Meeting Annuale Wellness Valley 2025
10 November 2025
Over 300 people, including administrators, representatives from academia, experts, businesses, and many young students from Romagna schools, attended the 2025 Wellness Valley Annual Meeting, an event that each year celebrates the achievements of the world’s first wellness district and renews the collective commitment to a more active, healthy, and happy Romagna.
The event, hosted at Technogym Village in Cesena, was an opportunity to present the sixth edition of the Wellness Valley Report, sign the new 2025–2028 Memorandum of Understanding between the Emilia-Romagna Region, the University of Bologna, and Wellness Foundation, and launch the Wellness4Education project, an educational program that will bring the culture of wellness into Italian schools.
The most significant data from the Wellness Valley Report 2025
These numbers depict a Romagna where wellness is not just a lifestyle but a shared culture, supported by institutions, businesses, schools, and citizens. It is a region that has transformed prevention and physical activity into a resource for both health and the economy.
Today, the wellness sector represents one of the main drivers of regional development: it contributes 3.8% to the overall economic output—double the national average—and employs 3.4% of the workforce. Tourism also benefits from the positive effects of wellness: in 2024, Romagna welcomed nearly nine million arrivals and over forty-seven million overnight stays, accounting for 75% of the regional total, with a 7.4% increase in international visitors, boosted by major sporting events such as Formula 1, the Tour de France, and the World Skate Games.
The signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the Emilia-Romagna Region, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, and Wellness Foundation marks the continuation of a joint effort that places health at the center of growth policies. The agreement outlines concrete actions for promoting physical activity as a tool for prevention and therapy, developing new educational and research initiatives, and assessing the impact of wellness on community life.
During the meeting, Wellness4Education was also presented, a new free educational program for Italian middle schools, promoted by Wellness Foundation in collaboration with Educazione Digitale and recognized by the Ministry of Education and Merit. The project, part of the Education Programme Gen26 of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 and the Italian Network of Healthy Cities – WHO, aims to bring the principles of wellness, physical activity, and awareness into classrooms, engaging students in an experiential journey to learn how to take care of themselves.
The meeting concluded with the awarding of local excellence that stood out for their commitment to promoting the culture of wellness: Polisportiva Riccione in the Sport and Fitness category, Istituto Tonino Guerra di Cervia for Wellness Education, eBike Style for Territory Promotion, InCasoDi for Health, Sana Cultura Sportiva for Culture, and Cesena Sport City in the Urban Wellness category.
The event, hosted at Technogym Village in Cesena, was an opportunity to present the sixth edition of the Wellness Valley Report, sign the new 2025–2028 Memorandum of Understanding between the Emilia-Romagna Region, the University of Bologna, and Wellness Foundation, and launch the Wellness4Education project, an educational program that will bring the culture of wellness into Italian schools.
The most significant data from the Wellness Valley Report 2025
- 57.4% of the adult population in Romagna is active, compared to the Italian average of 49.2%
- Only 8.3% of over-65s are at risk of disability, versus the national average of 15.9%
- 14.4% of over-65s have diabetes, compared to 19.6% nationwide
- Among young people (11–17 years old), 17.6% are overweight, versus 22.6% nationally
- The wellness sector in Romagna grew by 68% between 2011 and 2023, reaching nearly 2 billion euros in value
These numbers depict a Romagna where wellness is not just a lifestyle but a shared culture, supported by institutions, businesses, schools, and citizens. It is a region that has transformed prevention and physical activity into a resource for both health and the economy.
Today, the wellness sector represents one of the main drivers of regional development: it contributes 3.8% to the overall economic output—double the national average—and employs 3.4% of the workforce. Tourism also benefits from the positive effects of wellness: in 2024, Romagna welcomed nearly nine million arrivals and over forty-seven million overnight stays, accounting for 75% of the regional total, with a 7.4% increase in international visitors, boosted by major sporting events such as Formula 1, the Tour de France, and the World Skate Games.
The signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the Emilia-Romagna Region, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, and Wellness Foundation marks the continuation of a joint effort that places health at the center of growth policies. The agreement outlines concrete actions for promoting physical activity as a tool for prevention and therapy, developing new educational and research initiatives, and assessing the impact of wellness on community life.
During the meeting, Wellness4Education was also presented, a new free educational program for Italian middle schools, promoted by Wellness Foundation in collaboration with Educazione Digitale and recognized by the Ministry of Education and Merit. The project, part of the Education Programme Gen26 of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 and the Italian Network of Healthy Cities – WHO, aims to bring the principles of wellness, physical activity, and awareness into classrooms, engaging students in an experiential journey to learn how to take care of themselves.
The meeting concluded with the awarding of local excellence that stood out for their commitment to promoting the culture of wellness: Polisportiva Riccione in the Sport and Fitness category, Istituto Tonino Guerra di Cervia for Wellness Education, eBike Style for Territory Promotion, InCasoDi for Health, Sana Cultura Sportiva for Culture, and Cesena Sport City in the Urban Wellness category.
Wellness benefits everyone: governments, businesses, and citizens. The Wellness Valley is tangible proof of this,” said Nerio Alessandri, President of Wellness Foundation and Technogym. “Our goal is to extend this model across the country, making Italy the world’s leading producer of wellness.
Twenty years after its founding, the Wellness Valley continues to grow as a unique laboratory, where institutions, schools, universities, healthcare, and businesses collaborate to build a more active, aware, and happy society.
A vision that, born in Romagna, now inspires the world and demonstrates that wellness can truly be the key to the future.
A vision that, born in Romagna, now inspires the world and demonstrates that wellness can truly be the key to the future.
