SpaFinder announces 2008 trends and predictions

Global spa marketing company SpaFinder has released its list of the top 10 UK spa trends for this year.

The list was compiled with research from the SpaFinder website, extensive travel by the company’s staff and a close working relationship with both day and destination spas.

Top of the trends for this year is the ‘High Street Spa’ concept, with destination brands such as Champneys and Seaham Hall’s Serenity Spa extending their spa and wellness concepts to a small day spa within a main street in British towns and cities.

Men-only spas – such as Nickel, Wholeman and Gentlemen’s Tonic – are also to increase with SpaFinder predicting that 2008 will bring the male spa experience more into the mainstream.

Emerging ‘spa communities’ – a trend pioneered in the US with the Canyon Ranch Living concept in Florida – are predicted to boom.

Other 2008 trends include increased consumer focus on sustainability and locally-sourced products; business meetings taking place in spas and express treatments – such as facials and pedicures – increasing in popularity.