NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SpaFinder Wellness
today revealed a preview of its 10th annual Trends
Report, which forecasts top trends that will impact the spa and
wellness industry and shape consumer experiences around the globe.
The full 60+-page report, including an analysis of factors
influencing each trend and examples of early trend adopters, will
be released on January 15, 2013.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121206/NY24717LOGO
)
Susie Ellis, president of
SpaFinder Wellness and industry expert, noted that when the
company's first trend report was issued a decade ago, the industry
was in a different era. "A lot has happened in the world of
spa and wellness these past 10 years," said Ellis. "We think
this forecast will make it startlingly obvious just how far the
industry – and consumer expectations – have evolved from
pampered indulgence to personalized, functional health and
wellness."
Each year the SpaFinder Wellness Trend Report is developed by
company research analysts, led by Ellis who is also the Chairman
and CEO of the Global Spa & Wellness Summit. The forecast is
based on ongoing surveys with spa and wellness businesses and
stakeholders around the globe, thousands of travel agents and
hundreds of thousands of consumers.
Snapshot: Top 10 Spa and Wellness Trends (full descriptions
below)
- Healthy Hotels
- The Mindfulness Massage
- Earthing
- Spa-Genomics...Telomeres and Beyond
- Authentic Ayurveda and Other Ancient Revivals
- Color Self-Expression
- Inclusive Wellness
- Label Conscious Fitness
- Men: From Barbers to "Brotox"
- Where the Jobs Are
Healthy Hotels
In 2013 and beyond, what constitutes a
true "vacation" will be redefined and "hospitality" will be
rewritten. We'll see an explosion of new "wellness everywhere"
hotel chains and environments becoming more mainstream. In the
past, gyms and spas have been positioned as mere amenities, but now
these walls are being conceptually (and literally) broken down.
Established hotel chains are re-branding around wellness and it's
not just about fitness. Customized food and beverage offerings
(gluten-free and vegan menus) are becoming standard fare, and
hotels are jumping into the juice-themed vacation frenzy.
The Mindfulness Massage
A creative blend of two
effective approaches, mindfulness and bodywork, the "Mindfulness
Massage" is a more profound experience that can help people relax
more deeply and quickly. Rather than lying on the massage table
with a mind full of chatter from the stresses of the day, the
Mindfulness Massage uses breath work and techniques such as "body
scans," where attention is brought to every part of the body and
the action of the therapists' hands. This two-way symphony directed
by a therapist who understands mindfulness offers guidance on how
to take the massage to a new "mindful" level.
Earthing
As modern-day humans become more cut off from
nature, "earthing" specifically refers to the movement[1] promoting
direct contact with the earth's electron-rich surface (walking
barefoot, etc.). The premise is that "grounding" the body to the
earth's surface stabilizes natural electrical rhythms and reduces
disease-causing inflammation. While we expect to see more of this
formal "earthing" at spas, we expect to see far more "nature
grounding" in a wider sense. Think less background music with
nature sounds and more real nature to help combat "Nature
Deficit Disorder."[2]
Spa-Genomics...Telomeres and Beyond
Humans have
30,000 genes and a three billion-letter DNA code. The future of
medicine is mining this information to identify breakthrough
approaches to support a new age of predictive, personalized
medicine grounded in each person's unique genetic profile. The
power of direct-to-consumer genomic testing lies in the potential
to pinpoint which diseases/issues could be forestalled by specific
lifestyle changes. It's easy to see how the spa industry is a
natural benefactor of this development, but perhaps no genomic
breakthrough holds such profound implications for the spa industry
than telomeres: the only malleable part of DNA, which some studies
are showing can be repaired by stress-reduction, exercise, sleep,
healthier food and meditation.
Authentic Ayurveda and Other Ancient
Revivals
Expect more aggressively-authentic and
comprehensively-executed global wellness experiences at spas with a
distinctly ancient look, feel and language – and a far more
expansive, exotic menu of wellness traditions. Best known is the
3,500-year-old, Indian-born Ayurveda, a complex medical system
identifying imbalances in a person's "doshas," and prescribing a
personalized, detoxifying regime of diet change, exercise,
meditation, massage and herbal medicine. But, we'll also see more
accent on the traditional Turkish and Roman baths, more traditional
Russian banyas (with their birch-twig-thwacking venik experiences)
and novel healing traditions – some in spaces with unique
"ancient-hip" designs, others built on ancient spa sites or within
reclaimed historic buildings.
Color Self-Expression
In 2013 "self-expression" will
be most intensely played out around COLOR. Because color is easily
applied and relatively inexpensive, self-transformation will be
painted on. Expect more in-your-face shades on hair and face from
reverse ombre to neon lashes; more body art hitting bodies of every
gender and age, performed at new, haute "tattoo spas"; and nail art
will continue to ascend with less bling and more nuanced textures
and designs from 3D art to freehand mini-paintings.
Inclusive Wellness
The future bodies welcomed at spas
will look more like bodies in the real world. With more than one
billion people who are formally "disabled"[3] and a massively
graying global population, the industry will shift focus from
luxe-pampering to delivering wellness to persons of all age and
ability levels. More people will look to spas to heal and keep
bodies functional, whether through pain-relieving and mobility
enhancing therapies, nutrition advice, or the right forms of
"functional fitness" for those with physical limitations or special
needs.
Label Conscious Fitness
The "name-brand" fitness wave
has been around for decades. But today, as the fitness market
expands as quickly as the world's waistlines, an explosion of
"fitness labels" distinguishes products and programs – and serves
as a shortcut for instant recognition in an oversaturated market
full of similar choices. From Yogalates and Piloxing to CrossFit
and The Skinny Jeans Workout™, health and wellness have become the
new luxury. Millions chase the "insider elite," giving the fitness
world a distinct fashion world vibe where consumers shop for the
latest fitness craze just as they search for the newest designer
purse.
Men: From Barbers to "Brotox"
Dramatically more
men – from Beverly Hills, to Berlin, to Beijing – are having more serious "work" done
at medspas and plastic surgery offices, as injectables, love handle
remedies and advanced new surgery technologies make for little
downtime and telltale scars. Men have different needs than women
when it comes to face/body enhancements, desiring subtle, not
overdone results. So look for far more spas to build out
comprehensive, for-men "beauty" menus – male waxing and threading
services and man-geared cosmetic procedures.
Where the Jobs Are
"High-tech" is a much-discussed job
creation savior, but there has been little talk about the growing
talent-needy, job-rich spa and wellness industry. With the
$2 trillion-plus pan-wellness market
(spanning fitness, alternative medicine, spa, etc.) continuing to
grow, spas simply cannot find enough people (with the right skills)
to fill spa management/director or therapist jobs. This need
promises to expand in years ahead as the world continues its shift
from a manufacturing to a service economy – and people, health care
institutions and governments recognize the effectiveness of
spa/wellness programs and experiences.
About SpaFinder Wellness
SpaFinder Wellness is a
wellness discovery engine that connects millions seeking a
healthier, happier lifestyle with wellness providers around the
globe. Its unique digital platform gives people everywhere the
ability to discover, search, evaluate and reserve the services they
want, at the time, location and price that they desire — whether
they are seeking spa, fitness or wellness experiences. SpaFinder
Wellness is the largest retailer and wholesaler of gift cards for
the spa and wellness industry, and also offers SpaFinder Wellness
currency to support corporate wellness programs to help employees
maintain healthy lifestyles. For more information, please visit
www.SpaFinder.com.
[1] Pioneered by Clint Ober,
Founder, The Earthing Institute; co-author of "Earthing."
[2] Written about/identified by Richard
Louv in "The Nature Principle."
[3] WHO data, 2012
Media Contact:
Lauren Grunstein
Lauren.Grunstein@edelman.com
212.277.3814
SOURCE SpaFinder Wellness