ISPA Releases New Spa Industry Statistics

Consumer Report Cover

In 2011, the ISPA Foundation launched its Consumer Snapshot Initiative to better understand consumer choices and their overall perception of the spa industry. Conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the latest report, Volume VI, extended beyond the U.S., capturing the views of consumers in the Australia, Canada, and the U.K. “This research aims to shine a light on spa usage trends and perceptions of the spa industry around the world,” says Lynne McNees, president of ISPA. “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.” The report highlights what motivates consumers to visit and what compels them to not visit a spa, as well as gauging wider opinions on the spa industry as a whole. “The quality research ISPA delivers is one of the many ways we serve our members and support the spa industry,” says Michael Tompkins, chairman of ISPA. “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.” Interesting findings from the study include the following:

  • Australia has the lowest percentage of spa-goers within its population as compared to the other countries, but it 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, 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 nearly three quarters of spa-goers experiencing one within the last year.

Receiving 4,028 responses from a sample of consumers in Australia, Canada, the U.S., and U.K., the sample was selected based on the updated census data to make it representative of the age, income, and regional distributions of the population as a whole.

For more information or to review the full report, visit www.experienceISPA.com.