Why wellness is the next big thing for Indian tourism

India has a major opportunity to emerge as a global destination for wellness tourism, with its traditions of Ayurveda and yoga, growing domestic demand and the potential to attract long-stay international visitors, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) managing director and CEO Puneet Chhatwal said at the India Today Mumbai Conclave 2026.Speaking at a session titled ‘Wellness Tourism: The New Mark of Luxury’, alongside Irina Sharma, strategic partner and expert at Austria’s VIVAMAYR Medical Health Resort, Chhatwal said wellness tourism was still at a nascent stage globally and could become a significant opportunity for India’s hospitality industry.He highlighted India’s advantage in attracting international tourists, pointing to an average visitor stay of around 17 days, compared with three to six days in several other countries. Combining this longer stay with wellness experiences could help India strengthen its inbound tourism business, he said.Chhatwal, who spoke about IHCL’s Atmantan wellness retreat, said the focus was shifting towards integrated wellness rather than simply detoxification or restrictive diets. The approach combines personalised medical assessments, nutrition, sleep, exercise and other therapies suited to individual needs. “Wellness is not about giving up many things,” he suggested, emphasising that guests should learn sustainable habits they can continue after leaving a retreat. Even retaining 60 per cent of the practices learnt during a wellness stay could be a step in the right direction, he said.Sharma stressed that wellness must be rooted in medical understanding and individual requirements rather than passing trends or influencer-led diets. VIVAMAYR’s approach focuses on metabolic health, digestion, sleep, personalised supplementation and habit formation. She described the experience as a school of health in which guests learn how to manage their wellbeing after returning home.The speakers also discussed fasting, preventive healthcare and the growing interest in longevity. Sharma argued that fasting should not be confused with starvation, and that eating patterns should respect individual needs and the body’s daily rhythms. She also cautioned against wellness businesses offering medical interventions without adequate expertise, calling for stronger policymaking and oversight.Both speakers underlined the importance of personalisation, regular health assessments and sustainable routines. Chhatwal recommended consulting specialists, undergoing basic tests and periodically tracking health indicators to understand progress.The larger message was that luxury wellness is moving beyond indulgence towards preventive healthcare and long-term wellbeing. For India, the challenge will be to combine its traditional health systems with credible medical expertise, high-quality hospitality and personalised care to build a globally competitive wellness tourism sector.KEY QUOTES | PUNEET CHHATWAL“Wellness tourism is not even in its infancy phase; it’s just like a newborn.”“If India’s long average visitor stay could be combined with wellness tourism, then we would be looking at a huge opportunity.”“If you keep doing 60 per cent of the things you did out there [at a wellness programme], it’s already a step in the right direction.”“Less is more [when it comes to wellbeing]. Less of anything that you indulge in or like to do.”“Everybody is built differently and has different needs. That’s why you need a specialist integrated wellness concept.”KEY QUOTES | IRINA SHARMA“We are not what we eat; we are what we digest.”“No one can chew for you, and no one would be able to move for you.”“We cannot copy-paste our life based on influencers or say, ‘This is your superfood.’”“We all need to be our own habit architects.”“This is where I believe is the future of medicine: a personalised approach in which a wellness centre or doctor looks at each person as an individual, rather than generalising health advice.”Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends