Noosa Medihub - Economic Need Assessment (Mar-26) · MCU25/0119

                                                                     ECONOMIC NEEDS ASSESSMENT
                                                                                      MARCH 2026




2.2               Sector Context
Health, wellness, and recreation facilities such as gyms, yoga, and Pilates studios play an
important role in supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of the community. These
facilities provide opportunities for regular physical activity for people of all ages, with
particular benefits for older demographics, contributing not only to personal health but also
to social engagement and community interaction.


Demand for gym and wellness facilities are primarily driven by the scale of the population
within the trade area, with higher household incomes and greater wealth levels enhancing
the demand for participation in health, wellness, and recreational activities. As such, the
composition and economic capacity of the local population are key determinants of market
demand for these services.


Noosa’s status as a prominent tourist destination further elevates demand for wellness and
recreational activities. Many existing yoga, Pilates, and recovery-focused offerings in the
region cater to the tourist market, reflecting the social and recreational preferences of
visitors. In contrast, the proposed Indoor Sports and Recreation use at the subject site is
expected to primarily service the resident population, providing a complementary local
amenity that supports consistent, community-based participation in wellness and
recreational activities.


The wellness industry is a fast-growing market worldwide fuelled by the increasing
awareness of people about the importance of holistic health. This comprehensive approach
to well-being extends beyond traditional physical activities to encompass nutritional diets,
mental health care, body recovery programs, and skin treatments, among other aspects.
Sport recovery sits within the wellness sector as saunas and contrast therapies has had a rise
in benefit awareness and trend in recent years.


Australia is recognised as one of the fastest-growing wellness economies globally,
recording average annual growth of 7.5% between 2019 and 2023, driven by +32.9% in
wellness tourism, +21.5% in thermal and mineral springs, +13.9% in wellness real estate,
+10.1% in mental wellness, and +9.4% in physical activity services 1.




1
    Source: Global Wellness Institute 2025




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