The bn-dollar business of getting your life back

When Apoorva Addepalli visited Thailand in March, her trip was not about sightseeing. A marketing executive at Puma in Bengaluru, Addepalli is an athlete who decided to participate in her third Hyrox race outside of India. 20 of her gym friends joined her in Bangkok, where they raced and enjoyed their holiday. Their Thailand vacation did not involve lounging by a pool or sipping cocktails.

Instead, they explored fitness activities like MMA, box training, workouts, healthy food, massages, and naps. Addepalli emphasizes that the focus is not on tourism, but on building a community, exploring new things, and physically and mentally tiredness turning into mental energy.

Wellness travel is becoming a significant trend, reflecting a shift in travelers' priorities. The term "runcation" refers to a holiday centered around running, and it is part of a growing lexicon of wellness travel. The phenomenon reflects a change in how people approach travel, with wellness becoming the core of the itinerary. For instance, Mumbai consultant Amrita Chhabria chose a "medical holiday" at the Jindal Naturecure Institute in Karnataka after feeling unwell.

Even during family vacations, she seeks out local wellness practices. Chhabria's experience echoes the trend, with 87% of Indian travelers motivated to travel for personal wellness, as revealed in Booking.com's Travel Predictions 2026. Wellness is no longer something to make time for after sightseeing but has become the itinerary itself.