From Southeast Asia to the Gulf and Central Europe, investment in preventive healthcare, rehabilitation and wellness infrastructure is creating new opportunities for international destinations
Medical wellness tourism is entering a period of geographical diversification as destinations seek to combine established hospitality services with preventive healthcare, rehabilitation and medically supervised wellness programmes. While traditional wellness centres in Europe and Asia retain their appeal, new investment and changing traveller expectations are creating opportunities in regions that have previously played a smaller role in international health-related travel.
The strongest development potential does not necessarily lie in destinations with the largest existing wellness industries. Countries combining competitive operating costs, expanding healthcare infrastructure, international air connectivity and distinctive natural resources may be better positioned for rapid growth. Government support, medical regulation and the availability of qualified professionals are equally important in determining whether tourism investment can develop into credible health-related services.
A distinction is necessary between medical wellness and conventional medical tourism. Medical wellness generally focuses on prevention, recovery, lifestyle improvement and supervised health programmes rather than surgical procedures or treatment of serious diseases. The following destinations represent a qualitative assessment of development opportunities based on infrastructure, policy initiatives and market positioning, rather than a statistically verified global ranking.
The Gulf and India lead the growth indicators
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia stand out in the latest international wellness data. According to the Global Wellness Institute's country rankings published in January 2026, the UAE recorded average annual wellness economy growth of 14.3 percent between 2019 and 2024, followed by Saudi Arabia at 12.2 percent. These were the highest rates among countries with wellness markets exceeding USD 5 billion.
The figures cover the broader wellness economy, not medical wellness tourism alone. Nevertheless, both countries are investing in hospitality, healthcare and destination infrastructure that could support more specialised preventive health services. Abu Dhabi's growing network of international healthcare partnerships and Saudi Arabia's expanding tourism developments offer different models for integrating medical expertise with wellness travel.
India represents another major opportunity. Its wellness economy expanded by an average of 11.3 percent annually between 2019 and 2024, reaching approximately USD 180 billion. The country combines established medical tourism services with Ayurveda, yoga and other traditional wellness practices. Government initiatives, including the AYUSH visa category and regional medical hub development, are intended to facilitate international travel for healthcare and wellness purposes.
Bali and Croatia combine tourism with healthcare
Bali offers one of the clearest examples of infrastructure specifically designed to integrate medical and wellness tourism. Indonesia inaugurated the Sanur Special Economic Zone and Bali International Hospital in June 2025. The development brings healthcare, hospitality and research ambitions together within a dedicated destination, with the additional objective of reducing outbound medical travel by Indonesian patients.
The island's established international tourism appeal provides an advantage, although the success of its medical wellness strategy will depend on clinical standards, specialist availability and cooperation between hospitals and hospitality operators. Indonesia's investment authorities identify Sanur as a priority destination for health-related investment.
In Europe, Croatia is emerging as a particularly promising destination for medical wellness and rehabilitation. Its health ministry explicitly identifies medical wellness, spa tourism and medical tourism as components of the national health tourism sector. The country combines thermal resources, established rehabilitation services, Adriatic tourism infrastructure and proximity to major European source markets.
Croatia's wellness economy recorded average annual growth of 10.8 percent between 2019 and 2024. Investment in thermal and health tourism facilities, including EU-supported infrastructure projects, could help extend tourism beyond the summer season.
Costa Rica and Kazakhstan offer different opportunities
Costa Rica has potential to expand nature-based medical wellness by combining its established ecotourism appeal with preventive health programmes. Its wellness economy grew by an average of 9.6 percent annually between 2019 and 2024. The country's tourism authorities are also placing greater emphasis on wellness product development, according to the OECD's 2026 tourism review.
The opportunity lies particularly in programmes combining relaxation, physical activity, nutrition and nature experiences. Developing more medically supervised services would require appropriate clinical partnerships and clearly defined standards.
Kazakhstan represents a different development model. The country already has a sanatorium and rehabilitation tradition, with its statistical authorities recording 333 organisations in the sector at the beginning of 2025. Its wellness economy expanded by an average of 9.3 percent annually between 2019 and 2024.
New investment proposals include facilities combining accommodation, diagnostic services, rehabilitation and spa programmes. The country's natural landscapes and proximity to regional source markets could support further development, although international accessibility, service quality and consistent medical oversight will remain important challenges.
Across these destinations, the growth opportunity is increasingly linked to credible integration rather than simply adding wellness facilities to existing resorts. Medical assessments, preventive programmes and rehabilitation services require appropriately qualified professionals, while claims about treatment outcomes must be supported by clinical evidence.
The Global Wellness Institute estimates that the wider global wellness economy reached USD 6.8 trillion in 2024 and projects growth to nearly USD 9.8 trillion by 2029. Its research also identifies mental wellness, wellness real estate and traditional and complementary medicine among important areas of expansion. These figures cover a much broader market than medical wellness tourism itself.
For emerging destinations, the decisive question will be whether tourism investment can be matched by reliable healthcare services and transparent standards. Those able to combine medical credibility, attractive environments and convenient international access are likely to have the strongest opportunities to develop sustainable medical wellness tourism.
Image Credit: © AI generated illustration
