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...]
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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
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the spa business with more than 650 locations across
the US and Canada, has appointed franchise expert Carrie Walsh as CEO as the company plans
to expand.
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
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...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Comfort Zone Comfort Zone’s comprehensive face and body professional and retail range allows clients
to experien [more...]
