When it comes to wellness tourism, the Middle East has been by far the world’s fastest-growing market: revenues grew 11.6 per cent annually across 2019-2023, twice as fast as any other global region, to reach $19 billion-plus.
Governments in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are making powerful investments in preventative health, wellness and sustainability as part of their national vision plans, to make the GCC a new world hub for wellbeing. The UAE plays a pivotal role as the region’s largest wellness market ($34 billion) and at the national level, it’s been the second-fastest growing wellness tourism market in the world (16.5 per cent annually), trailing only China (18 per cen), according to latest figures released by Global Wellness institute. This growth isn’t just impressive, it’s transformative. Yet the travel trade finds itself at a crossroads. Not because it’s failing, but because the wellness traveller is evolving faster than traditional sales channels can adapt. Today’s high-end wellness traveller isn’t booking indulgence, they’re booking transformation. They seek longevity clinics, biohacking retreats, mental health sanctuaries and nutritional immersion programmes. And they expect travel professionals to understand the science, the terminology and the emotional resonance behind these choices. So the questions we must ask are not demands, they’re invitations: can trade professionals confidently differentiate and sell these nuanced offerings? How can agents vet wellness providers without standardised benchmarks? Would a regional wellness certification help build trust and clarity? What incentives could bring high-end wellness providers into mainstream distribution networks? Are agents equipped to match travellers with destinations that align with their emotional and spiritual needs? These questions aren’t rhetorical. They’re strategic and timely. Because this November, the Global Wellness Summit takes place for the very first time in the Middle East on November 18–21, 2025, at the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai. With the theme Longevity Through a Wellness Lens, the summit will convene global leaders to explore the future of wellness. The travel trade has a unique opportunity to be part of this transformation. Not by overhauling its identity, but by expanding its toolkit. Perhaps it’s time to develop a wellness trade resource hub, complete with glossaries, client personas and booking protocols or facilitate regional FAM trips for advisors to understand medi-spa concepts available in their vicinity. One could also say that there needs to be a trustworthy Middle East wellness index that ranks destinations by innovation, quality and accessibility. Finally, the most important, cross-sector collaboration between hoteliers, wellness experts and travel advisors co-creating packages that resonate with today’s traveller. The question isn’t whether the travel trade is ready. It’s whether we’re willing to evolve together, with curiosity, collaboration and clarity.