Regardless of the vacation, people often say how much it changed them. But can travel transform our health for the better? It’s well understood that unhealthy habits can increase risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. No surprise that our desire for healthier, more active lifestyles is impacting the kind of trips we take. It’s not that people aren’t eager to go on vacations to unwind or experience different cultures and scenery, but they don’t want to fall off the fitness wagon. Enter wellness travel.

Travelling for physical or mental health isn’t new, but it’s a growing trend for 2018. From spa holidays to mindfulness meditation retreats, millions of travellers are expecting to feel rejuvenated, energized and enlivened after a wellness vacation, ready to jump back into their daily routine with enthusiasm. Compare this to needing a vacation from your vacation. Whether it’s a hiking holiday or walking tour with massages and spa treatments at the end of the day or a yoga / surfing retreat, wellness vacations offer travellers a way to put their own physical, mental and emotional health at the heart of their trip, inspiring their itinerary.

Stress reduction is often a big focus, with the savvy tourist searching for highly customized health and fitness goals. Healthy aging retreats with medical counsellors are becoming more popular, thanks to the aging boomer population. Some travellers look to using food as medicine, which involve eating and cooking with a nutritionist. Others might need wellness holiday to mark the end of a relationship, called a break-up vacation. 2018 will see a big increase in medical/health holidays to instigate, promote or reestablish well-being.

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