"... the trends that seem to have the most global traction include: Branding; the impact of aging demographics; medical and wellness tourism; beauty moving front-and-center; evidencebased medicine..." included: Ramped-up investment in design; new twists on“ eco”; the revitalization of spa traditions; male bonding; where“ luxe” is heading; the marriage of spa and fitness; governments involvement with spa and wellness tourism; new connections between spa and integrative medicine; and the rise of bespoke treatments. She also spotlighted increasingly unique concepts such as the fish spa in the U. K., barfus walks in Germany, and the sauna sports bar in Finland.
ANDREW JACKA resides in Bangkok, where he heads up his company, Spa Origins. He is a co-founder and current president of the Asia Pacific Spa and Wellness Coalition( APSWC), an association spanning 14 different Asian nations: Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines and Taiwan. If I need information on anything spa-related in the Asia-Pacific region, I often call him, or attend his annual APSWC meetings. Jacka identified these emerging trends: Indigenous therapies; approaches that focus on both internal and external beauty; holistic wellness; detoxification and weight loss programs; drug and alcohol rehab services; spas in residential properties; holiday / retirement homes with health care support; spas integrated with hospitals; day spas becoming integrative wellness centers; and the need for multi-lingual staff. He also touched on unfolding spa-beauty trends( eyelashes and brows are hot); spas and medical tourism; all things antiaging; industry standards; new emphases on the luxury / five-star market( especially in China)— and“ scent branding.”
While I served primarily as panel moderator, I quickly shared SpaFinder’ s top ten trends for 2011. While we’ re headquartered in New York, we endeavor to identify spa trends from a global perspective. Topping out list this year: The profound impact of aging demographics leading to new offerings like“ Pain Relief Massage”; the extraordinary spa pipeline booming in Asia; salt rooms and salt caves; the unprecedented explosion of spa brands; new chapters in online spa deal mania; hyper-local spas; surprising special events / programming; an intensified focus on“ the science of spa”— and trends we’ ve dubbed“ extreme beauty” and“ Spa in a New York Minute.”
After digesting the presentations, the trends that seem to have the most global traction include: Branding; the impact of aging demographics; medical and wellness tourism; beauty moving front-and-center; evidence-based medicine; the local / indigenous emphasis; new luxury markets / approaches and the rise of customization. For me, the new interweaving of spa and beauty jumps out as the most interesting and under-explored trend( and certainly the most lucrative for the industry), and is especially worthy of further research and elaboration.
Trends that seem more regionally specific: Rehabilitation and retirement tourisms; male bonding; certain new design innovations; and this fascinating new concept of scent branding / marketing. The latter has its provenance in the hotel arena, and it will be interesting to explore how it might play out within the spa industry.
Ultimately, you will be the judge about how these trends might impact your business, and whether you will embrace them at your spa. Many spas will go“ with” them, and some may even go“ against”( as counter-trend directions can also make spas stand out). But if this recent trends panel is any indication, there are many creative, fascinating new ideas in health, wellness, beauty and design— along with emerging new markets and demographics hitting the spa stage— that makes it very worthwhile for us to keep on top of spa trends not just in our own country, but around the world. ■
SUSIE ELLIS is the president of SpaFinder, Inc., a prominent spa media and marketing company. One of the most respected analysts of the global spa and wellness industries, she ' s recognized as an authority on the evolving spa consumer and spa-related health, wellness, beauty, fitness and lifestyle trends. A board member of the Global Spa Summit, she also authors " Susie ' s Spa Blog " where you may find more of SpaFinder ' s 2011 Top Ten Trends.
January / February 2011 ■ PULSE 41