The Spa Industry is Booming and Men May Be the Reason Why
Nearly 190 million people visited spas last year, generating an all-time high of $18.3 billion in revenue, the International Spa Association told the AP. The group highlighted five trends that are making the industry boom:
- A march of men. In 2017, 49 percent of all spa visitors were men, up from just 29 percent in 2005. “We’re seeing a lot more men going to spas,” Spa Association spokesman Garrett Mersberger says. “It used to always be a female-driven thing. We’re now seeing 50-50, if not swinging more toward the males.”
- Less maybe more. Spas are reducing some services and focusing more on customization. Rather than a one-size-fits-all menu, they now let therapists and clients decide what their skin and body might need.
- Indigenous treatments and services. Many spas are incorporating treatments and services using ingredients and techniques unique to their areas. For example, some are using Native American healing traditions, while in Hershey, Pennsylvania, you can get dark chocolate facial.
- Spas and technology. Aiming to make their clients comfortable, many spas are incorporating charging stations so customers can listen to their own playlists while getting their manicure. Some are offering virtual reality headsets, and other spas use new tech that provides a “micro-vibration” massage.
- Connecting to nature. One Vermont spa honors bees by using honey scrubs and a honey-based moisturizing wrap. “Our legacy is sustainability, conservation,” spa director Michelle Adams Somerville said, and the spa has its own pollinator garden and gives lessons on the dangers bees face today.
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