Nancy Davis and Susie Ellis welcomed the audience and set the scene for the day: Joining together. Shaping the future. The global wellness economy is now at an impressive 6.3 trillion USD, with an even more remarkable forecast for the years to come. The latest research, The Global Wellness Economy: Country Rankings report will be released, and later this year, the new event, Beauty & The Brain Symposium will be held in September 2025.
The Trends’ event sponsor, Amway shared their vision of providing organic and sustainable products for consumers worldwide, such as biodegradable cleaning products, supplements, skincare, and an app to track product ingredients.
The Global Wellness Economy: Country Rankings Report
The Global Wellness Economy Country Rankings report for 2025 was introduced by Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung, providing updated numbers on the wellness economy’s global performance during 2023 and projected sector growth through 2028.
The top 5 countries account for 58% of the economy; the top 5 remain the same but have changed positions. Nearly all of the top 25 countries have recovered post-pandemic and now exceed 2019 numbers.
Mexico’s economy was affected by the currency valuation shift, meaning the increase when measured in Mexican Pesos is 136%, but shows up as 148% when measured in USD. This also impacts Brazil’s wellness economy, which actually grew 124% when measured in Brazilian Reals, but is at 98% of 2019 levels when measured in USD.
Lynette Harrison Brubaker interviewed Missy Robbins, a Michelin Star Chef, Restaurateur & Cookbook author who brings together food, culture, and hospitality, and spoke about her journey to becoming the chef she is today. This includes her year off after struggling with burnout from the restaurant industry and her transition to focusing on healthy food that supports wellness. The concept of Missy Pasta, one of Missy’s restaurants, allows patrons to buy the ingredients and cook the same food for themselves at home. Missy dreams of opening a boutique hotel and offering culinary experiences in Italy.
The Future of Wellness: 2025 Trends
Beth McGroarty and Jane Kitchen join the stage to present the trends forecast:
Analog Wellness
As people become aware that we are manipulated by internet marketing and social media, they will be more intentional about logging off and maintaining privacy and peace. Joy and deep attention will be celebrated. Ceramics, board games, and reading salons are rewriting nightlife and social spaces.
Sauna Reimagined
From event saunas to floating saunas, this social space is not new but is appealing to people more than ever before. Aufguss performances are becoming more theatrical, and saunas are being paired with music and visual art experiences where people can come together for a social experience where phones, by design, are not welcome. Saunas are sober community friendly, now with incredible views and experiences, and, paired with cold therapy, are being used to manage stress, anxiety, and depression.
The Supplement Paradox
The supplement industry is reaching a new level, where biomarkers and lifestyle data can measure each person’s needs and deliver hyper-personalized solutions to target specific needs. Women’s hormonal health and fertility are addressed with supplements and patches, while nanotechnology is improving delivery.
Teen Wellness
Teens are struggling with anxiety and depression more than ever before, and feelings of despair need to be tackled with healthy solutions. Programs are now offered to help support teens with proven wellness practices.
Watershed Wellness
The global water crisis will affect us all; the growing demand for water and its scarcity will influence populations across the world. Cities all over the world are facing ‘day-zero’ crises – running out of water. Spas typically use excessive amounts of water, if they don’t become sustainable they will not be able to continue. Rancho La Puerta invested in a water treatment plant to return water to the land and community. Atmospheric water generators, AI water tracking systems, and desalination plants provide some solutions.
Augmented Biology
Wearables and health tech can analyze biodata and monitor sleep, stress, and psychedelic effects and people are changing their behavior based on the data collected. We have the ability to enhance motion and mobility via robotic wearables and supplements that support neuro and cellular health.
Longevity Redefines Work
Work is being redefined by AI, climate change, and a rapidly changing demography – populations are getting older and birthrates are falling. In China, by 2100 the population is expected to be just half of the current population. There are increasing numbers of people with disease and at the opposite end, a growing number that are healthier than ever before while aging. Intergenerational teams are far more effective, bringing varied perspectives. An age-inclusive team is 33% more likely to capture a market.
Wellness Tackles Addiction
Products and procedures focus on harm reduction and helping people avoid negative consequences. This includes fentanyl testing strips and other ways to help people who may be at risk. One example is a sublingual spray that can help bring people down after consuming too much cannabis. Wearables can also help when treating people in recovery. Sobriety retreats are on the rise and will continue to grow.
Wellness on the Line
Cruise lines are now focusing on wellness with retreats and wellness programming on offer, including postural correction, dance, crafts, and stargazing, alongside physical activity and healthy nutrition. On-shore excursions also tie into wellness with hammam visits, medicinal jungle walks, and thermal hot springs. Blue World Voyages focuses on sport and fitness, claiming to be the healthiest way to cruise.
Train journeys allow guests to merge with the nature they are traveling through, with guests putting down their phones and looking at the wildlife outside.
The Middle East’s Wellness Ambitions
In recent years, the Middle East has transformed into a wellness hub with culturally rooted wellness experiences such as Bedouin retreats blended with art and modern technology. Health regimens tailored by AI help to move people towards wellness living.
Alexia Brue announced the launch of a new podcast series, The Wellness Roundtable, conversations focusing on longevity. Alexia promises to approach the topics of conversation with “a healthy dose of skepticism.”
Lindsey and Lynette spoke of their careers transitioning from ‘traditional’ media to where they are today. At Well+Good, they look at wellness as a journey, not a destination, and Lindsey spoke briefly about the trends they see for the year to come. Younger generations embrace change more confidently than others before them. Skin health is now important to younger consumers, aging well and longevity are the focus, and star-shaped, brightly colored blemish patches are now worn with pride. Female health concerns through pregnancy and peri-menopause are now being catered to and digital detox and JOMO are on the rise – the joy of missing out! Tourism will move from being over-documented and overscheduled to ‘rest and relaxation’ with nothing on the agenda.
Celia highlighted the democratization of wellness, the ability to get a great wellness experience, in a clean and modern facility, without the high ticket price. A company with a purpose, that aims to provide something that people are looking for, can impact a market. Wellness has gone from being seen as a treat, as something special, to being part of the routine in daily life. Membership programs help stabilize revenue from a business perspective and bring a level of comfort to new members just starting to build wellness and massage into their routines.
www.globalwellnessinstitute.org / www.globalwellnesssummit.com
By Sara Jones, editor