Communal bathing was a public good. Then it got hijacked by wellness culture

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:13:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/communal-bathing-was-a-public-good-then-it-got-hijacked-by-wellness-culture-272264>

"Bathhouses are making a wave in Australia and overseas. And it’s not an
isolated trend; it reflects the broader advancement of the global wellness
economy, which some reports suggest is outpacing even IT and sport in growth.

The Australian wellness sector, too, is booming. According to a report from the
Global Wellness Institute, Australia has one of the world’s fastest-growing
wellness economies, growing at an annual rate of 7.5% from 2019 to 2023 – with
bathhouses, thermal springs, ice baths and saunas playing a key role."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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