Spa Trends to watch for in 2009

4Hoteliers.com: Susie Ellis President of SpaFinder predicts the worlds of spa and medicine will further blend as consumers become more health and price conscious, while new generational trends take hold.
SpaFinder, the global spa resource, has announced “Top 10 Spa Trends To Watch In 2009,” the company’s sixth annual forecast of the emerging concepts that will shape the world of spa in 2009 and beyond.
The global spa industry’s extraordinary growth and resiliency has been fueled by important new ideas in health, wellness, fitness, beauty, design, and cuisine. Despite a turbulent economy, SpaFinder President Susie Ellis believes 2009 will prove no exception. In particular, one clear ‘macro’ trend is emerging: the interweaving of medicine and spas in unprecedented ways, with spas poised to increase their roles in wellness and healthcare, while hospitals evolve to embrace spa-like offerings and hospitality.
As Susie Ellis, President of SpaFinder, Inc. noted: “In a few short years I’ve watched spas go from a narrow focus on pampering to become a vastly expanded category where dozens of wellness solutions are explored. They’ve become, in essence, our alternative ‘laboratories’ for testing new health and wellness approaches – from fitness, nutrition, acupuncture and yoga – or more recently, sleep and fertility solutions.
SpaFinder’s Top Ten 2009 Spa Trends:
1. Energy Medicine
2. Casinos & Spas
3. The Medical and Spa Tourism Shuffle
4. Eco-Embedded Spas: A Deeper Shade of Green
5. Trains, Boats & Planes: In-Transit Spa-Going
6. Brain Health and ‘Mind’ Gyms
7. Learning Labs for Stress Reduction
8. Mindful Spending
9. Move Over Baby Boomers: Gen X & Y Are Spa-ing Their Way
10. Brands, Brands, Brands
Top 10 Spa Trends to Watch in 2009 [4Hoteliers.com]