Technology is changing the way we do everything at breathtaking speed, and the spa experience is no exception. But tech is not the only thing effecting change in the industry. Shifts towards mindfulness and a focus on personal “wellness” outside of the medical sector are also drivers of change.
Consumer genomics are going to change everything
Futurist James Canton says, “One thing we all have in common is none of us know when we’re going to be ill, or when we’re going to die. That’s going to go away. People are going to have access to technology through their healthcare system, their doctor, their clinic, or their app that will give them data about their health status, and what they can do to enhance it and prevent certain conditions from emerging.”According to Canton, within less than five years we will have access to a whole new field of consumer genomics targeted at prevention and predictive health.
Research shows that knowledge is what consumers want. A recent UK survey found that 85% of respondents would be prepared to undergo genetic testing, while 44% indicated that they would be willing to pay for it. Canton also points out that millennials and Gen Xers are more interested in mapping their genome than Baby Boomers. And that as Gen Xers and millennials are getting older and becoming more affluent, they are driving the market for this information.
Meanwhile, tools like CRISPR CAS9 will allow us to engineer genes, editing out potential threats like Alzheimer’s or certain types of cancers.
“You have a spa treatment, a Botox treatment, you get rid of your wrinkles, a little lipo, a breast augmentation, maybe take care of those cancer cells, you get a great massage, a rigorous workout, a few cybernetic enhancements for that hip that’s not been doing so good. They upload some new stuff for you. The inborn nano-device inside of you identifies certain genes that are going to express certain diseases, and we neutralize them. Early Alzheimer’s might be edited out.”
Canton calls this “Human 2.0”
Spas will offer a whole mind-body VR experience
Studio Transcendent partnered with AppliedVR to create a guided relaxation experience that has proven to reduce perceived anxiety by 60% in a medical setting. And VR is already being used as an alternative to drugs and medication for pain and stress relief.
Studio Transcendent’s Aaron Nicholson says, “VR will allow spas to extend the soothing world that they embody by giving customers experiences of being in other places such as a vast jungle, the foot of a temple, or a remote mountain hot spring while experiencing local spa services. Used in waiting rooms, VR can prepare guests with guided relaxation or meditation before a treatment. It can also be used to educate guests about the service that they are about to enjoy and highlight other services available.”
Spas will become places to seek out human connection
People already go to spas for the physical touch and to be the focus of someone’s attention. In the future, spas will also have to create environments to nurture human connection and community as people start to take other elements of the spa home with them.
“You can get a massage or a workout in your home, but you won’t get that shared experience unless you’re sweating alongside someone, or relaxing and sharing stories in the waters,” says Henry. “I think spas are going to create new kinds of social experiences to compete with the home environment. We’re seeing a lot of spas that are fashion-forward regarding this, and that address those socialisation needs with communal pools and saunas that take a larger audience into account — and that create something memorable, as well as Instagrammable. It’s visual and experiential.”
And so, he says, “The high touch in spa and having people touch us on a human level — whether it be physically, emotionally, or psychologically — is going to become even more important.”