As travelers emerge from an era of revenge tourism and bucket-list sprints, a quieter movement is taking hold: the “calmcation.” This emerging travel trend prioritizes rest, relaxation, and mental restoration over jam-packed sightseeing schedules, representing a significant shift in how Americans approach their precious vacation time.
Recent research by travel company Rustic Pathways analyzed 70 destinations across 39 factors to identify the world’s best spots for restorative travel, with Canada claiming the top position for calmcations. The study comes as wellness tourism continues its remarkable growth trajectory. The sector has consistently outperformed general tourism for over a decade, growing at an average annual rate of 7.3% from 2012 to 2019—25% faster than tourism overall. Even during the pandemic recovery, wellness tourism has grown 27% faster than the broader tourism sector from 2020 to 2022.
