Winter 2009
Welcome to Passages' new look and feel - taking us into 2009 and beyond!
It's been an interesting couple of months getting settled into our new online home, as we experimented and learned about all the different options available. If you haven't been through the process of redesigning a website from the bottom up, believe me, it's a learning process par excellence. The tools available today, in comparison to a few years ago when we set up our initial site, are fantastic, making it easier for us to keep the site updated and fresh. We trust you will enjoy this issue as much as you have past issues of Passages and would love to hear from you.
And speaking of 2009, as we face the uncertainties and challenges that keep popping up, it seems, every time we open the newspaper, please let's not forget that it's happened before and that an upswing is only a matter of time. It does cause a certain amount of stress, however, making regular visits to your spa even more important than ever before. A few hours at the spa can make you feel like you've been on a mini-vacation. The resulting benefits of quality spa time are increased vigor, mental clarity and improved internal balance - just to name a few. So what are you waiting for?
From all of us at Leading Spas of Canada, all the best for 2009!
Better Safe Than Sorry
Recent reports and "exposés" in both print and electronic media concerning unsafe practices in some Canadian spas have led many spa enthusiasts to question the safety and hygiene found in their favorite spas.
You can rest assured that Leading Spas of Canada members adhere to some of the most stringent standards of hygiene and safety found anywhere (find our standards posted on the industry portion of this website under Membership - Best Practices). Our members take pride in not only meeting those Standards and Practices, but exceeding them.
However, until now adherence to these Standards and Practices has been voluntary. In order to better meet the expectations of the spa-going public, Leading Spas of Canada is introducing its Quality Assurance program beginning with 30 pilot spas across the country in 2009. In 2010, it will become a standard program with assessments of our members being conducted by Canada Select (already a name on the Canadian hospitality scene) as an independent third party entity.
This is not to say that spas that are not members of Leading Spas of Canada are inferior. What it DOES mean is that where you see the LSC Quality Assurance sticker on the door, you can rest assured that you can expect and will receive professionally and safely delivered spa treatments and services wherever you go. It's a committment our members are proud and excited to make!
Top 10 Spa Trends in Canada
Top 10 spa trends can be found on a number of web sites and in a variety of magazines and print around the world. Closer to home, Leading Spas of Canada is pleased to present trends that are “what’s happening” in our own fair country – many of which mirror trends occurring globally, but many that are uniquely Canadian.
1. Squeaky Clean
Recent media coverage of less than safe spa practices in some Canadian spas mirrors the increased concern of spa-goers as they scrutinize the quality of their treatments and spa environment, in general. They’re concerned about safety and hygiene for good reason - the industry is largely unregulated across the country. But Leading Spas of Canada has responded proactively by creating a third-party assessed Quality Assurance and Safety program, launching in 2009. Though all LSC members already voluntarily adhere to the organization’s stringent Standards and Practices, this new program will ensure even greater safety standards in all member spas. The program brings peace of mind to those concerned about the safety of their spa visit.
2. Medical/Spa Crossover
Medical spa treatments can be found at your local dentist, dermatologist or family doctor’s offices as the medical profession jumps on the spa bandwagon. And many medical doctors are adding treatments drawn from Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine to their regular medical practices in response to consumers increasingly taking charge of their health. At the same time, many spas are offering diagnostic services and medically supervised Lifestyle programs that expand the scope of traditional spa services in a holistic and professional way. These Lifestyle Programs, found in medical, resort and destination spas, encompass everything from fitness to nutrition to weight loss and sleep programs – designed to keep individuals healthy and out of their local MD’s offices.
3. New Wrinkle in Travel
Wellness has become the foundation for the Canadian spa experience, morphing from a trend to a lasting reality in destination, resort, hotel and day spas alike. As an outgrowth, medical tourism - whether for cosmetic treatments like Botox and fillers at Santé Spa Bear Mountain, Victoria or medically supervised weight management and sleep treatments at Hills Health Ranch, 100 Mile House, BC – is on the upswing. Look for people traveling closer to home for vacations spent in a spa environment where they can improve not only their appearance, but their health, in general.
4. “Eco” and “Green” Here to Stay
The environment remains at the forefront of social awareness and concern. Many spas are responding enthusiastically, sourcing products close to home and consciously reducing their carbon footprint. These spas increasingly are adding treatments using ingredients that are native and indigenous to their particular areas, like vinotherapy treatments at Beyond Wrapture in Kelowna, BC and Vintage Spas in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. And more and more product suppliers are going “natural” and reducing or using recycled materials in their packaging - including Eminence, Pevonia, Babor and Comfort Zone to name just a few - in response to consumers’ concerns.
5. Spa Mélange
Look for more combination treatments being created as spa-goers, from Boomers to Gen X and Y’s, seek a little more from their spa time. It’s a way for spas to creatively respond to the economic crunch – offering their clients “mini-packages” like a facial with a leg and foot massage or a body scrub combined with a massage – all in the space of a single treatment. They’ll become ever more popular as “value for money” becomes the byword for 2009.
6. Talkin’ About My Generation
Spa visits are becoming multi-generational with three and even four generations enjoying the spa experience. Baby boomers are bringing their Generation X children, who in turn are bringing their youngsters. While the older demographic has more reluctantly accepted the value of spas as a lifestyle choice for overall health and wellness, those younger have embraced spa into their lives more readily. And how about those recalcitrant Boomers? Now that they have accepted aging more gracefully and are in better health than their predecessors, they are demanding that retirement homes and communities add spas to their offerings. Watch for spas popping up wherever people are looking for retirement or second homes throughout Canada and North America.
7. Tech Invasion
Purists might have a problem with the fact that some spas are responding to an increasing number of spa-goers, across the board generationally, who exhibit real angst when asked to part with their blackberries, ipods, cells and other personal devices for longer than an hour. According to AOL’s Email Addiction Survey, the average email user checks mail about five times a day and 59% with portable devices are using them to check email every time a new message arrives. And 37% are checking while they drive! Watch for areas in the spa that allow the use of these personal devices or even spas that let guests check during a treatment. It goes against the grain for some, but is today’s reality.
8. Face Time on FaceBook
If you’re Twitter or Facebook savvy, you’re in good company with more and more Gen X and Y’s who are writing or checking blogs – going to their peers and other consumers for information on every aspect of Spa. And they’re speaking their minds, too. Check for spas posting last minute specials and deals on these and other web sites and also check out www.leadingspasofcanada.com to get the latest news and info on leading – edge spas from Coast to Coast.
9. Make Way for the Men
Men have become an everyday part of the spa scene and not just in day spas! Lately “men only” spas are emerging across the country – whether Absolute Spa in Vancouver or Men’s Power Spa in Toronto. According to the International Spa Association, men now comprise 29% of Canadian spa-goers, often inspired by their spouse or partner. Many women encourage the men in their life to join them at the spa for a side-by-side treatment as an opportunity to reconnect. Or it may simply be the harsh reality of recognizing their husband’s penchant for wearing flip-flops and that a pedicure is in order to ensure that the sight of his bare feet won’t frighten children and small domestic animals. In any case, men are back experimenting on their own at the nearest spa offering a men’s treatment menu. Coming up? Spas will attract men with amenities like big screen tv’s, a beer fridge and WiFi areas in the lounge.
10. Look Out Golf - Spa is Playing Through
Spa treatments are now the most popular activity during corporate meetings and events, forcing golf to take the back seat, according to research from Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Corporate meeting and event planners are now more interested in hotel properties with spa facilities than those with golf, and the hospitality industry is responding to the call. Forty percent of new luxury lodging projects under development include spa facilities, compared with twenty seven percent of existing hotels in that segment offering spas, PwC notes in their research. Meeting organizers are offering healthier food options and spas are being called upon to provide ‘wellness breaks’ for meeting attendees, offering chair massage, tai chi and yoga between sessions.
Rewarding Careers within the Spa/Wellness Industry Await You!
“The message is simple, the spa/wellness industry needs you!” notes Jack Morrison, Managing Director of Toronto’s Elmcrest College of Applied Health Sciences & Spa Management. So why does the industry need you?
A 2007 research study done for the International Spa Association (ISPA) indicates that in the North America spa/wellness industry alone there about: 13,000 unfilled management positions; 26,000 unfilled massage therapy positions; 34,000 unfilled esthetics/nail tech positions; and, 17,000 unfilled front desk positions. That’s about 90,000 employment opportunities in everything from day spas to exotic resort spas to medical spas – you name it – they need staff.
While this might be news to someone peeking in from the outside, it should really not come as a surprise to anyone in the industry. In every single industry survey over at least the past 10 years, the number one challenge to the industry cited consistently and unanimously by industry leaders around the world, is the lack of qualified labour.
Two of the key factors (there are others) that will continue to drive this industry challenge upward are: a) the general boomer shift into retirement with not enough bodies in the replacement workforce pool to replace or support them – don’t forget that the boomers control by far the greatest percentage of the countries wealth; and, b) consumer demand continues to drive up the number of spas. Let’s forget about “a)” for a moment since it is not industry specific and it has lots of general press - except to note that what it does translate into is the situation where not only does the spa/wellness industry need to attract more staff but it needs to do that on a highly competitive basis with most other major industries.
This is an exciting, well established industry that is mature at its core while pulling in new health & wellness components every year. It represents great career path opportunities for individuals interested in pursuing careers which enrich and inspire change in others.
Training can give you the edge when it comes to working in the creative facets of the spa industry. There are many community colleges and beauty schools across the country which can give you the training you need to become a certified spa professional. When choosing a college or private educational institution it is vital that you do your research. In addition to curriculum, facilities and quality of the instructors finding a college or private educational institute with a firm tie to the industry is vital to ensure that the program curricula truly meets today’s industry needs.
Although your goal may be to get out into the work force as quickly as possible, you may be selling yourself short by choosing a program that is shorter and does not cover as much curriculum. Those few extra months you spend in school will make you much more employable. If you choose a shorter program, the time you saved in school may cost you in unemployment time in the future. Employers prefer to hire those who have more in-depth and thorough knowledge.
If you have enjoyed the benefits of visiting a spa facility and have wondered about the many career opportunities within this globally growing industry, consider researching further how you can become a part of this personally and professionally rewarding opportunity.
Contributed by - Elmcrest College of Applied Health Sciences & Spa Management
Toronto, Ontario www.elmcrestcollege.com