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During the past decade,
spas have become an increasingly relevant cultural force, influencing not
only how we manage our health, appearance and stress, but also how we shop,
socialize, spiritualize, travel and work. According to
Spa Finder, the
largest spa marketing and publishing company, the spa's impact on many of
our most important lifestyle pursuits will only continue to grow in the year
ahead.
With the largest network
of spa marketing partners and the largest consolidated spa consumer
audience, Spa Finder sits at the center of the unfolding healthy living
phenomenon. From this unique vantage, Spa Finder has compiled a listing of
the top-10 spa trends to watch in 2005 — covering everything from the rise
of online spa travel to the over-the-top opulence of the new ultra-luxury
spa experience.
According to Spa Finder
President Susie Ellis, "If 2004 was the year spas 'made a difference,' with
the rise of the medical spa and broadening spa participation among men and
teens, 2005 is shaping up to be the year 'the spa breaks out of the spa' —
with 'spa' becoming a hot marketing buzzword, and spa-inspired tastes and
trends becoming interwoven into daily American life."
Spa Finder's Top-10 Spa Trends to Watch in 2005
Spa Design Comes Home –
Over the years, spas have become world-class interior design showcases. In
2005, more spa-goers will find decorating (as well as personal) inspiration
during their spa visits and seek to re-create their favorite spa styles at
home. While the focus of home-spa design will be the bathroom — courtesy of
hydro-therapeutic showers and tubs, mosaic and glass tiling, etc. — spas
will influence decorating decisions throughout the home, from furnishings
and accessories to lighting and ambience. Look for "spa" to become a popular
fashion/personal accessory niche as well, with high-end brands offering
everything from "spa" apparel to "spa" luggage.
Live at the Spa, Literally
– Just as golf communities offer recreation and relaxation for pre-boomer
retirees, emerging "spa communities" will provide today's aging baby boomers
with their most important lifestyle requirements — namely health and
fitness, centered around spa-going. Taking their cue from the pioneering
Canyon Ranch Living community in Florida, a slew of premier spas will offer
residential properties built around healthy-living activities and amenities
like hiking/biking trails, workout rooms, fitness classes, healthy cuisine,
spa treatments, and health education. More generally, spas and
healthy-living pursuits will become compelling marketing features for real
estate ventures across the board.
Luxury Becomes Ultra-Luxury
– As spa participation continues to explode, the luxury end of the market
will become even more luxurious, as spas raise the bar for the superior spa
experience, whether that means A) a more
exclusive/private/meaningful/tasteful experience, or B) a more
extravagant/indulgent experience. Stay tuned for daily private spiritual and
wellness counseling, ruby/diamond/emerald/sapphire massage oils, four-hour
massages, three-therapist treatments, underwater spas, private hotel/spa
rooms, and a slate of ultra-chic big-name designer spas.
Spas Go Mobile – Can't
find time to get away to a spa? Now you can have the spa come to you. Mobile
spas, complete with therapists, massage tables, pedicure carts and other
equipment, will offer roving relaxation in venues ranging from movie sets
and airports, to hotel rooms and offices. Home spa parties, meanwhile, will
become an increasingly popular alternative for baby and wedding showers,
bachelorette parties, birthdays, and "just because."
Spa-Goers Become Spa "Goal-ers"
– Travelers will hit destination and resort spas to achieve increasingly
focused personal goals, whether that means quitting smoking, grief recovery,
achieving mindfulness or spiritual awareness, improving sexual health, or
detoxing (which is shaping up to be an extremely popular spa pursuit in our
toxic times). Men will continue to seek physical therapy and pain reduction
treatments and will also discover that spa-grooming treatments can have a
positive impact on their business and personal life. Spas, in turn, will
ramp up their education programs and workshops while aggressively recruiting
experts to lead focused seminars and/or retreats.
Spa Travel Virtually Explodes
Online – U.S. consumers now spend $52 billion on online travel,
a number expected to more than double by 2010. And 33% of leisure travelers
cite access to a spa as a primary consideration while making their travel
plans. In 2005, major travel portals will enable these spa-focused online
travelers to book spa vacations (and, soon, spa treatments) as part of their
dynamic travel packages, along with rooms, rental cars, etc. The advent of
online spa booking will, in turn, fuel further growth in the spa travel
segment — already the fastest-growing segment in the hospitality/travel
industry.
Spa Rx, A Prescription for a
Kinder, Gentler Medical Experience – Medical spas will continue to
thrive as consumers seek a nurturing/caring environment and more control
over their health regimes. Blending traditional medical expertise with spa
luxury and innovation, medical spas are becoming trusted venues for
executive physicals, health and wellness programs, cosmetic treatments,
dentistry and dermatology. Medical spas will also continue to earn the
respect of the traditional medical community as mainstream physicians
continue to embrace proven alternative therapies, insurers continue to
recognize the value of preventative spa therapies, and cosmetic procedures
become increasingly valuable annuities for elite doctors.
Stay Spas Continue to "Go Exotic"
While Day Spas Get "Back to Basics" – Day spas, which of late had
been racing to broaden their menus of services and treatments, will re-focus
on massage, facials, and other maintenance/therapeutic mainstays. Some will
embrace express, no frills and discount concepts. Resort spas, meanwhile,
will continue to diversify their treatment offerings with indigenous
experiences, with Thai massage, Ashtianga and Indian head massage joining
Ayurveda, Shiatsu, acupuncture and hot stone massage as popular treatments.
On the spa product front, the (juxtaposing) trends will continue to be
high-tech cosmeceuticals and "no-tech" organics. In either case,
increasingly savvy spa consumers will shop for proven results and specific
ingredients above and beyond brands.
Spa Cuisine Served up for Mass
Consumption – With Nestle's new Spa Cuisine line leading the way,
convenient spa-inspired food will became everyday fare in American homes,
work places and perhaps even schools. A growing number of Americans,
meanwhile, will look to spa cookbooks, spa cooking classes, and spa chefs (a
new celebrity genre) for healthy recipe ideas. As for cuisine within the
spas, customization and variety are the trends, with spas offering a range
of diet options to meet each guest's needs (vegan/vegetarian, high protein,
low carb, low fat, etc.)
Eco Spas Thrive in '05 –
Eco spas will flourish in the year ahead, providing visitors with a serene,
'green' spa experience. These environmentally-friendly destinations believe
that personal health begins with global health — a belief that extends to
the way they create spa products (all organic ingredients), wash dishes
(vinegar instead of soap), light their rooms (solar panels and fluorescent
bulbs), and process wastewater (bacteria, fish, snails, et. al.). Look for a
growing number of traditional spas to hop on the eco spa bandwagon — both
from an operational and marketing standpoint. |
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