Spa travel continued apace in North America during 2013, with the momentum partly-fueled by resorts? increasingly aggressive price packages, according to Spafinder Wellness 365?s ?State of Spa Travel? report published today.
The wellness industry company ? which covers media, marketing and gifting offerings ? based the report on a survey of over 300 North American travel agents completed in the fourth quarter of 2013.
The continued rise of the global wellness tourism market ? estimated to be worth $439bn ? also features prominently in the report, with the majority of travel agents believing the trend remains on an upward trajectory.
?This new data provides fresh evidence that what we?ve been hearing about the growth of the wider wellness tourism category is undeniably true,? says?Mia Kyricos, Spafinder Wellness, Inc.?s chief brand officer.
?It also proves that spa travel is on the rise in North America, which is the now the world?s largest wellness travel market, generating over 40% of the total dollars spent in that global segment.?
The previous ?State of Spa Travel? report found that 2012 was the year spa travel finally rebounded after the long recession, with 68 per cent of travel agents reporting growth in spa bookings, up from 37 per cent in 2011. This resurgence strengthened again in 2013, with 73 per cent of US and Canadian agents experiencing growth, while a further 23 per cent said booking levels had stayed the same.
And despite the brighter outlook, the ubiquity of spa package deals showed no sign of relenting, suggesting operators are focusing on volume ? to the delight of consumers.
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