Wellness tourism is diversifying dramatically as today’s cross-generational tribe of enlightenment seekers strive for mental, spiritual and physical well-being. For almost 30 years, Six Senses has pioneered wellness initiatives that take guests beyond the destination into new discoveries. Visitors to its 27 properties around the world surrender to the ministrations of therapists, practitioners, and forward-thinking experts who bring an extensive and evolving roster of treatments, taking guests as deep as they wish to go.
Driving the Six Senses well-being agenda is Wellness Pioneer, Anna Bjurstam. A role underpinned by curiosity and knowledge, she infuses her unique healing approach to bring balance and harmony to holistic well-being. The industry pro shared insights into what will shape the sphere of wellness into the year ahead.
1. Waving Goodbye to Wearables
Anna Bjurstam (AB): Tech has been transformational in helping us tune into our body’s patterns and processes. Today we seem to track everything from fertility to fitness. However, should humans be beholden to AI for all eternity? This dependency on devices can give a less accurate reading than if we were to tune into our bodies and listen to the signals it sends us.
Many of us can testify to tech telling us we’ve had a bad night’s sleep and as a result end up feeling fatigued and foggy for the rest of the day. Wearables are useful for handy intel, especially when worn for a limited time to gather data or as a part of ongoing research, but there’s always room for finding intuitive methods to bring people back in tune with their biology and body’s natural rhythm.
2. Spiritual Well-Being: Embrace The Moment
AB: The rise in "spiritual travel" underlines increased interest in pursuing a more meaningful way of life. Gone are the days of striving for picture perfect moments to populate a social media feed and instead, rather refreshingly, we notice more people are stripping away distractions to uncover simplicity, focus and a heightened sense of self-awareness. A deeper connection to something bigger than oneself… their place, purpose or the people that surround them. What was considered niche is now highly popular with guests of all ages and children love the tactile nature of our singing bowls and labyrinths too.
3. Save Our Sleep
AB: The hiatus of holidays offers opportunities for a good night’s sleep, but more than that, they give space to address problematic sleep patterns. The major challenge here is the many variables that can affect sleeping soundly; everything from diet, exercise and caffeination, to screen time, stress and other lifestyle factors.
Sleep tourism began trending at the end of 2022 and is set only to continue. Last year, the American Psychological Association highlighted how 37% of US adults seek ways to address cognitive functioning, stress and anxiety management. In the year since, little has changed. Sleep continues to rank the second-highest health and wellness priority for consumers and perhaps as a direct result of increasing dependance and demands from digital devices.
Related: 5 Health Trends for 2025 That You Can’t Miss
Photo courtesy of Six Senses
4. Live Long - Live Well
AB: Health span is the new wellness buzzword; it’s no longer about how long you live, but how well you live too. Those in their 50s and beyond are much more active, as Gen X accounts for 30% of the $282 billion adventure market, and about 38% of the lifestyle and jetsetter market. Whereas longevity was once considered fringe, evidence is mounting that humans can effectively slow down the rate of aging. Everything from biohacking to Blue Zones have become the topic of mainstream conversation.
5. The Power of Togetherness
AB: We live in an age of a loneliness epidemic. Many more people are living solo or adopting a transient lifestyle as they travel, making it harder than ever to find human connection. As we learn from Blue Zone regions, where people have lived long into later life, rich social interactions are vital for longevity. People are increasingly seeking to find their tribe, build bonds with likeminded individuals and feel part of a community, no matter where they are in the world.
6. Pleasure Seeking
AB: Many things give us a hit of happiness, but not all sources of dopamine were created equal. Simply put, good dopamine makes us feel good, while bad dopamine has the opposite effect. This vital neurotransmitter is essential for regulating responses such as movement, emotion, motivation, and the feeling of pleasure, but modern stress is playing havoc with our nervous systems.
Too often, we operate on autopilot and do not register behaviors that could be negatively impacting our nervous system. Such things include reaching for our phones the moment we wake or jumping for junk food and neglecting exercise when tight for time. On the contrary, being aware of things that make us feel good like being surrounded by loved ones, taking ourselves to extraordinary places and exploring our passions can allow us to find the feel-good factor in more positive places. By increasing our cognizance of activities that influence our dopamine response, we can naturally regulate our nervous system and promote better hormone harmony as we build healthier habits.
7. Hormonal Health
AB: Hormones play a pivotal role in all facets of our health, from mood to energy and libido to hunger, yet only come into our consciousness when we experience an imbalance. Fluctuation is normal – women experience this as we navigate the menstrual cycle. Men too can expect similar symptoms – such things as fatigue, mood swings, loss of muscle mass and more – as testosterone plummets with age.
The World Economic Forum recognizes the gender health gap, with one key area being the lack of persistent data on female hormones and health, and the lack of available data reaching women. What’s pertinent is that such research is sparking conversation hopefully having a positive effect on destigmatizing the seasons of life and allowing people to embrace the beauty of aging.
Photos courtesy of Six Senses
8. Diet Dining
AB: Appetites are on the decline as injectable weight loss programs peak in popularity. As dining habits evolve, 2025 could see nutrient dense small plates hitting a rising number of restaurant menus as the way we fuel ourselves evolves in response to a new way of eating. Such dishes would be designed to nourish the body, whilst responding to reduced hunger for hearty meals.
