the plan, rather than surprising them with a weekend of journaling and green juices.