Online spas, hybrid spas, and hammams are going to be big in 2010, according to a new trend report from SpaFinder. The wellness media and gifting company’s "2010 Spa Trends Forecast," presented today in a webinar, cited these and several other trends likely to become increasingly popular over the next 12 months.
Now in its seventh year, the forecast draws on internal surveys, conversations with consumers and online traffic on SpaFinder’s website.
One of the chief trends discussed by SpaFinder president Susie Ellis was hybrid spas that incorporate features of a gym, or chiropractor or hospital (cleverly dubbed "spaspital") into the traditional spa environment. This is going in both directions: Medical venues are incorporating massage and elements typically found in spas, such as the Mayo Clinic, while spas are incorporating a more therapeutic approach than has been seen before.
Ellis also expects to see more "celebration travel"—where small groups go to a spa or destination for birthdays, anniversaries, and so on. In some cases, this smaller group travel will fill part of the hole left by declining meeting and incentive travel groups, or as a different way of defining incentive travel.
"Something these spas have talked about is trying to court smaller groups, so celebration travel is something being talked about in the travel category that they might start pushing more and encouraging," says Ellis. "If there are people who are critical of people spending time in a spa setting, there isn’t a lot of criticism of someone doing something for themselves or a loved one during a special occasion—a 50th birthday, or anniversary or so on."
This social aspect to spa visits tied back to another trend the webinar explored, on "not going to, but belonging to a spa." Citing socially focused destinations like Red Door Spas and Southern California’s Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, Ellis said that connecting with other people is just one more healthy behavior being promoted.
"Going somewhere that you belong or where they know your name has a health aspect—it’s not just about relaxing and eating well and exercising, the emotional support that people get is also key," says Ellis.
Diversity will become more of a standard in spas, according to Ellis. While much ink has been spilled discussing men’s embrace of spas, as well as minorities and visitors skewing younger or older ("silver spa-goers"), this may be the year that such variety ceases to seem like a new thing.
This will also be the year of the hammam. These have been popular in the Middle East, but SpaFinder predicts this to grow in North America this year, as a revenue-generator for spas and also a draw for couples and individuals looking for something new.
As a response to ubiquitous technology, with wifi now available in airplanes, Ellis also emphasized the role that "stillness" would play in drawing in visitors and assuring a pleasant experience. "There’s just no place where you can go to get away, but spas do provide that haven," says Ellis. "It’s a sanctuary to get away from all this input."
Here is the complete list of global spa trends to watch in 2010:
1) The New "P" Word
Goodbye, pampering. Hello, prevention. Well, not so fast. It’s more like, move over, pampering; hello, prevention. Against the backdrop of a global healthcare crisis, prevention is poised to be the new "it" word of the spa industry in 2010 and beyond.
2) Year of the Hammam
With spa-goers increasingly seeking authenticity, tradition, and that magical spa experience that also offers true results, the Middle Eastern hammam represents one of the hottest trends for 2010, albeit with a distinctly modern expression.
3) Not "Going to," But "Belonging to" a Spa
No longer a place where you infrequently "go" for the occasional treatment, spas are being creatively re-imagined as places of "belonging"—not only through the big rise in membership programs, but also in the diverse ways spas are being recast as social or communal hubs—contributing the additional, although unspoken, benefit of emotional health.
4) The Online Spa
2010 will be a watershed year for the spa industry’s virtual presence. Consumers are already online searching for spas, booking treatments, joining online weight loss and coaching groups, and embracing social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. (Some even play the online Sally Spa game.) But there’s more to come.
5) The Hybrid Spa
The modern spa is increasingly a "hyphenated" affair, with spas incorporating far more fitness, fitness centers incorporating more spa, hospitals incorporating spa elements, and spas bringing in more medical doctors and specialists.
6) The Price Is (Still) Right
2009’s headline spa story was the industry’s aggressive response to the global recession and the near-universal focus on deals, deals, and more deals. While there’s (cautious) consensus that the economy is in recovery mode, there’s great news for consumers in 2010: The spa bargains will continue apace, not only straight discounting, but also more innovative incentives smartly designed by spas to drive incremental revenue and retain loyal customers.
7) Wellness Tourism Wows
We’re familiar with people seeking spas for wellness—and also with "medical tourism," crossing borders for medical procedures (often plastic surgery, dentistry, knee replacements, etc.).
8) Scary and Silly Spa Stories Drive Evidence, Science, and Standards
The fallout from heavily publicized spa horror stories—and the recession-driven consumer insistence on no-gimmick treatments with real, measurable benefits—will quicken a rising industry trend: the demand for evidence-based therapies, stricter industry standards, and greater transparency/resources to help spa-goers separate the wheat from the chaff.
9) Diversity at a Tipping Point
For years analysts have discussed how the spa industry has been attracting new demographics (men, teens, seniors, new ethnic groups). But in 2010 diversity has reached a tipping point: It has fully arrived, and it’s here to stay.
10) Stillness
The modern human experience is an unprecedented amount of sensory overload, noise, and media stimulation. We’re wired to the gills, spending nearly all waking hours in front of TV and computer screens—bombarded, texting, tweeting, clattering away—now even on airplanes.
Bonus Trend: Celebrating Celebration
In a recent survey, travel agents reported the No.1 emerging spa travel trend was people increasingly hitting stay spas for special occasions like the big ‘0s,’ anniversaries, weddings, retirement parties, etc. And after the severe downturn in spas’ corporate/meetings business (which, because of virtual conferencing, will continue to decline), the industry is aggressively incentivizing group celebration travel to revitalize lost business.
