By Jessica Rose
As cell phones, laptops and demanding schedules are diminishing personal time, more people than ever are visiting spas and making sure that they take the time to put their feet up and relax.
Most recent statistics from the International Spa Association (ISPA) are revealing that spa revenue is increasing. In Canada, it has far exceeded $1 billion annually.
In 2004, there were 2,063 spas operating in Canada, a number that has risen dramatically from 1,300 in 2002. This translates into 62-per-cent growth in two years.
“People are looking for a retreat within their own community,” says Doug Coburn, director of aesthetics at Bodé Spa, which caters to Ottawa men.
“When we’re busy with families and with our jobs, we’re looking for a tiny escape to shut off the noise of the world,” he says.
Donna Holtom is the owner of Holtz Spa in downtown Ottawa. She says in today’s high-paced society, people have less personal time than ever before, drawing them to spas for an opportunity to relax and to reflect.
“Everybody is living a faster-paced life,” she says.
Both Coburn and Holtom agree that the desire to diminish stress is related to an overall increasingly health-conscious community.
“The baby boomers are getting older,” says Jack Morrison, president of Leading Spas of Canada, which is a national organization focused on supporting development within the spa industry.
“If we’re going to live longer and work longer people must be more (health) conscious,” he says.
Holtom says the spa experience has gone beyond simple pampering.
Many clients are also visiting spas looking for advice on nutrition and services such as holistic treatments and skin care.
“Spas have become more accessible and mainstream, especially for preventative health reasons,” she says.
ISPA reports that 46 per cent of spa users are new consumers who are experiencing what the industry has to offer for the first time.
This includes an influx of health-conscious and active men, who make up 29 per cent of spa-goers.
Bodé Spa, located in Sandy Hill, is aimed at professional, urban men.
“We call our class of client the metrosexual,” says Coburn.
He defines the term metrosexual as a man who is very modern and is looking to take good care of himself.
Bodé is located in the basement of a former Italian embassy building. The spa combines modern décor with the unique architectural characteristics that the embassy has left behind.
This includes the renovation of a former vault into a massage parlour, where bare stone walls are dimly lit by candles.
This creates a refuge for men — and occasionally women — to relax.
It also includes a stream of soothing classical music in the background.
“A lot of the barriers that were there for men are coming down,” says Holtom.
She says she believes that most men have been hesitant to visit spas in the past. Holtom says she thinks that this is due to primarily feminine décor and the negative social stigma that surrounds the ‘vanity’ of spa use.
She says she has found that more men are learning that the spa experience is less about feeling beautiful and more about feeling healthy.
“Women are very in touch with their bodies,” says Coburn. “For men, it’s a learning curve.”
Coburn calls spa visits a very social experience for women. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to prefer quietly enjoying a body massage or facial in silence.
Coburn says that most of his regular clients are men who visit Bodé for various services. These services include waxing, pedicures and various skin treatments.
“There are all these things women are looking for and men are realizing that they’re important,” he says.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Coburn says couples massages are becoming increasingly popular at Bodé Spa.
He says they allow couples to enjoy a retreat together that falls within their own community.
Coburn is optimistic that increased spa usage is not a shortlived trend, in particularly for men.
He predicts new and returning consumers will continue to support the growing spa industry.