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Mar 17 2008
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Spa holidays 'making a comeback' |
Taking 'health and wellbeing' trips, which include visits to spas and other such centres, is making a comeback, according to a travel industry body.
People on villa holidays in Rome are among the best placed to enjoy spas and health complexes as the city has a historical link with luxurious baths.
The remnants of thousands of baths were unearthed in Rome, with the grandest being Thermae of Diocletion, which stretched for over 1.4 million feet.
While today's offerings are not quite so substantial, they are becoming popular with people looking for both physical and mental relaxation, according to the International Tourism Trade Fairs Association (ITTFA).
The association claimed that the combination of a spa visit with a holiday has become increasingly popular recently, giving holiday companies and tour operators a wider choice of options to offer.
A statement from the ITTFA said: "An increasing interest in more alternative lifestyles and therapies, fitness, weight-loss treatments, detox diets, mineral and thermal skin treatments and massage and yoga are seen as an antidote to the stress and strain of modern life.
It added: "This wave of well being and health is part of a more generic move towards more varied holidays and a desire to seek out new experiences, which are in general more active and focused than a traditional beach holiday."
A report from research firm Mintel claimed that £135 million was spent on health and wellness holidays in the UK in 2006 and this is estimated to double by 2011.
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