SpaFinder Releases Fifth Annual State of Spa Travel Survey Findings

Spa travel sees significant gains in 2011, as hotel/resort spas get even more aggressive with deals

#1 trend: traveling to spas specifically for health and wellness

New York, NY– November 21, 2011 – According to SpaFinder’s fifth annual State of Spa Travel survey released today, travel agents report that travel to hotel, resort and destination spas rebounded in 2010, and that spa travel is registering significantly bigger gains in 2011.

And, for the first time in the survey’s history, agents ranked "increased client interest in spa travel specifically for wellness and health" as the #1 emerging trend, with “social spa-ing” (group travel to spas) rated as the second biggest trend, and people traveling solo ranking third.

And, surprisingly, despite the gradual economic and travel market recovery, 55% of agents reported that “stay” spas have been more aggressive with deals in 2011 compared to 2010, while another 37% report that the deals are holding firm.

“Spas’ ongoing, greatly expanded focus on health, wellness and prevention, rather than mere pampering – combined with their ongoing attractive pricing – have been the two keys to this travel category’s resiliency over these last tough years,” noted Susie Ellis, president, SpaFinder, Inc. “And the #1 trend in 2011, what is called ‘wellness tourism,’ shows that a new vacation concept is gaining traction: People are stressed and burned out, and they increasingly want to use their precious vacations to jumpstart healthy lifestyle changes, so they can return from trips feeling revitalized, rather than worse than when they left.”

The survey was conducted in August 2011 with global travel agents. It’s designed to provide annual insight into unfolding developments in the spa travel sector, including the overall health of the market, current pricing and consumer trends, traveler demographics and popular locations/amenities.

Key Findings

A Resilient 2010, An Even Better 2011

Forty-six percent of agents reported an increase in their spa travel bookings for full-year 2010, while 34% reported they remained about the same in 2010 compared with 2009. (One in five reported declines last year.)

But a significantly more robust 69% of agents predict growth for spa travel in 2011, while another 26% expect bookings to remain about the same in 2011 over 2010. So, 95% report that spa travel bookings will either grow or hold firm this year.

Hottest Trend – Health & Wellness Spa Travel

Travel agents ranked "increased interest in spa travel specifically for wellness & health," i.e., clients seeking spas to better themselves through weight loss, fitness or stress-reduction programs/offerings,as the #1 fastest-growing spa travel trend.

Additionally, 79% of agents report clients are more interested in spa vacations with a strong health/wellness component in 2011 over 2010, while another 18% report the trend remains just as strong. This is up significantly from the 52% of agents that reported that health/wellness-focused spa travel was on the rise in 2009.

Rounding out the top 5 trends: 2) “social spa-ing,” or friends/groups hitting spas together; 3) people traveling solo to spa destinations; 4) spa travel for younger people (under 40); and 5) increased interest in international spa destinations.

Even More Aggressive Deals in 2011

Despite more bullish reports for travel generally, 55% of agents reported that hotel/resort/destination spas are actually offering more aggressive deals, attractive pricing and value-add packages in 2011 over 2010 – with only 8% seeing any declines in the deals this year.

Price-per-Night Firms at Higher End

At the same time there seems to be some distinct price firming at the higher end of the market. For instance, in both 2009 and 2010, 75% of spa travel booked fell under $299/night, but that dropped to 62% this year. And, while in 2010, only 10% of bookings topped $350/night, this year that jumped to 21%. For 2011, the most commonly booked price-per-night is $250-$299, but 38% of bookings now fall in the $300+ range (up from 29% in 2010).

Baby Boomers Still Rule the “Spa Pool”

Baby Boomers (aged 46-65) remain the age demographic most likely to book spa travel, accounting for 68% of bookings in 2011. But the younger “Gen X” demographic is also a critical client base: Thirty-one percent of bookings this year are coming from those aged 36-45.

Spa Access Remains #1 Traveler Consideration

Agents ranked which offerings/amenities at destinations are most critical to their clients, and spa facilities retained the #1 position for the fifth straight year. The 2011 rankings: 1) spa facilities/access; 2) proximity to beach; 3) sightseeing; 4) nature-based activities, like hiking, etc.; 5) shopping; 6) golf facilities; and 7) skiing access.

To Learn More about the survey findings, or to speak with SpaFinder President Susie Ellis, contact: Beth McGroarty at 213-300-0107 or beth@rbicom.com.

About SpaFinder, Inc.

The world’s largest spa media, marketing and gifting company, SpaFinder, Inc., connects millions of wellness-focused consumers with thousands of spas, yoga, Pilates and fitness studios and wellness practitioners worldwide. SpaFinder’s media properties include the award-winning http://www.spafinder.com, the Club Spa e-newsletter and blog and the annual NewBeauty SpaFinder Guide to Global Spa, Wellness & Beauty. SpaFinder and its spa-beauty gift division, SpaWish, offer gift certificates and cards that are redeemable at a combined network of over 9,000 spas, yoga, Pilates and fitness studios, wellness practitioners and salons worldwide, and are available at nearly 100,000 unique retail outlets in 79 countries. SpaFinder Europe and SpaFinder Japan offer regional spa marketing and gifting programs, including localized websites. Currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary, SpaFinder is a privately held company headquartered in Manhattan.