Yoga retreat tourism sits within a much larger wellness-travel economy. The closest broad measure available is wellness tourism, which includes yoga retreats alongside other primary wellness experiences and wellness activities added to ordinary trips. On that proxy, global spending reached $830.2 billion in 2023, while 1,034.5 million wellness trips averaged $803 in expenditure per trip. These figures describe the wider market rather than a standalone global census of yoga retreats.
Contents
- How large is the global wellness-travel proxy?
- Where is wellness-tourism spending concentrated?
- How many trips are taken, and what do travelers spend?
- Which destination markets lead?
- Domestic and international retreat-travel patterns
- Primary retreats versus secondary wellness travel
- What India’s yoga signals show
How large is the global wellness-travel proxy?
The Global Wellness Institute’s Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024 provides the broadest supplied benchmark for yoga retreat tourism. The monitor explicitly treats yoga retreats as examples of primary wellness tourism, but its published totals combine them with other primary wellness experiences and with secondary wellness travel.
Global wellness-tourism expenditures reached $696.6 billion in 2019, the pre-pandemic peak used in this proxy. Spending then fell to $343.0 billion in 2020 after pandemic travel bans and border closures. Recovery brought the total to $462.5 billion in 2021 and $637.2 billion in 2022. In 2023, expenditures reached a new peak of $830.2 billion. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
Across 2019–2023, wellness tourism grew at a 4.5% compound annual rate. It represented 13.1% of global wellness spending in 2023. The monitor projects wellness-tourism expenditures of $1,351.0 billion in 2028, a forecast implying a 10.2% annual growth trajectory. The 2028 figure is a projection, not an observed total. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
| Year or period | Wellness-tourism expenditure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $696.6 billion | Observed pre-pandemic peak |
| 2020 | $343.0 billion | Observed pandemic-era decline |
| 2021 | $462.5 billion | Observed recovery |
| 2022 | $637.2 billion | Observed recovery |
| 2023 | $830.2 billion | Observed new peak |
| 2028 | $1,351.0 billion | Forecast |
These totals should be read as market context for yoga retreats, not as yoga-retreat-only revenue. The monitor combines international or inbound and domestic trips, primary and secondary travel, and excludes international airfare. Its 2019–2022 figures were revised using underlying Euromonitor tourism data.
Where is wellness-tourism spending concentrated?
North America recorded $313.9 billion in wellness-tourism expenditures in 2023, while Europe recorded $286.5 billion. Asia-Pacific followed with $165.8 billion. The remaining supplied regional totals were $37.5 billion for Latin America-Caribbean, $19.1 billion for Middle East-North Africa, and $7.4 billion for Sub-Saharan Africa. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
The growth rates across 2019–2023 differed substantially. North American wellness-tourism expenditures grew at a 4.6% annual rate, and European expenditures grew at 4.5%. Asia-Pacific grew at 3.9%, while Latin America-Caribbean grew at 2.9%. Middle East-North Africa recorded the fastest supplied regional rate at 11.6%, and Sub-Saharan Africa grew at 5.6%. These are regional wellness-tourism rates, not growth rates for yoga retreats alone. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
How many trips are taken, and what do travelers spend?
Wellness tourism totaled 1,034.5 million trips worldwide in 2023, with average expenditure of $803 per trip. Asia-Pacific recorded the largest regional trip volume at 403.4 million, although its average spending was $411 per trip. Europe recorded 328.5 million trips at $872 per trip, while North America recorded 224.0 million trips at $1,401 per trip.
The other regional patterns were smaller in volume but varied in average spend. Latin America-Caribbean recorded 55.0 million trips at $682 per trip. Middle East-North Africa recorded 15.9 million trips at $1,198 per trip. Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 7.8 million trips at $956 per trip. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
| Region | Wellness trips, 2023 | Average spend per trip |
|---|---|---|
| Asia-Pacific | 403.4 million | $411 |
| Europe | 328.5 million | $872 |
| North America | 224.0 million | $1,401 |
| Latin America-Caribbean | 55.0 million | $682 |
| Middle East-North Africa | 15.9 million | $1,198 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 7.8 million | $956 |
For retreat operators and travelers, the regional averages provide context about market scale and spending intensity, but they do not establish the price of a yoga retreat. A wellness trip can include a retreat as its primary purpose or simply include wellness activities during a broader holiday.
Which destination markets lead?
The United States was the largest supplied national market in 2023, with $300.6 billion in wellness-tourism expenditures and 207.5 million trips. Germany recorded $77.8 billion and 70.4 million trips. China recorded $55.7 billion and 158.7 million trips. These three markets illustrate why expenditure and trip volume do not rank destinations identically.
France recorded $41.3 billion in expenditures and 38.7 million trips. Japan recorded $22.6 billion and 41.1 million trips, while Austria recorded $21.1 billion and 17.7 million trips. Italy recorded $19.2 billion and 13.0 million trips, and Australia recorded $19.0 billion and 14.6 million trips.
Switzerland recorded $18.0 billion in wellness-tourism expenditures and 11.5 million trips. The United Kingdom recorded $17.5 billion and 23.5 million trips. All of these national figures refer to wellness tourism in 2023, not yoga-retreat bookings or yoga-retreat revenue specifically. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
Domestic and international retreat-travel patterns
Domestic travel dominates the broad wellness-tourism picture. International or inbound wellness trips represented 13% of the 1,034.5 million global wellness trips in 2023, equal to 134.5 million trips. Domestic wellness trips represented 87%, equal to 900.0 million trips. This split matters when interpreting the size of the potential audience for retreats: many wellness journeys occur within the traveler’s home country.
The regional shares varied. Domestic trips made up 95% of North America’s wellness-tourism trips, or 212.8 million trips, and 93% of Asia-Pacific’s, or 374.0 million. Europe’s domestic share was 79%, or 261.0 million trips. Latin America-Caribbean was 75%, or 41.4 million trips.
Domestic travel was less dominant in the other supplied regions. Domestic trips made up 47% of Middle East-North Africa’s wellness-tourism trips, or 7.2 million, and 45% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s, or 3.6 million. Globally by 2023, domestic wellness trips had recovered to 114% of their 2019 level, while international wellness trips had recovered to 93%. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
Primary retreats versus secondary wellness travel
The supplied data separates wellness travel by purpose. Primary wellness travel accounted for 17% of wellness-tourism trips in 2023, equal to 179.3 million trips. Secondary wellness travel accounted for 83%, equal to 855.2 million trips. In this framework, a yoga retreat can align with primary wellness travel when wellness is the trip’s central purpose, while yoga or another wellness activity can be secondary to a broader holiday.
The expenditure split followed the same percentages but at different absolute levels. Primary wellness travel accounted for 17% of wellness-tourism expenditures, equal to $141.9 billion. Secondary wellness travel accounted for 83%, equal to $688.3 billion. These figures show how much of the broad market is connected to wellness as a main reason for travel versus an added component.
Spending per traveler was higher for international wellness tourists. They spent an average of $1,668 per trip in 2023, compared with $673 for domestic wellness tourists. International wellness tourists spent 36% more per trip than the typical international tourist, while domestic wellness tourists spent 163% more per trip than the typical domestic tourist. Global Wellness Institute, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024
What India’s yoga signals show
India-specific figures provide participation and yoga-training demand signals rather than a measure of retreat bookings or retreat revenue. According to India’s Tourism Statistics at a Glance, as cited by the Press Information Bureau’s YOGA DAY factsheet, the number of foreign tourists visiting India for yoga training increased 37.4% between 2014 and 2018. Press Information Bureau, “YOGA DAY”
The same factsheet reported large participation estimates for International Day of Yoga. In 2020, an estimated 1.52 crore families took part in demonstrations, while around 5.97 crore individuals participated. Total participation was estimated at around 12.06 crore people. These are India participation estimates for the 2020 event, not counts of tourists staying at retreats.
For 2021, an estimated 156.86 million people participated in India’s International Day of Yoga, based on self-declaration. The participation figures indicate the reach of yoga in India, while the 37.4% change in foreign visitors for yoga training indicates a historical tourism-demand signal for 2014–2018. Neither measurement should be treated as a standalone count of yoga-retreat travelers. Press Information Bureau, “YOGA DAY”