As I strolled through the mall recently, I noticed a “spa kiosk”. In addition to the little cart filled with spa products, candles, and aromatherapy oils, a practitioner was offering a wide variety of massage and reflexology treatments. I have to admit that I was tempted, but I asked myself… “Is the mall really the atmosphere for a massage?” Probably not. This is just one example of how the spa industry has exploded in recent years.

Ten years ago the term "day spa" didn’t exist. Resort spas in America could not be compared to Europe’s medically oriented health resorts. French thalassotherapy didn’t translate across the Atlantic. Taking a kur sounded clinical. Times have changed. Sophisticated consumers are demanding more from the spa industry. Day spas and resort spas have leaped on to the scene with destination spas, making massages and facials main-stream and very accessible to the consumer. Although this is a great benefit, spa expansion has also brought confusion.

When a group of 25 Destination Spa owners got together in 1997 to discuss the state of the industry, it became clear that they all shared the same basic philosophies. Despite the fact that their properties and management styled differed, they agreed that a health renewing experience should be the sole purpose of a spa vacation.

Welcome to the Destination Spa Group®. Each member of DSG has its own personality and charm, some are large and luxurious, others intimate and rustic. Some focus on hiking, others on pampering. They offer choices from structured schedules to free-form approaches. And all are located in the most beautiful places on earth-mountains, deserts, by lakes and oceans.

The origins of destination spas reaches way back to the first person who discovered the healing joys of hot springs and clean mountain air. Amid the stress and distractions of today’s world, we hold the keys to ancient traditions packaged with modern technology and medical knowledge to enhance contemporary living. The goal of the Destination Spa Group® is to help guests open doors to many possibilities for renewal and well-being.

A Destination Spa Vacation is intended to set guests on a healthier path for life. DSG members serve healthy spa cuisine, provide education on lifestyle improvement, offer fitness activities that build self-esteem and motivate take-home habits, and feature bodywork and pampering therapies that complement wellness programs.

Destination Spa Group® members share ideas and collaborate on many topics. As part of the group’s marketing efforts, DSG produces an annual travel guide, Destination Spa Vacations, a user-friendly website, www.destinationspas.com, and a toll-free referral line 888-772-4363.

Educating travel professionals and consumers, DSG is dedicated to defining the destination spa experience.