Active holidays on the rise
Euronews reports travelers are increasingly choosing ‘active holidays’—sports resorts designed around training, recovery and movement instead of passive leisure. (euronews.com) The shift is being packaged by resorts as multi‑day training and recovery programs rather than traditional spa or sun‑and‑sea vacations. (euronews.com)
European travelers are booking trips built around training, recovery and movement, pushing sports resorts further into the holiday mainstream. (euronews.com) Euronews reported on April 11 that the change is showing up in resorts that sell multi-day programs with coaching, classes and rehab-style facilities instead of poolside downtime. The article points to rising demand for sport-led trips tied to padel, pickleball, triathlon training, hiking and stretching. (euronews.com) The model ranges from hard training camps to lighter “move every day” breaks. Euronews said some guests want dedicated pools and expert coaching, while others book trips built around swimming, yoga, hiking or a few hours of sport each day. (euronews.com) The money behind the shift is large and still growing. Grand View Research estimates Europe’s wellness tourism market generated $287 billion in 2025, with “wellness activities” the fastest-growing service segment and Spain expected to post the strongest growth rate through 2035. (grandviewresearch.com) Travel companies are also widening the definition of wellness. A 2024 report highlighted by Hospitality Design, citing Global Wellness Institute estimates, said wellness tourism could reach $1.4 trillion globally by 2027 as hotels move beyond spas into programming around movement, nutrition and longer stays. (hospitalitydesign.com) The resorts in Euronews’ lineup show how standardized this offer has become. Club La Santa in Lanzarote says it has more than 80 sports facilities and more than 500 weekly activities included in a stay. (clublasanta.com) Quinta do Lago in Portugal is selling access and performance in the same package. The resort says it is a 15-minute drive from Faro International Airport, and its Campus complex is built around tennis, cycling and football alongside recovery and rehabilitation services. (quintadolago.com; thecampusqdl.com) Playitas Resort in Fuerteventura markets itself to repeat training travelers with competition-style facilities. Its site says guests can use a cycle center with more than 250 bikes, while partner material lists a heated 50-meter Olympic pool among the core features. (playitas.net; dertour-hotels.com) What used to be a niche for triathletes and cyclists is being repackaged as a broader holiday format: sleep, train, recover, repeat. The resorts getting attention now are not removing leisure from travel; they are turning exercise into the itinerary. (euronews.com)
