SpaFinder Wellness just-released the results of the sixth annual "State of Spa Travel" report. This yearly survey of global travel agents gauges the strength of the spa travel market, and looks for emerging consumer trends from current pricing patterns, to which regions are the most popular. Findings are based on an in-depth survey of 160+ travel agents around the world, completed during the fourth quarter of 2012.
The "State of Spa Travel” report indicates that in 2012 Mexico/the Caribbean surpassed North America as the top global spa travel destination. Agents also reported that Hawaii took the lead as the number one U.S. region.
One of the most significant results of the 2012 survey shows that spa travel was up in 2012 over 2011. Sixty-eight percent of travel agents reported growth in the number of clients choosing spa travel last year. A possible explanation for this could be the increasingly popular trend of taking spa vacations that are focused on health and wellness.
Additionally, the survey shows an increase in the average price-per-night-booked for spa travel in 2012. The majority of bookings now fall above $300 per night. This does not concern travel agents too much because “stay spa” deals (which have gotten more aggressive or remained the same between 2011 and 2012) still provide incentive to book trips.
Travel agents are divided on the impact that “Groupons” have had on their business. A minority of agents say Groupon has had a direct, negative impact on bookings. The majority reported that the daily deals have had “little/no impact,” because the “deal” customer is typically not a travel agent customer. Three percent reported their spa travel bookings have increased since the emergence of deal sites. Overall, the survey confirmed that after years of decline, more people are booking spa travel through travel agents again.
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