ISPA’s Research Extends to United Kingdom, Canada and Australia

The latest edition in the International SPA Association (ISPA) Foundation’s Consumer Snapshot Initiative has taken on a global reach for the first time. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was commissioned to conduct Volume VI of the popular survey which provides important consumer insight into the spa industry. The initiative extends beyond the United States and also captures the views of consumers in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

“This research aims to shine a light on spa usage trends and perceptions of the spa industry around the world. The level of interest in the results has been remarkable and builds on the continued success of the previous five volumes. As the first international edition of the series, this volume has been greatly anticipated,” said ISPA President Lynne McNees.

The report looks beyond US borders and highlights what motivates people to visit or, just as importantly, not to visit a spa, as well as gauging wider opinions on the spa industry as a whole. 

“This research comes at such a fitting time as ISPA celebrates our 25th anniversary.  A big thank you to our spa and resource partner members for their service to our industry,” said Michael Tompkins, ISPA Chairman. “The quality research ISPA delivers is one of the many ways we serve our members and support the spa industry. ISPA has been the authoritative voice of the spa industry from the beginning and will continue in that rich tradition.  We haven’t changed our focus in strengthening our industry – spa has always been our priority.”
 
Some of the most interesting findings from the study include:

• Australia has the lowest percentage of spa-goers within its population as compared to the other countries, but it does boast the highest proportion of male spa-goers among its spa-going population.
• The majority of spa-goers visit the spa between one and four times per year.
• British spa-goers place more importance on the social angle of a spa visit, with almost one in five (19%) using their most recent trip to “join a friend or relative at the spa”.
• When it comes to the most popular treatments, there are only subtle differences across the four countries surveyed. Massage is overwhelmingly the top treatment across the board, with almost three quarters of spa-goers (72%) experiencing one within the last year.

This survey achieved a total of 4,028 responses from a sample of consumers in Australia, Canada, the United States and United Kingdom. The sample was selected based on the most up to date census data to make it representative of the age, income and regional distributions of the population as a whole.

More information on the ISPA Foundation and ISPA’s research can be found at experienceISPA.com.

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Note to the Editor:
ISPA President Lynne McNees is available for interviews; please contact Allie Hembree, [email protected] to schedule.

About the International SPA Association:
ISPA is recognized worldwide as the leading professional organization and voice of the spa industry. Founded in 1991, ISPA advances the spa industry by providing invaluable educational and networking opportunities, promoting the value of the spa experience and speaking as the authoritative voice to foster professionalism and growth. More details on ISPA are available on experienceispa.com.