2009 Top Ten Spa Trends

SpaFinder just came out with their Top 10 Trends List...some trends came as no surprise while others were more thought provoking.

1. Energy MedicineIn 2009 the spa industry will follow suit, with high-voltage buzz around energy medicine and therapies like reiki, qi gong, chakra balancing, healing touch, and magnetic, light and sound therapy.

2. Casinos and Spas: A Good BetPlacing a high-end spa in a casino hotel was once a long-shot idea, but today casino spas are the most profitable spas in the world. These world-class facilities cater to a free-spending clientele that sees the value both of high-octane indulgence and recharging, healthy pursuits.

3. The Medical and Spa Tourism ShuffleWatch for the line between spas, medical spas and hospitals to become ever more creatively blurred as the phenomenon of medical or wellness travel evolves. Global consumers are increasingly journeying to access the services they want, need, and can afford.

4. Eco-Embedded Spas: A Deeper Shade of GreenThe eco-embedded spa embraces environmental processes that are quietly and meaningfully enmeshed throughout the entire spa, so there's no demanding efforts required by the spa guest, who is, after all, there to relax.

5. Trains, Boats and Planes: In-Transit Spa-GoingSpa-ing while traveling is reaching a whole new level: trains with fully equipped gyms and spas, planes with spa showers and massage treatments in-flight, health and wellness-oriented cruises, and more. What began as a novelty has turned into big business that uniquely targets today's captive, over-stressed traveler.

6. Brain Health and Mind GymsBrain health is on spa-goers' minds today, with a vast, aging Baby Boomer population, an Alzheimer's pandemic, and medical reports touting the need tokeep the brain active to avoid decline. As a result, brain workouts are popping up on both the day and stay spa menu, with activities, education, technologies and therapies that function like gyms for the mind.

7. Learning Labs for Stress ReductionSpas, out of necessity, will increasingly become learning labs for stress reduction, as consumers realize it takes less than an hour or a ton of expensive treatments to elicit the relaxation response. Look for spa staff to become teachers of take-home, DIY relaxation techniques, as well as a shift from trendy spa rituals-of-the-month to effective stress therapies like breath work, hot baths, meditation, exercise, massage, and even an emphasis on psychological support and the sharing of feelings.

8. Mindful SpendingIn a challenging economic year, spa-goers will be looking closely for value and tangible results. Spas will be experimenting with creative ways to attract the consumer, earn their trust and exceed their expectations.

9. Move Over Baby Boomers: Gen X & Y Are Spa-ing Their WayThe core spa clientele is rapidly shifting from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Gen Y, and it's more than a simple demographic switch: younger generations are now hitting the spa in record numbers, and they're shaping the experience to meet their unique desires. Spas will need to continue to attract aging Boomers, with their considerable spending power, while catering to new generations who typically reject pampering, embrace wellness, and consider spa-going a natural right.

10. Brands, Brands, BrandsWith almost 72,000 spas around the world, spas that establish and broadcast a truly unique brand identity will attract more visitors at a time when consumer budgets are under pressure.