Study Looks at Global Spa Trends

Massage therapy remains the most-requested treatment at U.S. spas, according to first-of-its kind research on the global spa consumer.

The International Spa Association (ISPA) released preliminary findings from its ISPA Global Consumer Report on June 8. Among the findings:

• Full-body massage therapy tops the list of most-received treatments in the United States, with 68 percent of spa-goers reporting this as their number-one choice. In second and third place are manicures (57 percent) and pedicures (56 percent).

 • The United States has the largest annual number of spa guests, with more than 32 million. In second, third and fourth place are Thailand (27 million), Japan (19 million) and Italy (18 million).

• There are 150 million active spa consumers worldwide.

• Sixty-nine percent of U.S. spa guests are female.

• Regardless of where they live, the primary reasons spa-goers visit spas are to relax and relieve/reduce stress.

The report will be presented in its entirety at ISPA's annual conference in Kissimmee, Florida, in November. Look for additional coverage in the print edition of MASSAGE Magazine.