Health Update: Health Update: The best destinations in the world for a wellness escape in 2026 – What Experts Say– What Experts Say.
With everything going on in the world right now you’d be forgiven for striking all other holiday plans in favour of a dedicated wellness escape this year.
In fact, over half (58 per cent) of travellers are already planning a self-care trip in 2026, as travel is in general becoming less about ticking off landmarks and more about prioritising wellbeing.
With that in mind the team at William Russell, has looked into some of the best places in the world for a wellness holiday.
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Researchers analysed countries on factors such as healthcare spending, access to mental health professionals, walking trails, and wider wellness infrastructure.
According to the data, Australia ranks as the eighth best country in the world for self-care. The country performed well for its health care and had a health spending equivalent to 10.3 per cent of GDP.
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Austria was ranked as the best nation for self-care, according to the data.
Experts said the country showed strong investment in public wellbeing and outperforms most of the study averages.
Switzerland comes in second place. Known for its pristine landscapes and outdoor culture, Switzerland boasts 3.58 four-star-plus spas per 100,000 residents, one of the highest in the index.
Finland and Iceland were next in the ranking, each excelling in slightly different areas.
Finland had one of the highest life satisfaction scores, and performed well for easy five-star walking trails, highlighting the country’s strong connection between nature and mental wellbeing.
Finland has almost three times as many easy five-star walking trails per 100,000 people than the average of all countries.
Iceland, meanwhile, recorded the highest life satisfaction score in the entire index at 8.1/10.
It also boasted by far the highest spa density of any country analysed. It has over three times as many four-star-plus spas per 100,000 residents as the average.
Our neighbours across the Tasman also featured in the ranking. New Zealand came in sixth place ahead of Australia.
It had the third highest score for four-star+ yoga and pilates venues per 100,000 people.
The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Canada were other destinations considered among the best in the world for a wellness escape.
Australia had previously been called out in the Well Traveller x Global Wellness Institute 2025 Survey, crowned the world’s most desirable wellness tourism destination.
New Zealand, Bali, Japan and the South Pacific were other destinations that received recognition last year.
The best countries for self-care in 2026:
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Iceland
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Canada
- Australia
- Norway
- Denmark
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