Wellness tourism an emerging, promising business in Vietnam

The wellness tourism market is growing in Vietnam, driving tourism companies to invest more in unique products and services to cash in on new opportunities.

Environmental pollution, hectic lifestyles characterized by work-related stress, the need for a healthy life and the desire to reduce stress and prevent diseases are the driving forces behind wellness tourism development.

Luxury holidays and wellness activities

Travelers now desire much more from their holidays, not only a relaxing escape from reality but also a journey to improve physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

The global wellness tourism market was valued at $720 billion in 2019 and then fell to $436 billion in 2020 and $451 billion in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). However, the wellness tourism industry will grow more rapidly in the coming years at about 20.9%, with the market reaching $1.1 trillion in 2025, the institute noted.

In Vietnam, the main wellness tourism trend focuses on the luxury travel segment, which has reached out to foreign tourists in developed regions like Europe and the U.S. This market is the playground for four or five-star resorts and hotels that can provide authentic and memorable experiences by emphasizing nature-based activities and creating an exciting new concept with luxury holidays associated with wellness activities.

"Many investors in the hospitality industry in Vietnam can see the potential of wellness tourism and they are investing in more products and services for this trend to adapt to the market," said Michelle Ford, Luminary Wellness’s founder & CEO, a wellness innovation, consulting & management agency for spas, resorts & retreats.

“In 2022, our company engaged in a number of projects, starting with planning a spa that offers traditional treatments and introducing more wellness activities aiming to dive deeper into self-discovery, elevate creativity, and enhance inner stillness and healing in body, mind and soul," she added.

Luminary Wellness plans to launch a wellness and spa brand and will build its first centre in central Vietnam this year.

Dang Phuong Anh, cluster senior marketing manager at An Lam Retreats, said the trend of leisure travel combined with healthy and healing activities has become more and more popular and is expected to boom in 2023.

An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay is located on an isolated island in Nha Trang, and offers attractive products and services to meet market needs. Travelers can enjoy high-class stays at this peaceful destination surrounded by natural beauty and experience a variety of wellness activities to unplug and recalibrate the mind and body through immersive retreat programs, including yoga classes by the beach, meditation in the forest, and even trekking up a cliff.

"We have also invested in an organic vegetable garden to provide guests with healthy and fresh dishes or detox drinks under the concept "from farm to table," said Phuong Anh.

"In 2023, An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay will launch more wellness activities and healthcare programs such as detox treatments and reiki. The Japanese say that reiki restores inner balance and works on releasing energetic blocks for body-mind harmony. In addition, we will collaborate with Vietnamese therapy experts to organize retreat trips."

Meanwhile, Six Senses Con Dao reaches out to tourists who are looking for the ultimate private sanctuary to reconnect with nature and find relaxation, peace of mind and improve physical health.

Situated on the beautiful island, considered one of the best examples of marine conservation in Vietnam, besides pristine nature bringing positive energy for healing, the resort offers a wide range of treatments and wellness activities like yoga, meditation, Ayurveda consultation, and therapeutic Vietnamese-style massages.

Guests can also experience the singing bowl, which can activate the body’s natural self-healing system and stimulate circulation through meridians for realignment, said Trinh Thi My Phuong, marketing and communications manager of Six Senses Con Dao.

Domestic market - new potential for wellness tourism

Although wellness tourism is a global trend, it seems to be rather new to Vietnamese people. In a survey in 2022 by Luminary Retreats with over 1,100 Vietnamese participants, 85% answered that they had never taken a wellness retreat, but they would be keen on trying them.

When asked what experiences they would like on a retreat, most people identified yoga and meditation, reading and exercising, besides choosing positive thinking, travel and healthy diets. In addition, nature proves to be a powerful healing source as people tend to long for quiet - by the beach, in a park, or in a forest.

'Back to nature' tours have become one of the top options for Vietnamese travelers. According to Luc Thi Mai Quynh, director of Green Land Travel, the company welcomed a total of 25,000 tourists in 2022, with the majority being Vietnamese who visited Hon Cau on Con Dao Island, while this figure in 2021 was 12,000 and only 1,250 in 2020, two pandemic years.

"The Hon Cau tour is our most popular where tourists experience a night and day living in harmony with nature on a wild island where they can dive to see coral, walk in the forest, learn about the island’s history and exciting information about a sea turtle’s life, and sleep in tents or hammocks under the stars. Perhaps the highlight of this tour is watching sea turtles laying eggs at midnight or watching the eggs hatch and the baby turtles emerging into the wild," said Quynh.

Meanwhile, at Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion, most Vietnamese travelers like spending wellness holidays in groups for four to five days, according to Dien Pham, director of sales at Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion.

"We are one of the pioneer resorts in Vietnam that has successfully developed and operated leisure holidays combining wellness activities," said Dien Pham.

Set in a great location at the source of the natural hot spring in a tropical forest, just 30km from Hue, the resort provides a diverse choice of exceptional health and well-being experiences such as onsen, cooking classes at a farm, yoga, meditation, qigong and walking in the forest.

Although in 2022, only 15% of the resort’s guests chose wellness retreats, Dien Pham believes that this figure will increase rapidly in 2023 and the following years with Vietnam appreciated as a promising destination for wellness tourism.