The Philippines’ wellness industry saw growth between 2022-23 in a number of areas, including an increase in the wellness tourism segment of 61.4 per cent, according to new data from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).

The wellness industry as a whole contributed 9.9 per cent to The Philippines’ GDP in 2023, according to data compiled for the report, in partnership with The Philippines' Department of Tourism.

The industry grew by 21 per cent between 2019 and 2023 to reach a value of US$43.3 billion (€38.5 billion, £32.4 billion).

Growth

Although the wellness tourism segment (worth US$3.61 billion in 2023) grew year on year, it’s still 2.5 per cent behind where it was in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 – when it was worth US$3.99 billion.

Other areas showing success include spas (up 19.2 per cent between 2022-23 and up 3.3 per cent since 2019), physical activity (up 21.4 per cent between 2022-23 and up 6.7 per cent since 2019) and wellness real estate (up 14 per cent between 2022-23 and up 21 per cent since 2019).

The Philippines ranks number eight out of 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific region and number 23 out of 218 countries worldwide.

Sector spotlight

The report details the market’s key segments, highlighting their size, growth rate and global ranking (out of 218 countries).

Several sectors are in the global top ten:

• Personal Care and Beauty: US$24.42 billion (number 13)

• Wellness Tourism: US$3.61 billion (number 32)• Spas: US$680,000 million (number 38)

• Physical Activity: US$2.07 billion (number 47)• Wellness Real Estate: US$200,000 million (number 38)

• Healthy Eating, Nutrition and Weight Loss: US$6.82 billion (number 24)• Public Health, Prevention and Personalized Medicine: US$2.92 billion (number 30)

• Traditional and Complementary Medicine: US$2.25 billion (number 20)• Mental Wellness: US$840,000 million (number 28)

• Workplace Wellness: US$180,000 million (number 34)• Thermal/Mineral Springs: US$90,000 million (number 40)

Wellness in the Philippines

Central to the country’s wellness culture is the Filipino value of ‘Kapwa’ – the alignment between soul, body and mind as well as creating a connection with the surrounding community.

A strong heritage of traditional herbal medicine can also be found in the country, widely used to treat a variety of ailments such as digestive problems and respiratory infections, while fresh, whole ingredients and well-balanced meals are key to Filipino cuisine and sharing meals is an important part of life.

GWI’s Geography of Wellness website lists examples of Filipino wellness attractions such as traditional hilot massage, nature-based resorts and a culture of community-led family wellness.

Learn more about the GWI’s report here.