Wellness movements where the UK is a clear global leader include going much deeper with wellness retreats, being a wellness policy trailblazer, and innovating authentic, social water experiences–from wild swimming to wild saunas
On September 10th, the Global Wellness Summit held a lively press event in London to introduce the annual conference that is headed to the UK for the very first time. It will take place in St. Andrews, Scotland from Nov 4-7 with the theme: “A Watershed Moment for Wellness.” At the event, the Global Wellness Institute released the first detailed research on the UK’s $224 billion wellness economy, finding that the country ranks #1 globally for growth in its wellness market since 2019. The media event was a great success, attracting top journalists from the Financial Times, the BBC, The Times, Men’s Health, and other major outlets.
Susie Ellis, GWS chair and CEO, also quickly spotlighted five wellness trends where the UK is a world leader and innovator. An expanded version of her short talk is below.
5 UK wellness trends set to take over 2025– Country and Town House Reporter Ellie Smith covers the research and trends (from wild saunas to modern pilgrimages) presented at the GWS’s London press event. But she adds some other great trend examples and angles.
Sauna venues are sprouting all across the UK. What was once an afterthought experience at a hotel spa is now a national flowering of saunas as the hot new community space–whether dozens of new saunas at the seaside or near lakes or the urban British saunas that are getting very creative with the social programming, and whose lack of dogma might surprise their Nordic visitors.
Is London the new LA? With so many elite wellness spaces opening across the city (from The HVN to Surrenne to Galen) the author wonders whether London is the new global hub of high-end wellbeing. And with the 2024 crop, it’s longevity all the way.
The UK has endlessly creative and specific wellness retreats, from women-only retreats focusing on poetry writing and forest bathing in Monmouthshire to “Dirty Weekends” at a Cornwall retreat where guests restore the rainforest and learn about soil health and plant species reintroduction to mindful hill walking retreats in the Peak District to retreats that focus more meaningfully on men’s wellbeing in Hertfordshire.
Global Wellness Summit, 333 S.E. 2nd Avenue, Suite 2045, Miami, FL 33131, United States
