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Unlike medical tourism, which focuses on treating already diagnosed diseases, wellness tourism emphasizes disease prevention, stress reduction, and improving quality of life through spa treatments, mineral waters, yoga, fitness programs, and healthy nutrition.
According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) report, in 2024, international wellness tourists spent an average of $1,668 per trip, which is 36% more than regular tourists.
According to forecasts, by 2029, the global wellness tourism market will reach over $1 trillion, while the overall wellness economy will grow to $9.8 trillion. Wellness tourism is expected to continue growing faster than traditional tourism due to several factors: population aging, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and mental disorders, as well as consumers' growing focus on prevention and longevity.
In Russia, according to Rosstat data, the number of sanatorium and resort services consumers increased by 84% between 2020 and 2024 – from 3.9 to 7.2 million people, reflecting a global trend. The country has over 2,000 sanatorium and resort organizations, including sanatoriums, resorts, wellness centers, and recreation facilities.
Russian regions are actively developing sanatorium and resort infrastructure for both Russian citizens and international guests. As Marus Media reported, for example, the federal resort Belokurikha receives up to 300,000 guests annually, with an increasing number of patients from Kazakhstan, China, and other countries. In the coming years alone, more than 9 billion rubles ($111 million) will be invested in new Belokurikha facilities.
Additionally, for the first time in 25 years, a new sanatorium with a medical center and aquathermal complex was built and opened in Sochi – one of the wellness tourism attraction centers – in 2025.
Source: Global Wellness Institute
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