Tourism to places like India and other Asian continents are continuing to increase, and now, India is poised to attract significantly more western tourists and continue to develop its own vibrant spa market.

Spa Finder presented a top ten of Indian spa trends. Here are the 5 that caught my eye.

Yoga, Ayurveda & Alternative healing continue to be big business
Yoga and ayurveda have been in the Indian culture for eons, and they’re only going to get bigger. Yoga is already one of the most profitable wellness modalities in the world, and it a lifestyle for millions of people. These yogis are already excited about traveling to the spiritual and cultural source, and they’re already very familiar with ayurveda and alternative healing.

Western consumers are learning more and more about Ayurveda, and if they’re in, or planning a trip to India, will want to experience authentic ayurvedic practitioners
Where alternative healing is concerned, spas will continue to strive to offer holistic, organic elements in treatments, as well as emphasize mind-body-spirit connections and advocate eventual lifestyle changes. In some cases, these treatments will combine elements such as massage, meditation, yoga, re-birthing techniques, past life regression and energy medicine like reiki.

The Spa-Savvy Indian Male
The urban Indian male increasingly wants to look good and feel good and now regularly goes for wellness treatments—like Champissage (head massage) and full-body massage on a regular basis—as well as grooming treatments and products designed especially for him. You’ll see a lot more polished and groomed men out and about in India, as well as other places in the world.

The Love of Luxury
The affluent Indian consumer loves brand names. This means that spas are going to start establishing themselves as multi-city brands, and will look to market their own spa products. These products will then also work to become popular in other countries as well – like Bindi Bath and Body Products, which are popular in the US.

Bollywood Stars Spice Up Spas
Bollywood stars, and the ongoing fascination with their personalities, may enjoy going to the spa themselves, we’ll see more of them actively promoting health and wellness initiatives. Much like the spa behavior of Hollywood stars has influenced the western population’s activities, that will happen in India as well.

Culture, Myth, History Catch Spa Fancy
Indian history, astrology and values are providing the opportunity to offer amazing, immersive spa experiences for visitors. Some spas provide regionally-specific treatments (the use of sandlewood and rosewater in Delhi to emphasize the overtones of the 16th century Mughal dynasty for example); others are introducing regionally-specific building materials like marble or stone. Others are showcasing ‘leharia’ folk art patterns; Indian love swings and Rajput water gardens (from the state of Rajasthan); ‘Madhubani’ paintings (from the state of Bihar); or Mughal landscaping and architecture).

Watch for India to become a force to be reckoned with in the Spa world – we’re going to be seeing a lot more from them.

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India: The New Spa Destination

SpaFinder Magazine

Energy Medicine – terms like ‘qi (chi),’ ‘prana,’ ‘chakras’ and ‘doshas’ have been used in the spa sector, and the healing arts associated with them have been practiced in Eastern philosophies for centuries.  The emphasis is on clearing imbalances in a body’s energy field to promote healing of body, mind and spirit. Interesting spa examples are emerging, such as bite-size doses of energy medicine along with traditional massage at properties like Conrad Maldives Rangali Island; the extensive use of visiting consultant-‘practitioners’ at Thai resorts like Trisara, Chiva-Som and the new Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket; Canyon Ranch Resorts’ ‘Healing Energy’ menu and Jin Shin Jyutsu, which is said to balance energy pulses via a practitioner holding various energy ‘locks.’

Casinos & Spas -  When the Golden Nugget first put a luxury spa in in 1980, it was considered to be a big risk. Now, the new Canyon Ranch Spa Club at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino has expanded to 69,000 square feet and 90 treatment rooms, making it the largest spa in the world.  Across town, the new Fountainebleu Hotel & Casino (slated to open in fall 2009), promises a 60,000 square foot Lapis Spa, reportedly one of the most expensive ever built. In keeping with the over-the-top luxury of the original Miami Beach site, they plan spectacular water features, including an experiential ’rain tunnel’ with steam mist and penetrating water jets, mineral bathing areas, and gender-specific spa areas for men and women.

Medical and Spa Tourism  – The line between spas, medical spas and hospitals to become ever more creatively blended. The era of the ‘spa-spital,’ with consumers traveling wherever they want, to access the services they want, need, and can afford, is here. Crises within the traditional health care system (skyrocketing costs, millions of uninsured); the rise, with the Internet and globalization, of a more consumer-centric model revolving around increased choice and price transparency; and fluctuations in international currencies opening up attractive new markets, even within the U.S. means that whether people are traveling between countries, within countries, r even in their own region, consumers are seeking lower prices and cutting-edge medical/wellness offerings…and spas are right smack in the middle of it all.

Eco-Embedded Spas: A Deeper Shade of Green – In 2005, SpaFinder coined the term “eco-spa”, and in 2007, they noted that the eco-spa trend had shifted from being industry- to consumer-driven.  Spa-goers were demanding a meaningful, aggressive environmental position from spas. And in 2009, the eco-trend is going in a new direction – call it spa environmentalism 2.0 -  the ‘eco-embedded spa.’

By ‘eco-embedded’, the trend is going further and is expanded beyond just the green initiatives. The eco processes are quietly being emeshed throughout the entire spa.  While the spa consumer skews very green, consumers in general are feeling some serious “green fatigue” and “sustainability stress”.  So, from here on out, there will be no more loud and superficial greening of the spa. Instead things will simply… happen and spa goers won’t see the overt gestures.

The examples are endless: At El Monte Sagrado Resort in New Mexico the property is heated and cooled 100% geo-thermally. Rancho La Puerta serves cuisine from its organic farm, and embeds exclusively organic products (from cleaning supplies to spa products) throughout the resort, and at Six Senses in Thailand,  guests can eat all of the resort landscaping.

Mindful Spending – We all know that we’re facing a complicated economy this year. The concepts of “daycations” and “spacations” to move from mere vague catch phrases to realities. Not only are the discount spas going to increase in popularity, the luxury spas are going to be required to demonstrate why their services are worth the extra outlay.

Brands, Brands, Brands – With almost 72,000 spas around the world, the casual spa-goer can’t tell the difference between a Mandarin Oriental Spa and a Shangri-La Spa. A spa that establishs and broadcasts a truly unique brand identity will enjoy a powerful competitive advantage, and should attract more guests at a time when consumer budgets are under pressure. SpaFinder uses Shangri-La’s Chi Spa brand as their example of successful branding:  signature elements are incorporated throughout their spas, and are still retaining enough uniqueness at each property to make every Chi Spa a new – and yet familiar – experience. Their approach features “Five Element” pre-treatment evaluations; bold, red-colored décor; and “spa within a spa” treatment rooms complete with changing rooms and showers.

For the rest of the trends and predictions for 2009, check out Susie’s Spa Beauty Blog or the full press release from SpaFinder.

(image source: Newscom.com)

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Spa Trends for 2009

Described as “the first web-based magazine dedicated to spas, SpaFinder Lifestyle brings alive the world of spa in a way never before imagined. Here, travel, treatments, beauty, and well-being become a vibrant, interactive adventure for a savvy audience looking for the newest and the best in beauty products and spa experiences, while providing a compelling introduction for newcomers to the spa lifestyle.” [source]

The first issue’s cover stories include “Jungle Love” “Your anti-aging secret weapon” and “slenderizing body wraps“.

I’ve enjoyed flipping through SpaFinder in the past, and now I’m looking forward to virtually flipping through SpaFinder Lifestyle!

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SpaFinder Lifestyle Launches

“Spas have long been at the forefront of cutting-edge beauty trends and innovation,” said Gelula. “In 2008 we’re going to see the influence of spas in many areas – from makeup that acts like anti-aging skin-care treatments and spa-grade, skin-enhancing gadgets for the home to botanical ingredients from the Amazon like acai in beauty products.”

Tress Relief
Scalp massages are upgrading to full-length spa treatments for relaxation. (They may also stimulate hair growth.) Spas such as Ole Henriksen in Los Angeles include hair conditioning in many of their body treatments. Why should spa services stop at the hairline?

PDA’s For Skin
The Zeno zit zapper and Clarisonic face-washing brush will be joined by heap of new at-home beauty appliances. Many will mimic the mechanics of spa-grade gadgets, like the Mini-Marvel, which uses LED light to diminish wrinkles, acne, and blotches.

New Anti-Aging Targets
The face is no longer the sole focus. Neck creams, bust tighteners, and body über-exfoliators are coming to the spa and retails shelves by popular demand (helped along by Nora Ephron’s best seller, I Feel Bad About My Neck).

A Natural Standard
Look for a regulatory standard and seal for natural beauty products, now that organic ones can use the USDA seal to indicate degree of purity. The Natural Standard Seal will require at least 95% natural ingredients and pure processing methods.

Old Wine, New Bottle
Look for more products marked firming and lifting. Then look at the label on the back. You’ll find the same proven ingredients (retinol, vitamin C, and peptides) you’ve been using to treat wrinkles and blotches.

Lash Supper
There will be sharper focus on thickening and lengthening lashes. The product boom, marked by such lines as Osmotics FNS Nutrilash and ActiLash, was followed by a temporary bust when the FDA seized discontinued tubes of Jan Marini Age Intervention Eyelash Conditioner in November, declaring it an unapproved and misbranded drug. But as long as the ingredients are safe and the product stays on the right side of what the agency says a cosmetic can promise, lash-enhancing products will continue to be a huge trend.

Anti-Aging Makeup
Kimiko Beauty’s Lifting Eye Shadow and Joey NY’s under-eye concealer are examples of this powerful new trend. Packed with anti-aging ingredients like peptides, these new products take the recent “good for you” mineral makeup trend one step farther; actually leave skin better off for having used them.

Chemical Peel Renaissance
Less aggressive formulas are on the rise at spas. They’re lower in acids and higher in skin soothers like green tea, and thus available to more skin types. Scaling back the potency has also birthed more variations of the at-home peel.

The Midas Touch
Spas are infatuated with gold as a facial ingredient. But it’s bling – a gold facial or an ounce of serum with gold runs about $500 – rather than benefits. Dig as we might, there’s no proof that gold’s an anti-ager.

Going Up The Amazon
The Amazon basin is the new spa-beauty garden, because its indigenous plants, fruits, and nuts are high in antioxidants and skin-nourishing oils. Amazon Secrets contain açai, buriti, and guarana fruit. Inara Organics is based on the babassu nut. Even mainstream brands like Kiehl’s and Borba are using guanabana and yerba mate because of their purity and efficacy.

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Top Ten Spa Beauty Trends to Look For in 2008