What is sleep tourism and why is it on the rise?
Scrolling through social media over a morning coffee, you're just as likely to see someone sharing their sleep tracker data as a sunrise yoga session or breakfast smoothie. Amid the so-called sleep epidemic — in the UK, 74% of adults report sleeping badly, and research suggests that 5-7% are seeing their GP to complain about fatigue — a solid eight-hour sleep has become a sought-after luxury and something we're all keen to shout about. With travel and wellbeing so intrinsically interconnected, it's no wonder our collective desire for a successful snooze has driven a new and booming category of travel: sleep tourism.
Sleep tourism is a burgeoning area of travel where getting a good night's kip is the number-one priority. While hotels have long boasted about their ability to offer just this, sleep tourism is far more than high thread count sheets and extensive pillow menus. It's all about creating a travel experience where improving sleep is at the core, whether that's a week-long, one-off retreat to learn the art of sleeping well, a medical-led stay where issues are diagnosed and treated or a relaxing break with daily sleep-inducing spa treatments. Most notably, it's a trend that's here to stay. In fact, a 2024 report by HTF Market Intelligence found the worldwide sector is worth more than $690bn (£544bn) and is forecast to grow by another $400bn (£315bn) between 2024 and 2028.
The growth comes as part of a wider shift towards viewing health from a 360-degree perspective. 'People have long been looking at their diet and physical health via fitness, but the next chapter is sleep,' explains Charlie Morley, a sleep and dream expert who has written four books on the topic. Morley has partnered with a number of hotels on sleep and dream programmes including Nômade in Tulum, Mexico and Kimpton Fitzroy in London. 'Hotels have realised that people are using these trips, where they're away from work or their children, as a chance to really prioritise good sleep,' Morley adds.
Within this ever-evolving category of travel, approaches vary hugely. On one end of the spectrum, the rise in medicine-led spas is paving the way for science-backed programmes that aim to get to the bottom of ongoing and life-impacting issues. Take the medical spa, SHA Wellness Clinic in Andalucia, Spain, where in-house sleep medicine specialist Dr Vicente Mera creates the clinic's Sleep Well package for guests who have difficulty falling asleep, suffer with interrupted sleep or don't feel properly rested upon waking.
'We conduct a thorough assessment to identify issues such as snoring, nocturnal movements or breathing difficulties. This includes examining the airways, heart and neurological system,' Dr Mera explains. From this, the team create a personalised treatment plan that includes lifestyle modifications, dietary adjustments, supplements and therapies like CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) for sleep apnea or phototherapy to improve the body's response to light. 'Our goal is to gradually restore natural, restorative sleep and energy levels,' she adds.
Expert-led approaches are being adopted around the world, with sleep experts being brought in to up the ante on in-house wellbeing programmes. Longueville Manor in Jersey partnered with psychotherapist and sleep specialist Lydia Falle to create a Sleep Easy experience for guests, while Post Ranch Inn in California's Big Sur collaborated with 'The Sleep Doctor', Dr Michael Breus, one of the US's most renowned sleep experts.
Other destinations take a more holistic approach. The Maldives may be synonymous with a relaxing break, but at Soneva's locations (Jani and Fushi), guests can sign up for the Soneva Soul Sleep Programme for either seven or 14 days. 'Many guests arrive from fast-paced environments where their sleep patterns are frequently disrupted. They crave an experience that contrasts completely with the chaos they're used to,' Dr Lilly-Marie Blecher, chief medical officer at Soneva, explains.
The 360 approach encompasses nervous system rebalancing via mindfulness and meditation practices, daily movement through yoga and exercise classes and personalised sleep rituals such as herbal baths. Alongside this, guests are encouraged to prioritise morning sunshine to reset their circadian rhythm and barefoot walking to balance their body's electromagnetic field.
In a similar vein, many hotels are leaning on ancient wisdom to enhance sleep. At Lefay Resort & Spa's five-night sleep programme in Lake Garda, Italy, traditional Chinese medicine treatments focus on stimulating specific acupuncture points while Sri Lanka's Santani Wellness Kandy offers ayurvedic sleep treatments as part of its five-night programme.
While there is a correlation between our reliance on technology and its impact on our ability to sleep, developments in this area are simultaneously driving interesting innovation. For example, Charlie Morley's latest collaboration with Kimpton Fitzroy saw him design a Room To Dream package, which gives guests a chance to experience lucid dreaming with the help of AI. The art of being conscious of your dreams is induced by Morley's guided meditation via a VR headset and a specific herbal tea. In the morning, guests can then send the description of their dream to an AI artist, who subsequently creates a visual interpretation of it.
Looking to the future, Morley sees technology expanding the possibilities of sleep tourism, not just in terms of dreams, but for sleep quality, too. 'The gamification of sleep will continue to grow and this will be maximised by the travel industry with innovations like smart beds. These types of bed will be able to measure the quality of your sleep, allowing you to see what tools or techniques work for you,' Morley says. 'Soon, hotels really will be able to back up their claims of offering a great night's sleep with some pretty solid data.' In the meantime, our quest for deep rest and sound sleep will continue to be one of the key reasons travellers book a break.
Published in the Spa & Wellness Collection 2025 by National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
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