According to a new market-research report, the U.S. spa industry has been hit hard by the recession, but massage therapy remains a staple of successful spas.

The report, “U.S. Spa Market 2010” was conducted and published by Diagonal Reports; it stated that spa revenues fell by 15 percent in 2009. “Such a drop shocked spas, which had become accustomed to continuous expansion,” the report noted. “A decade of double-digit growth had led to oversupply of spas, which has made the problem worse.”

However, the report also noted that massage therapy along with facial services continue to be the most popular spa offerings, and “combined these account for more than half of revenues in spas … the best performing spas have always maintained that it is the basic services which generate the most money.”

The report added, “Changes in people’s lifestyles (such as prolonged computer use) and their desire to improve their wellbeing have driven demand for massages. It augurs well for the future of spas that these massage therapies attract the widest range of consumer segments in terms of age and gender.”

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