The International Spa Association (ISPA) has released its 2016 U.S. Spa Industry Study, which showcases the industry’s financial indicators. The ISPA Foundation commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct the study, which includes the “Big Five”—total revenue, spa visits, spa locations, revenue per visit, and number of employees for the U.S. spa industry. “Our annual spa industry study has shown revenue growth each of the past five years providing strong indicators of the continued future success of the spa industry,” says ISPA president Lynne McNees. “We are excited to share that both the number of spa locations and full-time employees in the United States increased in 2015, making a significant contribution to the overall economy.”
The annual report indicates that the industry continues to experience steady growth with an overall revenue of $16.3 billion in 2015, which marks a five percent increase from $15.5 billion in 2014. This increase in spa revenue was driven by growth in the number of spa visits, which was estimated to have increased by 2.1 percent from 176 million in 2014 to 179 million in 2015. There was also a rise in average revenue per visit, which grew by 2.9 percent increasing from $88 in 2014 to $91 in 2015. “The figures are clear; it's all time-record revenues, breaking the 16 billion dollar barrier,” says Colin McIlheney, global research director for PwC. “The next big landmark, which I think is achievable by 2020, is the iconic 20 billion dollar figure. The complete study will be released at the 2016 ISPA Conference & Expo on September 13.”