You might imagine that the crash in global economies would mean spa treatments were not so much of a priority for lots of people. You might be under the impression that because everyone is watching what they spend very closely, there would be no room for loose spending on sheer luxuries. You might be surprised to learn then that the International Spa Assosication (ISPA) has suggested recently that health spa are recession proof. This was backed up by the staggering statistic that as a whole, health spa visits increased by 18% last year on the previous year figures. But how can this be?

Experts who work for the ISPA have suggested that it is because spas can adapt their offerings relatively quickly in relation to the market that they will survive. This basically means that when people are happy and have a lot of disposable income, spas can offer treatments and packages marketed as things people can reward themselves with. They offer luxury manicures and pampering body wraps, selling the concept of ‘why not? You deserve it’.They cannot of course survive on this principle during a downturn however. People would not buy into the idea of treating themselves or spending money of luxuries they do not need. Very cleverly, spas take action and alter their angle of attack.

If people are going though a period of uncertainly or worry then a health spa can claim to offer the solution. A massage or invigorating body treatment is usually the first thing they market, aimed at revitalising the body and repairing the muscles that have endured so much suffering recently. Instead of pampering facials, you can now get a invigorating exfoliating scrub to get rid of all that old bad skin and emerge a brand new butterfly with a fresh outlook on life and a positive attitude towards any problems you may be facing

We are not the type of family that go abroad every year, it just works out way to much. We are a regular working class family, who can just about afford to pay the bills, eat and drink. Our yearly holiday usually just consist of visiting a caravan park and spending a bit of time together.

My story began when we agreed to enter a family holiday exchange show, where we had to take a random family on holiday with us and then they took us on holiday. When we initially applied we never ever dreamt of being picked, but then we suddenly received a phone call and were so happy.

When we initially met the family seemed very nice, although they has much more money then us I knew we could all get along. First things first were when they came on holiday with us, we took them to the caravan park. After a few days I could really see that they were unhappy, they were not used to living rough, but I respect them for putting up with it.

As time got closer and closer I started to get anxious and happy because I knew that the family were going to take us on holiday abroad, something that I had never done before. When they announced we were off to some Thailand spa holidays I was jumping with joy. When we arrived it was like heaven on Earth. The next week was truly amazing.

Since returning back I now go out of my way to make sure that I visit spa hotels every single year, sometimes even twice a year.

Health spas all over the country are being forced to introduce compulsory disclaimers to protect themselves against the dramatic increase in personal injury claims against them. The National Spa Authority reported a staggering 36% increase in the number of claims in the first 6 months of 2009. The situation has led to an increased depth in the spa treatment screening process of clientele and more legal protective procedures to be put in place.

The rise in the number of people claiming is considered by many to be caused by the recent incident of a young lady suing for damages after a massage supposedly went wrong.She had suffered from recurring back problems in the past but assured the therapist that they no longer caused her any discomfort.Even so, she still decided to sue the spa when the her massage left her with supposed mobility problems and she was awarded a 5 figure pay out.

This win has seemed to have encouraged more people to see if they can get a slice of the pie. Whilst the majority have been massage related, spas have also seen a rise in claims related to skin damage, emotional trauma and even sexual harassment. It is thought that a large majority of the claims are false and are made by people looking to make some quick compensation money. A number of insurance companies have announced that they will take strong legal action against false claims, but this is still a worrying time for any health spa.

Spas are being urged both by insurance companies and spa governing bodies to not only cover themselves with thorough screening forms and disclaimers, but also make sure their standards are the highest possible. They are advised to source any skin care products from reputable companies, service and check over their equipment as often as possible, and maintain regular high quality treatment training for their therapists