Travelers’ interest in wellness and outdoor environments is continuing to soar: 79% of travelers are incorporating wellness facets like forest immersion and mindful strolls into their travels, according to KOA’s Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report. The report also found that nearly six in 10 travelers prioritize slowing down and enjoying experiences.
Those priorities dovetail with the surging worldwide demand for garden tours, a category that continues to flourish as a niche for travelers seeking not just visual splendor but also the mental and physical health boosts that come from immersion amid lush florals and abundant greenery.
Understanding and catering to these preferences sets travel advisors apart in a competitive market. Read on to learn about garden tours in destinations from Asia to Europe and discover why these verdant escapes are captivating travelers. Plus, learn how to leverage this trend to enhance your offerings and meet your clients’ expectations.
Growing Demand
Artisans of Leisure’s latest Luxury Travel Trends report points to gardens as one among the “special interest travel” trends leading the market right now. And the global special interest tourism market, already valued at more than $3.5 billion, is expected to grow at a rate of about 22% by 2030, according to the latest market report by RationalStat.
Destinations and operators are taking note. Responding to customer demand, Riviera River Cruises launched a garden-focused sailing along the Rhône. “We started by surveying our customers to find out what hobbies and interests they would like to see incorporated into our cruising itineraries,” said Will Sarson, Riviera River Cruises’ head of product for cruise. “From these surveys, gardens came out as the most popular.”
The company had previously offered escorted tours that focused on horticulture, and they were popular sellers. “However, going to theming whole cruises around gardens was a big next step for us, and we had the confidence to offer this based on the feedback we have received from our guests,” Sarson said.
Indeed, Riviera River Cruises’ new garden-themed cruise on the Rhône has been a bestseller. The line has added a departure date that will feature noted British TV gardener Charlie Dimmock. The company is also working on a garden-themed cruise on a different itinerary for launch in 2026.
Girls’ Guide to the World offers tours for women in locations all over the world, including gardens from Mexico to Holland. Doni Belau helms the company and shared her perspective that the demand of garden tours is not so much new but well established — and perennial. “We've observed a robust demand for garden-themed tours, underscoring the timeless love and fascination for exploring the world's most beautiful and inspiring gardens,” she said. “Spending time in a quaint or grand garden can awaken the soul even for those non-gardeners among us.”
Gardens Around the World
From the Pacific Islands to Europe, destinations around the world are emphasizing their unique garden offerings amid the hot demand.
Italy: Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese and Stendhal Tours
In Italy, Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese, in collaboration with Stendhal Tours, is now offering a five-night luxury garden tour that unites the beauty and history of Rome’s most prestigious gardens with the experience of the historic five-star hotel. It includes visits to the Borghese, Vatican and Tivoli gardens, as well as some of the city’s private homes. Highlights include gardens that have served as a place of meditation for popes since the 13th century, plus one of the world’s largest collections of peonies.
England: Thyme
In the English countryside, Thyme’s gardens envelop the 150-acre estate’s houses and cottages, inspiring the hotel’s menus, floral displays and interior designs. The farm’s gardens are both a central draw of the pastoral property as well as working gardens and orchards that supply flowers for the house, food for the kitchen and herbs for the spa. Meeting guests’ interest in garden immersion, the property offers accommodation in the Gardener’s Cottage, which sleeps six. And situated in the Farmhouse are four newly refurbished bedrooms, each decorated with a standout species from the garden: Pink Phlox, Mixed Phlox, Elderflower and Sidalcea.
St Barths: Cheval Blanc St-Barths
In St Barths, Cheval Blanc St-Barths’ tropical gardens are designed by world-renowned landscape designer Madison Cox. There, guests are encouraged to do “garden therapy” among the lush and tropical settings on garden discovery tours led by the maison’s head gardener, an activity established for guests to explore the gardens’ 160 varieties of plants. Guests are also able to book a Guerlain spa treatment in a private pavilion located in the gardens.
Fiji: Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort
Across the Pacific in Fiji, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort offers an immersive garden experience that focuses on plant medicine. Helmed by the resort’s traditional herbal medicine expert, Billy Railala, the Fijian medicine walk is a guided tour that allows guests to discover traditional medicines contained in the indigenous plants that have been used in Fiji for thousands of years. Curated and cultivated by Fijian elders, the medicine has been available at the resort for several years. The offerings are now increasing in size and scope to be the largest display of traditional Fijian medicinal flora and fauna, featuring more than 120 different species of plants.
Belau’s own favorite gardens are a diverse lot spanning continents. “Probably my favorite garden in France is Villandry — it never ceases to amaze and surprise me no matter the season,” she said. She also loves the “magical” Monet’s Giverny and the “more formal architectural gardens” at Alhambra in Spain. And she marvels at the Ryoan-ji, the zen garden in Kyoto, for its uncanny ability to “move every visitor who sees it.”
Mental and Physical Wellbeing
Garden tours offer more than a chance for a peaceful outing and a knockout array of snapshots for social media. “There is now significant research evidence that supports garden immersion being beneficial to mental health and physical wellbeing,” said psychiatrist Michael Schirripa.
He explains that the practice is actually known within the mental health field as “green care” and notes that it is now being prescribed as a treatment for people with a range of psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety, and for those at risk of developing cognitive disorders, such as dementia.
“One significant reason why garden immersion is good for mental and physical health is because it is a ‘whole of body’ activity,” Schirripa said. “It engages people in physical activities, such as being outside, walking, being in nature, as well as the cognitive and emotional elements of being in a garden. The aesthetic of a garden enriches the senses along with the smells and sounds that a garden produces.”
The psychiatrist cited a recent Japanese study indicating that being around green plants, whether indoors or outdoors, can reduce blood pressure, stress and sadness, as well as promote a sense of overwhelming wellbeing.
Unlike some other more rigorous outdoor activities, garden tours are typically gentle and can be undertaken by people with a range of physical abilities. “Garden immersion does not involve strenuous exercise [and] can be taken at an individualized pace, and that movement is beneficial to health,” Schirripa said.
Further, being immersed in a garden environment also provides insulation from a range of external environmental stresses, such as noise and pollution. “This can create a sense of being soothed and calmed,” he said.
Belau underscores this perk as particularly beneficial for travelers escaping the harried conditions of modern life. “In this day of 24/7 screen access, just getting outside and breathing in the fresh air is a boon to the system,” she said. “It lets all those daily stresses just melt away.”
Originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of The Compass magazine
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