Spa and wellness consulting services trends for 2017

The Spa and Wellness Industry has over the past years gradually shaped itself to becoming part of our everyday life. According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the world economy shrank by 3.6% between 2013 and 2015. However, the wellness industry experienced a growth of 10.6 % during the same period. (Vivienne O, Spa Profits, IS WELLNESS THE NEXT BIG THING? 2017). The surging increase in the Spa and Wellness Industry has likely established itself as a countermeasure to the alarming rise in obesity, diabetes, stress, and depression and is set to continue to evolve rapidly in the coming years.

It is important for spa businesses to understand current Spa and Wellness trends, which are monitored by companies around the world, who provide spa and wellness consulting services. Keeping up-to-date on current spa trends can help to attract more customers, retain current ones and survive in a highly competitive market.

Following are two trends predicted to stay in focus throughout 2017

Mental wellness

Promoting mental wellness was one of the key trends discussed at the Global Wellness Summit’s anniversary in Kitzbühel, Austria for 2017 and beyond. Recent years has seen a rapid rise of depression and anxiety globally with predictions that they will rank amongst the highest reported conditions by 2030 (Spa+Clinic, THE FUTURE IS MENTAL WELLNESS, 2017).

Studies by Dr. Claudia Aguirre found a connection between an individual’s state and health of mind in relation to the condition of their skin. The increases in the stresses of day-to-day living such as long working hours, back-to-back exams, loneliness and financial worries have a direct impact on our overall mental and physical health, often expressed through the condition of our skin. Individuals with acute skin problems, such as rosacea, acne, and eczema are also at a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts (Dr. Claudia Aguirre, HuffingtonPost, The BRAIN-SKIN CONNECTION, 2015).

With this in mind spa design consultants are now focusing their efforts on creating spa concepts and designs that encourage more mindfulness to improve mental wellness and wellbeing.

Affordable and Accessible wellness

The spa industry was initially considered to be a luxury experience that only few could afford. However, there is a marked move from ‘Spa’s for the privileged’ to ‘Wellness for all’ as everybody’s place of life is changing rapidly. Individuals are reconsidering their priorities and focusing more on health and overall quality of life.

Luxury spa wellness consulting services are now used to not only develop luxury treatments but also integrate affordable memberships, treatments and treatment packages into spa menus and services to make them more accessible to a broader market, irrespective of income level and social status. This move will enable everybody to focus on their personal health and wellbeing.

“The above opinions are purely a reflection of the author’s point of view. They do not reflect the position of Raison d’Etre.”