‘Wellness’ is out. Relaxation holidays are now about extending your lifespan

July 21, 2026 — 5:00am

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Imagine if you could add 10 years to your life just by taking a holiday.

No one is quite promising this yet, but the possibility might not be far away.

Wellness retreats have hit a whole new level.Getty Images

Travelling for longevity is the concept running hot through the travel industry right now.

“Wellness” was the buzzword a decade ago, but now, being well in the moment is not enough. People are talking about having a “health span” as well as a lifespan – living longer in a state of optimum health for one’s age.

And the hospitality industry believes it is well-placed to provide a service to those willing to pay for the enhanced possibility of a healthy 100-year-old life.

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I’ve just returned from the annual International Luxury Travel Market in Asia, which brings travel brands, travel advisors and media together for a few days to share information about hotels, cruises and trends.

Generation Z and Millennials are the top spenders on wellness, so the hospitality industry clearly hopes it can mine a rich source of multi-generational angst about ageing.

There’s no doubt “longevity” was the word of the week. The Capella group of hotels kicked it off by announcing a new partnership with the Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, a wellness and longevity institute.

The Capella Residences Bangkok, due to open in 2030, will be a luxury wellness-integrated living development that combines preventative healthcare, residential living, and lifestyle facilities.

Preferred Hotels and Resorts, a collection of independent hotels, launched a worldwide wellness brand emphasising results-driven treatments that combine Eastern wellness philosophies with Western technologies such as biohacking, hydrothermal circuits and advanced skincare.

It isn’t just about wellness, they emphasised, it’s longevity.

The word popped up again and again. Even cruise companies realise that a relaxation massage might not be enough of an attraction for some guests. Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced a new Spotlight on Wellness \& Longevity cruise starting in 2027.

Longevity is the new travel buzzword.Getty Images

For decades, Europeans have been booking into medical health clinics such as Clinique La Prairie in Montreux, Switzerland, for science-based medical treatments and cosmetic surgery along with their pampering massages and facials.

When I lived in France 20 years ago, you could get a prescription from your doctor for a free week at a medically based spa in Normandy or Brittany.

In our part of the world, hospitality brands such as Six Senses, Kamalaya and Chiva-Som have been offering cutting-edge holistic treatments for many years.

Biohacking, red-light therapy and sleep therapy programs are not new.

What is new is an ageing population worrying about the prospect of a poor quality of life in their final decades, and constantly evolving medical advances, including diagnostic tools such as DNA analysis.

Now, instead of a welcome drink when you arrive at your spa, you get an IV drip and live blood analysis. You can follow up with genetic DNA testing, cellular optimisation and 3D body mapping.

A growing number of spas are offering such medically integrated treatments, including RAKxa Integrative Wellness in Thailand, which partners with the VitalLife Scientific Wellness clinic of Bangkok’s respected Bumrungrad International Hospital.

At SHA Wellness destinations in Spain, Mexico and the Emirates guests can book Advanced Longevity programs offering “biological ageing moderation”.

The longevity program at Three Forks Ranch in Colorado, partnering with the Mayo Clinic, even offers early cancer detection.

None of this comes cheap. At Palazzo Fiuggi Medical Concept, a five-star wellness retreat outside Rome, the base fee for a week of the longevity program starts at $18,000, including accommodation, meals, movement and wellness treatments and diagnostics.

But for a discerning group of travellers – especially the wealthy, who can’t buy eternal life but can throw money at extending it – long-term results are the aim, not just the transitory warm and fuzzy feeling from a sound bath.

In Australia, many of these diagnostic tools are available if you’re sick, but the idea here is to get ahead of ageing, and incorporate beneficial treatments and healthy living practices well before age and illness set in.

Interestingly, Generation Z and Millennials are the top spenders on wellness, so the hospitality industry clearly hopes it can mine a rich source of multi-generational angst about ageing.

While it’s nice to be pampered, can longevity programs really deliver what they promise?

The trusted keys to a long, healthy, well-lived life? Cultivate a strong sense of community. Travel by foot as much as you can. Incorporate exercise into your daily life. Have a good night’s sleep. Keep your mind engaged. Prioritise plant-based foods. Spend time in nature. Find time for yourself.

These are all free.

The writer was a guest of ILTM.

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Lee Tulloch – Lee is a best-selling novelist, columnist, editor and writer. Her distinguished career stretches back more than three decades, and includes 12 years based between New York and Paris. Lee specialises in sustainable and thoughtful travel.Connect via email.