This unprecedented statistical report contains over 1,850 spa industry benchmarks relating to revenue, expenses, visits and employment, with many topics showing historical data available from 2005 to 2008, plus forecast data for 2009 and 2010. The benchmarks are comparable across the entire spa industry due to the consistent methodology implemented and the some of statistics and benchmark ratios featured in the report include:
- Treatment Room Occupancy
- Average Treatment Rate
- Average Revenue per Visit
- Revenue per Available Minute
- Therapist Productivity Rate
- Repeat Visitation Rate
- Capture Rate of Hotel Guests
- Breakdown of Total Revenue including retail revenue
- Breakdown of Total Expenses
- Visitor Profiles by Gender, Age and Residence

The comprehensive report also presents a collection of other spa industry intelligence including:
- Spa business models describing ownership, business structure, management structures.
- Spa infrastructure covering spa size, space breakdown, treatment rooms and stations, standard support facilities versus water-based support facilities.
- Spa menus such as variety of hydrotherapy and water-based treatments offered and the range of treatments practiced.
- Spa industry trends relating to clients and products.

Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on the Spa Industry

The research confirmed the spa industry is not immune to the affects of the global financial crisis, with operators receiving 13% less visits in 2008 compared to their original forecasts, although revenue achieved was 8.5% higher than expected. Predictions for 2009 revenue and employment have been revised down by 9.4% and 15% respectively, however the outlook for 2010 is more positive with all major regions predicting increases in average revenue and visits per spa.

Source: Intelligent Spas, Global Spa Benchmark Program, May 2009 Other findings from the global survey included :

- The average spa treatment rate achieved by spas globally in 2008 was USD90. Europe achieved the highest rate of USD111 and Asia-Pacific received the lowest average rate of USD77.
- The average size of a spa facility was 788 metres (8,487 square feet) and spas contained nine treatment rooms on average.
- Employees per spa averaged 22.9, with the Americas averaging the most (33.8) and Europe the fewest (13.6).
- 50% of total spa revenue was spent on salaries, bonuses and employee benefits, 9% on operations/maintenance, 4% on marketing and management and 2% on training.
- Across the globe, the day spa guest has become a critical target market for hotel and resort spas with 38% of total spa visits at hotel spas coming from local residents and other tourists not staying at that hotel. In Europe and the Middle East/Africa, just 53% percent of hotel spa visits were from in-house guests.
- The region with the largest percentage of outsourced spas (using a management company) was the Americas at 32%, almost three times higher than the other three regions.
- All regions are expecting decreases in average annual revenue per spa during 2009, however the outlook for 2010 is brighter with all regions expecting growth between 8% and 32%.