The Singapore-based spa research group Intelligent Spas has released a report showing that the number of spas has increased by 129 per cent since 2002.

The report, entitled Spa Industry Profile Australia 2002-2007, is the third such survey of spa facilities that Intelligent Spas has undertaken and features more than 1,000 quantitative statistics on the Australian spa market as well as supporting trends and observations from spa owners and managers.

Of the 503 spa facilities Intelligent Spas identified in Australia, the average number of treatment rooms for each spa was six, while 52 per cent of the total spa space was allocated to treatment rooms.

The increase in male spa visitors was the most common industry trend recognised, with 29 per cent of respondents making this observation.

Spa owners and managers also noticed that clients’ expectations of the spa experience were rising and the majority of spas predicted increases in spa visits and revenue during 2006 and 2007. Details: www.intelligentspas.com