PH top ‘trending’ as retreat destination
The Philippines has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing retreat destination on an online booking platform, thanks in part to its “island sanctuaries” that are drawing greater interest from travelers seeking rest and relaxation.
In its inaugural State of Retreats report, booking site BookRetreats ranked the Philippines No. 1 among its trending retreat destinations, with interest in the country surging 323 percent year-on-year.
This placed the Philippines ahead of Australia, where interest jumped 255 percent, followed by Hungary at 236 percent, the Netherlands at 159 percent and Germany at 157 percent.
Vietnam, Romania, Switzerland, Sri Lanka and Italy rounded out the top 10.
According to BookRetreats, the rankings were based on the increase in unique page views on its website from January 2024 to January 2025 compared with the year-ago period.
Apart from rising interest in the Philippines as a retreat destination, the country also ranked among the fastest-growing destinations specifically for yoga retreats, placing 10th globally with a 58-percent increase in interest.
Albania ranked first with a 203-percent rise in interest. Japan placed third with a 173-percent jump, while fellow Southeast Asian destinations Vietnam and Thailand posted increases of 73 percent and 62 percent, respectively.
Overall global interest in yoga retreats grew 15 percent, according to the report.
BookRetreats said the numbers point to growing appetite for retreat travel, which it said had already overtaken spa treatments, supplements, gym memberships and therapy in terms of planned wellness spending.
“Travel has always been a way to relax and recharge, but in 2026, a growing number of people are treating time away as a way to actively reshape their lives,” it said. “Retreats, once a niche corner of the wellness world, have become a top planned wellness spend.”
According to BookRetreat’s survey of US travelers, 62 percent cited rest and relaxation as a reason for going on retreat. Another 37 percent pointed to mental health and wellbeing, while 35 percent wanted to recover from stress or burnout.
Interest also differed across generations. Gen X travelers showed the strongest appetite, with 73 percent saying they planned to join a retreat within the next 12 months. They were followed by Gen Z travelers at 68 percent and millennials at 66 percent.
The report drew on BookRetreat’s platform data and an online survey of 1,040 US leisure travelers conducted from December 2025 to January 2026.
