The perceptions and preferences of millennials – those born between 1980 and 1997 – was the focus of this year’s Consumer Snapshot Initiative by the International Spa Association (ISPA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), results of which were released in September. And out of the 1,000-plus 17- to 35-year-olds who responded to the survey, 56 per cent reported having visited a spa in the last 12 months, compared to 44 per cent who had not.

This is the first time in the five-year history of ISPA’s consumer surveys that spa-goers have outnumbered non-spa-goers – evidence that young people have become powerful players in the spa market. “Millennials will be the core spa-going generation for years to come,” notes Russell Donaldson, senior associate of research at PwC.

Perhaps most notably, 46 per cent of the male millennials surveyed are spa-goers. And men are increasingly exploring treatments outside of massage; 52 per cent claim to have had a manicure or pedicure, and over half – 59 per cent – have had a facial at a spa. That said, 24 per cent of the men who did go to a spa said they were put off from visiting more often because they were either not comfortable or familiar with the spa environment or etiquette, suggesting the industry would do well to address this.

Not surprisingly, the majority of millennial spa-goers – 64 per cent – are aged 25-35, with just over one in three aged 17-25. However, significantly more millennials aged over 25 think spa-going is too expensive, compared to those aged 25 or under (71 per cent compared to 53 per cent).

Most millennials are infrequent spa-goers – 83 per cent go to a spa less than five times a year – and a high amount (60 per cent) stay no longer than two hours and spend between US$50 and US$150 on treatments (61 per cent).

Money (65 per cent) and time (51 per cent) are the two top reasons for not visiting a spa more often, which is in line with previous ISPA/PwC consumer studies of other demographics.

Interestingly, millennials’ affinity with technology hasn’t spilled over into the spa industry yet. Just 32 per cent book their spa appointments online (by laptop, smartphone or tablet), compared to 40 per cent who book via telephone.

That said, men were more likely to make an appointment online (36 per cent) rather than by phone (30 per cent). In contrast, 49 per cent of women booked treatments by phone, compared to 29 per cent who booked online.

ISPA’s consumer surveys are published in addition to its annual industry study, the latest of which shows that spa revenues in the US passed the US$16bn (€14.5bn, £13.1bn) mark in 2015.