Commercial spa industry steams ahead

Singapore company Intelligent Spas has released a comprehensive report on the Australian commercial spa industry.

The report identified that spa numbers have grown 129 per cent since 2002.

Achieving a remarkable 64% response rate, this is the third survey of spa facilities conducted in Australia by Intelligent Spas. It provides a valuable tool for businesses competing in, or supporting the spa industry, to more accurately develop and plan spa-related products, services, campaigns and initiatives.

The Spa Industry Profile Australia 2002-2007 Report, features more than 1000 quantitative statistics on the Australian spa market as well as supporting qualitative trends and observations from spa owners and managers.

Some key industry totals and averages extracted from the report include:

• Intelligent Spas identified 503 spa facilities located in Australia;

• The average indoor area of spa facilities in Australia was 237 square metres;

• 52% of the total spa space was allocated to treatment rooms;

• Spas contained six treatment rooms on average;

• 65% of spas that provided a relaxation room stated it was gender-shared; compared to 7% that provided both separate and shared rooms and 4% that offered separate rooms;

• Baths with water and/or air jets were provided by 58% of respondents;

• One hour body wraps were priced from $110 on average;

• Herbal tea was the most common complimentary food or beverage item provided by spas, with 92% offering it to visitors;

• The increase in male spa visitors was the most common, current industry trend with 29% of respondents making this observation;

• Spa owners and managers noticed clients’ expectations of the spa experience were rising;

• The majority of spas predicted increases in spa visits and revenue during 2006 and 2007.

The quantitative survey results relate to spa types, locations, business models, capture rates from primary facilities such as hotels and resorts, infrastructure, supporting facilities, therapies, treatments and programs offered, plus future predictions of key indicators, including revenue and employment, for 2006 and 2007.

A selection of key survey findings are also broken down to identify benchmarks for day spas versus destination spas, plus analysis by state location, where possible. Qualitative observations from spa owners and managers are also summarised. Supporting sections provide a detailed description of the research methodology, an overview of the value of industry statistics and useful facts and information about Australia, including an overview of the tourism industry.

Intelligent Spas is a 100% independent research company specialising in the spa industry. Founded in Singapore in 2001, it has pioneered spa industry research in the Asia Pacific region.

The new Spa Industry Profile Australia 2002-2007 report is available for immediate download from Intelligent Spas’ online store at www.intelligentspas.com.