The Business of Wellness: Why the Industry's Growth Matters for South Carolina

Wellness is no longer a niche industry.

From fitness studios and spas to nutrition, mental wellness, beauty, hospitality, healthy food, longevity, and wellness tourism, consumers are increasingly investing in products, services, and experiences that help them live healthier lives.

And that shift is creating significant opportunities for businesses.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness economy reached $6.8 trillion in 2024, nearly doubling in size since 2013. The organization projects the industry will continue growing at approximately 7.6% annually through 2029, when it is expected to approach $9.8 trillion.

For businesses in South Carolina, those numbers point to something much bigger: wellness is becoming an increasingly important part of how people choose to spend their time and money.

Wellness Is Bigger Than One Industry When we hear "wellness," it can be easy to think primarily about fitness, spas, or healthy eating.

The wellness economy is much broader.

The Global Wellness Institute tracks 11 different sectors, including physical activity, healthy eating and nutrition, personal care and beauty, wellness tourism, mental wellness, wellness real estate, spas, workplace wellness, and traditional and complementary medicine.

Some of these sectors are already enormous. In 2024, personal care and beauty represented an estimated $1.35 trillion globally, while healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss represented approximately $1.15 trillion, and physical activity accounted for roughly $1.14 trillion.

That diversity creates opportunities for businesses that may not traditionally think of themselves as part of the "wellness industry."

A hotel offering wellness experiences, a local farm or food producer, a skincare company, a fitness instructor, a healthcare provider, a landscape or outdoor-living company, or a business focused on community and connection can all contribute to the broader wellness economy.

The United States Is Leading the Way The opportunity is especially relevant here at home.

According to GWI's latest country-level research, the United States represented approximately $2.1 trillion in wellness spending in 2024 — nearly 32% of the entire global wellness economy.

That means businesses don't necessarily need to look toward distant markets to see the growth of wellness. It is already happening around us.

For South Carolina businesses, the question becomes:

How can we participate in that growth while creating something meaningful for our own communities?

Wellness Can Be a Business Growth Strategy For businesses, participating in the wellness economy isn't simply about adding the word "wellness" to a product or service.

It's about understanding what consumers increasingly value.

People are looking for ways to feel better, move more, eat well, manage stress, connect with others, care for themselves and create healthier lifestyles.

Businesses that can authentically help meet those needs have an opportunity to build stronger relationships with their customers.

That might mean developing a new wellness-focused service. It could mean partnering with another local business, hosting educational experiences, creating corporate wellness opportunities, introducing healthier products, or simply finding new ways to connect an existing business with consumers interested in wellness.

And increasingly, collaboration may be just as important as competition.

A fitness studio can partner with a nutrition professional. A hotel can work with local wellness practitioners. A spa can collaborate with beauty, longevity and health brands. Local makers and retailers can introduce their products to completely new audiences.

Those connections create opportunities for referrals, partnerships, exposure and ultimately new business.

Creating Those Connections in South Carolina That is part of the purpose behind South Carolina Wellness Weekend.

On September 18–19, 2026, wellness professionals, businesses, instructors, community members and wellness-curious consumers will come together at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston.

The weekend is an opportunity to experience wellness — but also to connect the people and businesses helping shape what wellness looks like in South Carolina.

For businesses, that means an opportunity to meet potential customers, develop partnerships, introduce people to your brand and become part of a growing local wellness community.

For attendees, it means discovering businesses, practitioners, ideas and experiences that can make wellness more accessible in everyday life.

The Opportunity Is Growing The global numbers tell an important story.

The wellness economy grew faster than the overall global economy over the past decade, and GWI expects that growth to continue.

But the real opportunity isn't simply the size of the industry.

It's what happens when that global growth becomes local connection.

When businesses collaborate.

When consumers discover new resources.

When entrepreneurs meet potential partners.

And when wellness becomes something that strengthens both individual lives and local communities.

That's the opportunity we hope to continue building here in South Carolina.

Interested in being part of it?

Join us September 18–19 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston for South Carolina Wellness Weekend and connect with the people, businesses and ideas shaping wellness across our state.

Sources

Research and market data referenced in this article are from the Global Wellness Institute's 2025 Global Wellness Economy Monitor and Global Wellness Economy: Country Rankings (2019–2024 Data).