By Sunil Sharma

Chandigarh, June 26 (ANI): Punjabis are known for living their lives to the fullest. They don’t allow money to come in their way of enjoying life. And, this Punjabi trait has been tapped by the luxury spa industry.

One expected that recession would make the Punjabi reluctant to spend money. But it is the other way round. As recession creates new tensions, Spa therapy is the natural choice them to de-stress. Spa Pavonia, a hi-end spa, offers ultra luxury beauty treatment and relaxation to residents of Chandigarh. One of its customers Annesha Luthra chose Spa treatment to relax her body. Annesha wanted to look beautiful, using aids provided at the salon. She has been advised to go in for a ‘Cloud 9′ treatment, which is a treatment of oil massage that is followed by dry floatation in which water jets are used to give a feeling that one is floating on water. “I think health has become such a big issue for people and the recession being there, you do experience a lot of stress, so we do have clients coming here because they are stressed out. They want relaxation. I have not seen any slide in the number of our clients. Those who are stressed out are looking forward to coming into a spa to get that relaxed feeling,” said Kamal Baath Centre Head, Spa Pavonia, Chandigarh. Massages and other services start at 20 dollars and go up to 100 dollars for 60 to 90 minute duration. The high profile spas register clients as members by charging annual fees of 800 to 1,500 dollars. Therapies include facials, massages, body scrubs and wraps. “I think it’s an upcoming trend and it’s a facility, which you can get in urban areas. It helps you destress from your routine,” said Karan Sharma, a Spa Enthusiast. “People don’t mind spending on such good facilities. People prefer to go to places where they can get good facilities and they do not bother about the cost. We want the atmosphere very good and peaceful,” said Mahinder Kaur, a Spa enthusiast. Now a visit to the spa to de-stress seems to have become a necessity for many rather than an indulgence.Spa outlets and standalone saloons have had no impact due to inflation. In fact, business has continued to grow more than two-fold and people spend an average of 80 USD per person. (ANI)