SPA MARKET ANALYSIS

­­­Global Spa Market - Insights

Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Spa is considered as one of the important factors in wellness industry, as it provides healing, relaxation, and feeling of rejuvenation. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness economy encompasses industries that enable consumers to incorporate wellness activities into daily lives. Wellness sector includes beauty & anti-aging, healthy eating, nutrition & weight loss, wellness tourism, fitness & mind-body, preventive & personalized medicine, and public health, complementary & alternative medicine, wellness lifestyle real estate, spa economy, thermal/mineral springs, and work place wellness.

Spa tourism is for the purpose of ‘relaxation, healing or beautifying of the body in spas using preventative wellness and/or curative medical techniques’ and hence, there is a conceptual overlap between wellness and spa tourism. Spa is a core business within wellness tourism and accounts for a major portion of the wellness tourism economy. According to Global Wellness Economy Monitor, out of US$ 3.7 trillion global wellness economy in 2015, spa industry accounted for US$ 99 billion. Out of wellness sectors such as spa facilities, thermal/mineral springs, wellness tourism, work place wellness, and wellness life style real estate; wellness tourism is estimated to project 7.5% annual growth rate from 2015-2020.

Moreover, stress, busy life style, pollution, use of chemicals fertilizers for preservation and farming are adversely affecting health leading to several disorders such as obesity, hypertension, and anxiety. People are focused on adopting preventive measures, healthy life style and life choices such as exercise, dieting, consumption of balanced diet, use of natural and organic products, and meditation.

Figure 1. Global Spa Market Share (%), By Product Type, 2017

Source: Coherent Market Insights, 2017-18

Asian hospitality market is gaining significant traction. Market players are recruiting top executive talent to lead their spa divisions in Asia and integrating their traditional spa modalities with modern wellness culture. Fusion of western contemporary with eastern traditions are giving an authentic feel to spa rituals such as massages, spa therapies, and spa cuisine.

North America’s spa industry is growing at a faster pace with major share held by U.S., followed by Canada. According to Global Wellness Economy Monitor, in 2015, North America had total 28,306 spa facilities with 24,421 concentrated in the U.S. alone. According to International Spa Association in the U.S., 179 million spa visits were reported in 2015, and the number of resort/hotel spas at the end of 2015, was estimated to be 1,800 representing a rise of 1.3% 2014 level. According to this study, total employment in the US spa industry was 359,300 and day spa accounted for largest share, followed by hotel and medical spa.

Furthermore, in 2015, number of spas were 24,421 in the U.S. and 3,885 in Canada. Rising spending on spas owing to factors such as increasing consumer inclination towards wellness and presence of prominent spa franchises such as Massage Envy, Elements Massage, and Hand & Stone are driving growth of the market in the region.

Figure 2. Global Spa Market Share (%), By Region, 2017

Source: Coherent Market Insights, 2017-18

Key players operating in the global spa market are adopting various inorganic growth strategies such as partnership & collaboration to expand their businesses. For instance, in June 2017, The PGATOUR and Massage Envy announced a four-year partnership designating Massage Envy as an Official Sponsor of the PGATOUR and PGATOUR Champions with the Official Total Body Care Sponsor of the Player Performance Centers.

Key players operating in the global spa market include Four Seasons Hotel limited, Massage Envy Franchising LLC, Emirates Palace, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Jade Mountain Resort, Gaia Retreat & Spa, Ananda, and Lanserhof Tegernsee