“In our 12 years of trend-tracking, we have never seen spa/wellness concepts go so deep and global, be so meaningful and move in so many surprising, provocative directions,” said Spafinder Wellness Chief Brand Officer Mia Kyricos. “Our goal is to provide an in-depth resource and help the industry make informed decisions by analysing the social, cultural and economic shifts that fuel each trend.”
The top global spa and wellness trends for 2015 include wellness traditions from the Islamic world.
The top global spa and wellness trends for 2015 include wellness traditions from the Islamic world.
According to Spafinder, the world has as yet been not noticed what the wellness traditions of the Islamic world can offer with its "advanced food-as-medicine, and nature-based beauty and healing practices, refined for 1,000 years". The company predicts that more people will seek nutritional, beauty and “spa” traditions central to Islamic cultures in years ahead. Middle Eastern and African spices, grains and fruits will be the “superfoods,” ingredients used for both food and beauty (from camel’s milk to baobab fruit) will trend, and spas will offer more experiences like rasul/mud treatments and sand bathing.
Spafinder suggests checking out the blackseed-infused, Senegalese skincare line, Tiossan, and the planned Zulal Destination Spa (Doha, Qatar, 2017), which is to be the first retreat to immerse guests in the well-being traditions from across the Islamic world.
Blue collar wellness
According to Spafinder, blue collar wellness may soon become the norm. The company envisions free massage breaks for garment workers at a factory in Sri Lanka. A smartphone app connected to a wellness app at headquarters that reminds long-haul truck drivers of healthy menu options.
Spafinder suggests checking out the blackseed-infused, Senegalese skincare line, Tiossan, and the planned Zulal Destination Spa (Doha, Qatar, 2017), which is to be the first retreat to immerse guests in the well-being traditions from across the Islamic world.
Blue collar wellness
According to Spafinder, blue collar wellness may soon become the norm. The company envisions free massage breaks for garment workers at a factory in Sri Lanka. A smartphone app connected to a wellness app at headquarters that reminds long-haul truck drivers of healthy menu options.
The company notes that the first wave of workplace wellness programmes are focused narrowly on white-collar, management employees but that as employers battle the chronic disease, obesity, pain, and musculoskeletal and mental disabilities that can hit “blue collar” workers the hardest, more wellness programmes will be designed for them in the future.
Beauty care all made-for-me
We’re no longer just consumers, we’re collaborators. In 2015 look for a shift from “This colour looks good on me.” to “This colour was made for me,” from “Is this moisturiser the best for my skin?” to “This moisturiser is perfectly formulated for me.” New opportunities to customise our primping and self-care experience will arise. We’ll see more beauty brands using in-store computer technology to create personalised solutions, more online skin coaching and more spas will let clients create bespoke everything.
Spafinder recommends Mink, a personal 3D makeup printer using cosmetic-grade inks, as an illustration of this trend.
It's probiotics time
“Listen to your gut…” usually means follow your best instincts, but it is one of the hottest trends for 2015. Look for an ongoing focus on the science of the gut and efforts to prove that by altering its make-up (aka “microbiome”) we can take our health and beauty to new levels, improve our immunity and resilience, reduce our chances for obesity and even create a happy and healthy mind. We’ll see more testing that proves the link between our gut and how we look and feel; there will be no stopping the proliferation of probiotics in what we drink, eat and put on our skin; and more spas (some of who have been on to this for decades) will offer ways to heal our leaking guts.
Luxury redefined
Extraordinary affluence, an appetite for the different and new, a zeal for documenting epic experiences and the search for solitude and silence are fueling a new trend: the quest for “Beyond the Stars” experiences– where air, light and breathing room are the new luxury, and authentic and novel destinations are the holy grail of travel. With this shift, the luxury travel industry will be challenged to top itself with even more spectacular offerings and dazzle us with spectacular offerings and experiences.
An example of an upcoming luxury destination of this nature is Amenoi Resort in Vietnam, Spafinder noted.
Read the report here.
*The report is based on surveys with the company’s network of consumers, travel agents and spa/wellness businesses conducted over the last year.
*The report is based on surveys with the company’s network of consumers, travel agents and spa/wellness businesses conducted over the last year.
