Record temperatures around the world will force spa and wellness operators to adapt the way they do business, with nocturnal societies the inevitable outcome in some places and coolcationing becoming attractive to consumers
Operators will extend operating hours and get creative with night-time packages / photo: shutterstock/dragon images
As I write, the G7 Summit is concluding at Italian wellness destination, Borgo Egnazia, with world leaders committing to increase their efforts to combat the climate crisis.
In spite of good intentions such as these, however, climate change is already severely impacting lives and businesses all around the world.
This ongoing crisis has underpinned a substantial proportion of our coverage in Spa Business for many years and this edition of the magazine is no exception.
On p26, actor Richard Gere discusses his fervent support for regenerative development, while on p40, Robert Hanea, CEO of Therme Group, emphasises that the sustainability focus driving its business model is essential for maintaining its affordable pricing.
Both investors and consumers are increasingly channelling their resources into companies with strong ESG credentials, a topic we explore in-depth on p52.
With 2023 the hottest year on record and projections indicating billions will soon face unsurvivable heat in countries in the middle of the world, the spa and wellness industry must continue to adapt. We expect demand for retreats off-season and in cooler climates – termed ‘coolcationing’ – to increase, prompting forward-thinking investors to consider regions more distant from the equator.
Spa Business first reported on polar tourism five years ago (see www.spabusiness.com/polartourism). While places such as Scandinavia, Canada, Iceland and the Baltic are emerging as alternative destinations.
In hotter regions, nocturnal societies will become prevalent as people adjust to avoid intense daytime heat. To capture this market, operational hours will extend into the night, which could increase staffing and operational costs or the need for staffless concepts.
This strategy will lead to growing demand for cool treatments, aligning with growing interest in therapies such as cold water immersion, cryotherapy and contrast bathing. We also anticipate the introduction of night-time spa packages, including outdoor ‘cool’ tubs under the stars, moonlit yoga and late-night, cooling aromatherapy massages.
These changes will appeal not only to coolcationers but also to night owls, shift workers and travellers seeking unique experiences.
By embracing these trends, the industry will grow and diversify, while mitigating the impact of a warming climate.
photo: Jack Emmerson
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 2
Editor's letter: Cool customers
Spas must adapt to unlock new avenues for growth while mitigating the impact of climate change, says Katie Barnes
Top Team: Therme Group
With its focus on affordable wellness, Therme Group is expanding its social spa concept globally. Jane Kitchen speaks to the people behind the brand
Interview: Susie Ellis
The chair of the Global Wellness Summit has been fundamental in defining the industry and continues to drive it forward
Sponsored: Comfort Zone: Powered by nature
B Corp-certified skincare company Comfort Zone has added a new body lotion to its Hydramemory range, which is inspired by the water-retaining powers of desert plants
Interview: Roger Tempest
The owner of Broughton Sanctuary in the UK is transforming the 900-year-old estate into a retreat-based business
Sponsored: Lemi: touched by tech
Italian spa equipment supplier, Lemi, is embracing the trend towards tech-driven wellness treatments, while also driving sustainable industry practices
First person: The real deal?
What’s the value of an authentic treatment? Andrew and Karin Gibson take to the hammams of Istanbul to find out
Wellness: Full recovery
SIRO is staking a claim to be the world’s first fitness and recovery hotel brand and is planning 100 properties. Lisa Starr visits the first site in Dubai
Sponsored: Gharieni: Defining the well universe
The launch of Gharieni’s new touchless technology brand
Metawell is perfectly aligned with the future direction of spa
and wellness, says the company’s CEO, Sammy Gharieni
Software: Member benefits
Up to a third of spa-goers now have a spa membership. What support can software systems offer?
Sponsored: Myrtha: Herbal Sauna
Pools and wellness facilities expert, Myrtha’s new Herbal Sauna, brings an innovative and therapeutic experience to the spa, says Stefano Cattaneo
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
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Record temperatures around the world will force spa and wellness operators to adapt the way they do business, with nocturnal societies the inevitable outcome in some places and coolcationing becoming attractive to consumers
Operators will extend operating hours and get creative with night-time packages / photo: shutterstock/dragon images
As I write, the G7 Summit is concluding at Italian wellness destination, Borgo Egnazia, with world leaders committing to increase their efforts to combat the climate crisis.
In spite of good intentions such as these, however, climate change is already severely impacting lives and businesses all around the world.
This ongoing crisis has underpinned a substantial proportion of our coverage in Spa Business for many years and this edition of the magazine is no exception.
On p26, actor Richard Gere discusses his fervent support for regenerative development, while on p40, Robert Hanea, CEO of Therme Group, emphasises that the sustainability focus driving its business model is essential for maintaining its affordable pricing.
Both investors and consumers are increasingly channelling their resources into companies with strong ESG credentials, a topic we explore in-depth on p52.
With 2023 the hottest year on record and projections indicating billions will soon face unsurvivable heat in countries in the middle of the world, the spa and wellness industry must continue to adapt. We expect demand for retreats off-season and in cooler climates – termed ‘coolcationing’ – to increase, prompting forward-thinking investors to consider regions more distant from the equator.
Spa Business first reported on polar tourism five years ago (see www.spabusiness.com/polartourism). While places such as Scandinavia, Canada, Iceland and the Baltic are emerging as alternative destinations.
In hotter regions, nocturnal societies will become prevalent as people adjust to avoid intense daytime heat. To capture this market, operational hours will extend into the night, which could increase staffing and operational costs or the need for staffless concepts.
This strategy will lead to growing demand for cool treatments, aligning with growing interest in therapies such as cold water immersion, cryotherapy and contrast bathing. We also anticipate the introduction of night-time spa packages, including outdoor ‘cool’ tubs under the stars, moonlit yoga and late-night, cooling aromatherapy massages.
These changes will appeal not only to coolcationers but also to night owls, shift workers and travellers seeking unique experiences.
By embracing these trends, the industry will grow and diversify, while mitigating the impact of a warming climate.
photo: Jack Emmerson
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 2
Editor's letter: Cool customers
Spas must adapt to unlock new avenues for growth while mitigating the impact of climate change, says Katie Barnes
Top Team: Therme Group
With its focus on affordable wellness, Therme Group is expanding its social spa concept globally. Jane Kitchen speaks to the people behind the brand
Interview: Susie Ellis
The chair of the Global Wellness Summit has been fundamental in defining the industry and continues to drive it forward
Sponsored: Comfort Zone: Powered by nature
B Corp-certified skincare company Comfort Zone has added a new body lotion to its Hydramemory range, which is inspired by the water-retaining powers of desert plants
Interview: Roger Tempest
The owner of Broughton Sanctuary in the UK is transforming the 900-year-old estate into a retreat-based business
Sponsored: Lemi: touched by tech
Italian spa equipment supplier, Lemi, is embracing the trend towards tech-driven wellness treatments, while also driving sustainable industry practices
First person: The real deal?
What’s the value of an authentic treatment? Andrew and Karin Gibson take to the hammams of Istanbul to find out
Wellness: Full recovery
SIRO is staking a claim to be the world’s first fitness and recovery hotel brand and is planning 100 properties. Lisa Starr visits the first site in Dubai
Sponsored: Gharieni: Defining the well universe
The launch of Gharieni’s new touchless technology brand
Metawell is perfectly aligned with the future direction of spa
and wellness, says the company’s CEO, Sammy Gharieni
Software: Member benefits
Up to a third of spa-goers now have a spa membership. What support can software systems offer?
Sponsored: Myrtha: Herbal Sauna
Pools and wellness facilities expert, Myrtha’s new Herbal Sauna, brings an innovative and therapeutic experience to the spa, says Stefano Cattaneo
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Subtle Energies With 30 years of clinical research, Subtle Energies is widely recognised for its
authentic wellness [more...]
