Dubai's Demand for Niche Spiritual Retreats on the Rise
Skift Take
Spiritual retreats have become all the rage in Dubai as the wellness travel industry continues to grow, particularly across developing markets. Tailored experiences may be the key to the growth of this niche market, as more mindful travelers are now seeking exclusivity and holistic healing methods.
We’ve all heard about detox retreats, or spiritual getaways.
Some people have called them a new age travel trend, but wellness tourism has been around for decades. Such getaways, in the last few years, have become increasingly popular in Dubai, particularly among professionals who belong to the upper middle class and are more health-conscious or educated.
“Dubai is becoming more spiritually diverse,” said 29-year-old Lady Serwaa Bonsu, who has worked as a receptionist at a Dubai-based holistic healing center for nearly two years.
“Many clients I meet are choosing to go to places like India and Japan for special four- to 10-day retreats because they are seeking spiritual solutions to their issues.”
Bonsu said she meets clients who are considering such retreats to gain insight on how to improve their health, marriages, or even their relationship with money.
Between 2015 and 2017, the annual growth rate of the $639 billion wellness travel market was 6.5 percent, according to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). This is more than double the 3.2 percent growth rate for tourism overall.
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