Wellness tourism is no longer a niche luxury – it is a fast-growing global movement that could position Africa, and Cape Town in particular, as a leading destination for conscious travel.
This was the message from wellness tourism ambassador Sharni Quinn, speaking at the Hotel & Hospitality Expo Africa 2026 held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) last week.
Quinn told delegates that the global wellness economy is being driven by an increasingly conscious audience, including an estimated 40 million digital nomads, 33 billion conscious consumers, and 90 million wellness and lifestyle content creators.
International wellness travellers, she noted, also spend significantly more than the average tourist – up to 53% more per trip – while in South Africa, half of all wellness tourism activity is already domestic.
“The question is no longer whether wellness tourism is worth investing in,” Quinn said.
“The real question is: why is Africa not fully participating?”
Quinn defined wellness tourism as travel linked to the pursuit of maintaining or improving personal wellbeing, but stressed that it extends far beyond spas, yoga retreats or medical tourism.
“At its heart, wellness tourism is about physical, spiritual, mental and emotional wellbeing. It includes nature, healthy food, mindfulness, culture, sleep and connection. These are not luxuries – they are human needs.”
She argued that South Africa is uniquely positioned to benefit from the convergence of wellness, adventure, medical and eco-tourism, particularly as travellers increasingly seek “transformational” experiences that combine health, nature and purpose.
Quinn also pointed to recent industry data showing that adventure tourism generated R12 billion in direct expenditure in 2024, with soft adventure emerging as the fastest-growing segment.
“Offline is becoming the new luxury. “People don’t want screens – they want sunsets. They don’t want notifications – they want birdsong,” she said.
Having worked in the wellness industry for nearly two decades across South Africa and abroad, including five years in Bali, Quinn said Cape Town already holds many of the core ingredients needed to succeed: natural beauty, infrastructure, affordability and a strong wellness community.
“We are not trying to become the next Dubai. Africa’s strength is its soul,” she said.
She also called for greater collaboration between government, tourism bodies and the private sector to better position South Africa in the global wellness market, including stronger storytelling, marketing and integration of wellness experiences across hospitality offerings.
Quinn is currently developing two initiatives: a wellness consulting and marketing agency focused on the hospitality sector, and a consumer-facing platform called Wellguide Cape Town, designed to connect travellers with wellness experiences across the city.
She said the future of tourism lies in emotional transformation rather than traditional sightseeing.
“In a world filled with noise, Africa can be the place people come to for peace,” she said.
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