The thalasso and spa market - France (2024)

1.2 The global wellness, spa and thalassotherapy market

Overview of the global wellness market: a market worth $*.* trillion by ****

At the last Global Wellness Summit, the Global Wellness Institute presented the latest data on the wellness market, showing the market's growth since the health crisis, as well as growth prospects up to ****, when the market is expected to reach $*,*** billion. France ranks *th worldwide, with a wellness market worth $*** billion. In France, market value is expected to grow by **.*% between **** and ****. [***]

Source: ****

The global spa market

The global spa market in **** was valued at $***.* billion and is expected to reach $***.* billion by ****. This represents a CAGR of **.*% from **** to ****, and a projected CAGR of *.*% from **** to ****.

The shift and growing demand towards health and wellness activities, coupled with innovation in the spa offering, is expected to drive market growth.

Evolution of global spa market size World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

The global thalasso and spa market

In ****, the global thalasso market was valued at $**.* billion, compared with $**.* billion in ****(***). Nevertheless, the market is gradually coming out of the doldrums, with a CAGR of *.*% from **** to ****, and a considerable projected CAGR of **. *% over the period ****-****. By ****, the global thalasso market is expected to reach $**.* billion. [***]

Size of ...

1.3 Domestic market

Overview of the French thalasso and spa market: INSEE approach

We can analyze NAF code **.**Z entitled"Services d'entetien corporel", which includes Services related to well-being and physical comfort, such as those provided by Turkish baths Saunas and steam baths, solariums, spas, weight-loss and slimming institutes, massage institutes (***), etc. Methodology and calculation: we have the sales for this NAF code in ****, which amounted to ***.*** million euros. INSEE annually updates sales trends to base *** in ****. It is therefore possible to calculate the sales trend for this NAF code, using the following formula: Sales **** * index year n /***. The graph below shows how the sector will evolve between **** and ****. INSEE: Growth in sales excluding taxes for NAF code ****Z "Personal care services" France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: INSEE - Businesscoot processing There are several things to analyze in this graph.Firstly, we can see that the market has been growing steadily between **** and **** (***), representing a **. **% drop in activity. In ****, the market generated sales of ***.* million euros. The mechanical rebound is here in ****, but the **** results have still not been achieved. Between **** and ****, the market grew by **%, from ***.* million euros to ***.* million euros.Between **** and ****, the body care services market grew spectacularly, increasing ...

2.1 The French relationship with Thalassotherapy and Spas

In a recent context marked by pandemics and considered anxiety-provoking[***]

The French relationship with Thalassotherapy France, ****, in France Thalasso via Le Figaro

A study entitled "Les Français et les médecines douces" (***). What's more, **% of French people say they have already had a thalasso, and **% are interested in the idea.

Have you already undergone or are you interested in undergoing thalassotherapy? France, ****, % Source: ****

Breakdown of **% who have already done thalassotherapy France, ****, % (***) Source: ****

Of those who do thalassotherapy, *% do it regularly, **% have already tried it and would like to go back. *% have already tried it and would not like to do it again.

In your opinion, "Are thalassotherapy centers only found by the sea?" France, ****, % Source: Sociovision Page ** over **% of French people are unaware that thalassotherapy takes place by the sea. Only **% know that thalassotherapy takes place by the sea.

The spa as a differentiating factor for hotels

a Coach Omnium survey shows that the more upscale a hotel becomes , the more important it is for its customers to have a spa. For all establishments, as soon as a spa is available, **% intend to use its facilities. Finally, spa users are more likely to be women than men. This survey does ...

2.2 French demand expectations

A global survey conducted in **** by the American firm McKinsey & Company showed that **% of people consider well-being an important element in life. More specifically, **% of those surveyed expressed that well-being is a top priority. **% of **-** year-olds say they are ready for a thalasso[***]

The pandemic and repeated confinements have only accentuated people's expectations in terms of well-being.**% of French people say they are even more stressed after the pandemic than before. Moreover,the WHO (***) has classified professional burn-out as an "occupational disease".[***]

What do the French value most in a thalasso? France, ****, % Source: ****

The French value three things in a thalasso: taking care of their health (***).

What attracts you most to a thalasso (***) France, ****, % (***) Source: ****

Next, we can see that the French are attracted by the fact of having time for themselves(***).

If you were offered thalassotherapy, what type of program would you prefer? France, ****, % Source: ****

**% of French people would choose a relaxation program, **% a fitness program, **% a health and prevention program, **% a slimming and nutrition program.

2.3 Indirect demand factors

Demand for thalassotherapy and spa establishments is impacted by hotel occupancy and French life expectancy .

Hotel occupancy in good health

In the second quarter of ****, hotel occupancy in France was up *.*% on the same quarter of the previous year, reaching ** million overnight stays, an increase of *.* million nights. This increase was mainly driven by non-resident customers, who rose by **.*%, accounting for over *.* million additional nights, while resident customers saw a slight increase of *.*%.

Upscale hotels in particular benefited from this increase, recording a *.*% rise in occupancy compared to the second quarter of ****. As we have seen, spa facilities play an important role in the strategy of high-end hotels. As a result, the frequency of hotel stays in these establishments is partly linked to growing demand for spas.

Hotels rated *-* stars also saw an increase in spa use, albeit more moderate. Unclassified hotels, on the other hand, recorded a *.*% drop in occupancy, mainly due to a decline in resident clientele.

Visitor numbers rose in all regions, with a notable increase in urban areas, both in the Paris region and in the provinces. Growth in provincial urban areas was particularly marked by a **.*% increase in non-resident clientele.

Number of hotel nights per ...

2.4 Seasonal demand

According to Google Trends analysis of spa search volume in France, interest in spas in France shows strong seasonality, with notable peaks in summer, when searches reach their peak. After a significant drop in spring **** due to the pandemic, searches have picked up again and increased each year, reaching high levels in ****. Overall, interest remains stable in winter and autumn, with a slight upward trend.

N.B: The results reflect the proportion of searches for a given keyword in a specific region and time period, compared to the region with the highest rate of use of that keyword (***). Thus, a value of ** means that the keyword was used half as often in the region concerned, and a value of * means that the data for this keyword is insufficient.

Evolution of interest in the search "spa" on Google France, ****-**** Source: ****

Searches for"thalasso" show peaks of interest in winter and summer, particularly high in winter **** and summer ****. The springs of **** and **** record the lowest indices, probably due to the pandemic. Overall, interest rises in spring and autumn after ****, suggesting a growing popularity of thalassotherapy outside the peak seasons. Evolution of interest in the Google search "thalasso" by season France, ****-****, in ...

3.1 Market structure for thalassos and spas

We can organize the players and structure of these markets with this approach:

3.2 French plant structure and geographical breakdown

As of ****, the number of establishments and employees in the body care services category is showing a stable positive trend .nAF ****Z "Body care services" covers body care activities aimed at improving physical and mental well-being, such as beauty treatments, massages, spas, thalassotherapy, and other wellness and relaxation treatments.

Number of establishments registered under NAF code ****Z "Body care services"

Growth in the number of establishments registered under NAF code ****Z France, ****-****, number of establishments Source: ****

Between **** and ****, the number of establishments increased significantly by **.*%. It is interesting to note that despite the health crisis of ****, the number of establishments did not decrease. On the contrary, it has continued to grow. In particular, from **** to ****, the number of body care-related businesses rose by *%, and this trend continued with a *.*% increase between **** and ****.

Number of employees registered under NAF code ****Z "Body care services"

Trend in the number of employees registered under NAF code ***Z France, ****-****, number of employees Source: ****

Between **** and ****, the number of employees rose steadily from *,*** to **,***, an increase of **.*%. Annual variations can be observed, with a slight drop between **** and ****, followed by a gradual recovery. Following the trend in the number of companies, despite the challenges ...

3.3 Competition and complementarity: thalasso vs. spa

It's important to note the competition and complementarity between thalassotherapy centers and spas. While the former are subject to regulatory constraints that require them to be located by the sea, the latter are not - they can be located anywhere in France.

As explained in the section devoted to the global market, most thalassotherapy centers offer a spa, associated with well-being. Thalasso de Pornic, for example, offers "thalasso and spa days and treatments".

conversely, spas offer a less expensive alternative to thalassotherapy center stays, and are more accessible because they are not subject to regulatory constraints imposing a particular location (***). As such, they compete with thalassotherapy centers just as much as they complement them.

3.4 Strong international competition

While **% of thalassotherapy customers are French, theFrench thalassotherapy sector is facing stiff international competition, particularly from countries around the Mediterranean and the Maghreb. These countries benefit from an attractive climate, lower labor costs and the boom in low-cost air travel, thus attracting part of the potential clientele(***).

In addition, France is facing growing competition from balneotherapy centers and hotel spas. These establishments, often located in city centers, are easier to set up and less costly to operate, as they do not use seawater. Countries such as Germany, where water-based treatments are popular, continue to favor spas over French thalassotherapy centers(***).

4.1 Thalassotherapy treatments

Since ****, thalassotherapy has not been medically recognized and is therefore no longer reimbursed by Social Security, unlike spa treatments, which require a doctor's prescription. Today, thalassotherapy is perceived as a relaxing stay, generally lasting from * to ** days, the cost of which depends on daily treatments, the establishment chosen, accommodation, transport and activities. [***]

On average, treatments cost around ** euros per day, plus accommodation costs, which vary according to the standing of the establishment. To save money, clients can opt to stay in a residence, although this means managing meals themselves. Outside school vacations, thalassotherapy centers often offer reduced rates. For a thalasso weekend, a customer can expect to pay around *** euros, including accommodation and treatments. For a full-board week in a mid-range hotel, the budget can rise to *,*** euros [***]. It is possible to give a non-exhaustive overview of the range offered by thalassotherapy institutes, which generally also offer spa services. One of France's largest thalassotherapies, Pornic, is used as an example. These prices correspond to a center considered premium.

Thalassotherapy treatments: these include hydro-massage baths, heated mud application, seaweed wraps, clay application... The price per session is ** euros. A thalasso day with three individual treatments and one group treatment (***) costs at least ...

4.2 Les services dans les spas

Les spas sont généralement polyvalents par rapport à l’offre proposée aux clients. Ces derniers proposent souvent aussi bien des services propres aux spas, que des services qu’il est possible de retrouver dans des centres de bien-être (***).

Deux catégories de soins sont particulièrement présentes dans l’offre des spas :

Les massages Les soins du corps et du visage

Les massages sont généralement ciblés sur une partie du corps (***). Les soins, qui peuvent être réalisés sur le visage ou toute autre partie du corps, qu’ils soient revitalisants ou relaxants, durent habituellement entre ** minutes et *h**. Les soins en spa peuvent faire appel à des périodes passées dans un hammam, un sauna ou un spa.

Les recettes des spas sont fortement diversifiées comme le note dans son baromètre des spas SRH Consulting. La part des abonnements est en forte hausse et représente **% du chiffre d’affaires des spas hôteliers des hôtels * étoiles- contre *% seulement pour les hôtels * étoiles.

Les bons cadeaux génèrent **% des recettes des spas en **** - contre *% en ****. Quant à la vente de produits de beauté au détail, elle ...

4.3 Tendances de l’offre

«La crise sanitaire a contraint nos fournisseurs à revoir en profondeur leur stratégie et à se remettre en question. Pour ****, nous notons beaucoup de changements dans l'offre proposée par les centres de soins avec l'arrivée notamment de nouvelles cures innovantes. Elles devraient plaire, citons : Métamorphose, Jeunesse, Thalasso Spéciale Homme, Remise en Marche, Golf & Thalasso...», observe Raouf Benslimane. Autre observation : « Les bons cadeaux se développent, offerts à tous les âges. Idem pour les séjours, avec enfants et petits-enfants. La thalasso répond à l’envie de se retrouver en famille ».

"Nos prévisions sont de revenir en **** à un niveau équivalent à **% comparé à celui de ****", pour le PDG de Thalasso N°*. Si les contraintes sanitaires ne viennent pas encore brouiller le message aux yeux de la clientèle », complète-t-il, prudent. [***]

Le repositionnement des instituts de thalassothérapie

L’étude de Deloitte sur le secteur de l’hôtellerie note que les clients n’ont jamais autant eu besoin de se ressourcer et de se faire plaisir. Les instituts ont su saisir le coche de cette tendance et ont lourdement investi afin de rénover leurs infrastructures. L’utilisation de la cryothérapie, peu présente dans les spas en ...

5. Current control

Thalassotherapy center regulations

It may be important to note certain regulatory aspects that have marked a breakthrough in the sector.

Cures at thalassotherapy centers have not been reimbursed by the French social security system since ****. On the other hand thermal cures are reimbursed under certain conditions:

The spa cure must be prescribed by a health professional and concern an "affection or pathology that appears on the list of ** therapeutic orientations covered by the Assurance Maladie". The spa cure must be approved and contracted by the Assurance Maladie, the duration of treatment is fixed at ** days, and the cure can only be reimbursed once a year.

This represents a real disadvantage for thalassotherapy centers, which have had to adapt in terms of price and target clientele.

However, the centers have adapted and have asked theAFNOR (***) to introduce standards prohibiting thalassotherapy centers that do not use seawater.

The voluntary standard XP X**-*** implies " the combined use of the benefits of the marine environment, which includes the marine climate, seawater, marine mud, algae, sand and other substances extracted from the sea" from the sea" in thalassotherapy centers.

A thalassotherapy center must also offer individual treatments (***) and group treatments in a basin or ...

6. Segmentation

• Thalassa Sea & Spa (Groupe Accor)
• Thalazur
• Relais Thalasso (Phelippeau)
• Alliance Thalasso de Pornic
• Saint James Albany Hôtel Spa
• La Réserve Paris - Michel Reybier Hospitality
• Dior Institut
• Spa L’Occitane (Groupe L'Occitane)
• Cinq Mondes
• Spa Océanide
• Travel spa Thalasseo
• Balinea
• Guerlain Spa
• Caliceo (Duval groupe)
• Nuxe