Sara and Kathryn, thank you both for your comments which both eloquently express different perspectives on spa. Sara, you said, “Something seems awry when we have to explain to people or engage in any kind of persuasion regarding what’s good about something.” But I tend to agree with Kathryn that not only do spas continue to draw people to them, but they have always done so. Almost every culture in every geography in every time period since the dawn of man has had some kind of center for communal healing. The ubiquitousness and popularity of spa points to its strength. There are always naysayers for anything, so I wouldn’t define our industry by them.
That being said, spa is still an activity that only touches a minority of the population. In the U.S. estimates are between 25% and 30% of consumers that have been to a spa. This leaves an overwhelming majority out of the equation and we have to ask ourselves why. Certainly, a part of the answer in our culture is the luxury stigma and pricing of spa that excludes certain market segments (new models such as Massage Envy are changing this.)
I called this article “The Promise of Spa” because I see so much potential here that is yet to be untapped (so I can’t help but wonder about the “shoulds” and “what ifs”.) But I agree with Kathryn that the word spa has evolved and is a broad classification. Rather than eliminate the word or redefine it, it will be a matter of those within the broad spa segment defining themselves and distinguishing themselves from the masses. The restaurant analogy is a good one.
Just a few hours after I published this article a new study came across my desk on the benefits of a spa visit:
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/11/20/A-week-at-a-health-spa-improves-health/UPI-97611353471691/#axzz2CruGOPma
It’s a small sample size so doesn’t carry too much weight scientifically but it only confirms what those who work in this industry see every day with their clients. The main problem I see with it is only about 2% of spas in the U.S. offer these kinds of “week at a health spa” experiences. Most of the spa industry is offering brief interludes of silence and touch.
It is much harder to measure the impact of an hour at a spa than it is to measure the impact of a week. But I believe the impact is there. In this article:
http://psychologyofwellbeing.com/201010/get-thee-to-a-spa.html
I covered a research study that found a physiological effect from a single Swedish massage–a rare study that was done on a healthy population.
