SpaFinder Wellness Previews Top 10 Spa and Wellness Trends for 2013
In-depth report on 10th annual forecast to be released January 15
New York, NY – December 6, 2012 – 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.
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.
On Wednesday, January 16, 2013, at noon EST, Susie Ellis, will host a special webinar detailing
these top 10 trends, and their potential impact on the industry in coming years. Registration will
be announced. You may also email Beth McGroarty at beth@rbicom.com to request sign-up
information.
Snapshot: Top 10 Spa and Wellness Trends
- 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
movement1 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 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 ombré 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.
Pioneered by Clint Ober, Founder, The Earthing Institute; co-author of “Earthing.”
Written about/identified by Richard Louv in “The Nature Principle.”
3 WHO data, 2012
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 – from male waxing
and threading services to 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.
