Personalisation and traditional therapies from Islamic world top spa trends list

Hyper-personalised beauty, Islamic wellness traditions and a new definition of luxury will be among the trends to shape the spa market in 2015, according to Spafinder Wellness.

The industry organisation has unveiled its annual trends list, predicting that traditional therapies of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia such as sand bathing and rasul mud treatments will be big for 2015.

Spafinder also dubbed personalisation would be a major trend for the industry, with customers demanding skincare, treatment products, make-up and scents developed specifically for them.

New luxe

The definition of luxury, particularly when it comes to spa and wellness tourism, will evolve, with clients putting much more value on having a unique experience, rather than the prestige of the spa brand. Spafinder predicts that consumers will move away from the traditional rating systems and coin new ones.

The trend for nutrition that has been prevalent in spas in recent years will evolve in 2015, Spafinder predicted, to focus specifically on digestive health, with more spa likely to offer packages and retreats similar to Grayshott Health Spa’s digestive health retreat.  

The demands of busy travellers has driven a trend for “spa on arrival and en route”, with Spafinder predicting growth and development of wellness facilities in airports and an increase in hotels offering treatments to guests as soon as they arrive.

Stress relief

Forest bathing, a term coined in Japan and based on the concept of time spent in the woods, is another trend highlighted by Spafinder, driven by the demand for remedies for stress and depressive illnesses. 

Meanwhile, the trend for corporate wellness will evolve, with employers of staff in roles outside the office environment in more physically demanding jobs taking a greater focus on their employees’ health. Exercise itself is becoming a more social experience, Spafinder said, with the fitness venues becoming the third position of importance in consumers’ lives after the home and workplace.

Other trends cited by the industry organisation include the use cannabis and hemp-based products for wellness, and the rise of wellness communities and homes.