The global wellness economy is expected to reach US$9 trillion by 2028, and the market is now flooded with options, so how do you navigate an industry where everyone seems to be offering the next big trend? The key is culture, says Global Wellness Institute chair and founder of Well Traveller Katherine Droga.
Speaking to Karryon ahead of Global Wellness Day on 13 June 2026, Katherine Droga says rather than chasing trends, the answer to a truly successful wellness experience comes back to culture.
“There are a lot of trends: sleep tourism, nature immersion, ocean bathing and slow travel… but the umbrella to calming the nervous system, which is what all of these do, is actually what we’ve been using for thousands of years.”
“Ayurveda in Sri Lanka has been practised for thousands of years to create calm and replace medicines, and if you return to ancient rituals… there are some big gems in there about how to slow down and reset your nervous system,” adds Droga.
“Wellness isn’t flipping that much… everything doesn’t have to be new, it’s about getting back to basics.”
She says the places and properties doing well in this space are those “focused on an authentic lens”.
“It’s going back to ancient rituals and traditions … when you think about why bathhouses are exploding, it’s ancient tradition, and it’s around social connection, and it’s a good example of how doing it with a twist you can make it contemporary.”
Droga says one area to watch is around longevity.
“It’s not about looking 20 years younger, but looking at what are the things we can do to live healthier, better and longer lives, and with evidence-based knowledge that will continue to grow in the next decade.”
That’s no more evident than the growing number of Blue Zones – areas around the world where people live longer than anywhere else.
The name was first coined by author, explorer and longevity researcher, Dan Buettner, who has since written seven books and published a Netflix documentary about them, with the first areas classed as Blue Zones named as Sardinia in Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica and Loma Linda in the US.
As for the biggest change she’s seen in recent years?
“There has been a profound shift in luxury travellers not asking where to go, but instead asking how do I want to feel when I get back, and that drives their decision-making.
“So for hotels, it’s about looking at all the touch points in wellness and the extra experiences in a destination that lean into the place, and just focus on what you are passionate about, and do that well.”
Where to start
Droga says wellness retreats are a great way to start.
“A wellness retreat is a great way to get a bite-sized opportunity. Start with a three to five-day experience because you can try new things and you’re not overly committed to one particular aspect.”
For luxury advisors, she says try to stay away from the “shiny new thing”.
“One of the amazing things about luxury advisors is that they have a relationship with the traveller, and so lean into that rather than selling the next flashy thing; lean into what they love and align that so if they are foodies, look for places that do wellness food really well, that’s where the opportunities are.”
A local lens
Droga says we should also not forget our own backyard, saying Sydney is “becoming known as the wellness capital”.
“It has natural assets already built in with nature and ocean and beaches and so it’s a perfect backdrop, and then we have amazing experiences surging like bathhouses and social wellness clubs, Moroccan hammans and foraging experiences.
“We do it so well in Australia, and luxury is about fully stopping and switching off, and you don’t need a long time to do that; you can do it in just a few days.”
Australia will be the first to welcome Global Wellness Day on 13th June, and Droga, who is also the Australian ambassador for the event, says that’s fitting given we are now the fifth largest wellness tourism market globally.
To mark the day, Sydney will hold a series of experiences from mindfulness sessions in the Royal Botanic Gardens to a First Nations-led experience at North Head Sanctuary in Manly and complimentary sauna and breathwork sessions in Bondi.
But regardless of where you are, Droga says for those wanting to have a wellness experience, just start small.
“Just try a few things and see what works for you. Start with ‘wellness snacks’, and if you can’t decide which area to focus on, begin by getting back to basics. My mum is in her 80s and walks everywhere and there’s incredible value in doing just that.”
For more information about the event, visit Well Traveller.
