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A much-needed guide by ISPA gives essential advice on business planning, standard operating
procedures, marketing and communications to support spas through the coronavirus crisis
In response to the recent announcements of several US states reopening sectors of their economies, the International Spa Association (ISPA) has compiled a Spa Reopening Toolkit with insights and expertise from global spa leaders, governing bodies, medical professionals and resource partners. ISPA wants to ensure that our industry reopens in a thoughtful manner with consideration of all established and evolving standard operating procedures. Spas have always followed healthy guidelines and have been a safe environment for employees and consumers. Now with COVID-19 being a source of global unrest, the spa industry is ideally equipped to bring healing and much needed stress relief to those whose health and mental wellbeing have suffered from this pandemic.
“We’re proud that nearly 100 volunteer spa leaders and organisations have graciously shared their time and expertise to develop these new resources and they’re to be commended,” says ISPA chair, Garrett Mersberger. “Volunteers are the heart of ISPA and we’re grateful for their commitment to our amazing industry.”
ISPA’s newly-released Consumer Snapshot study, conducted with PricewaterhouseCoopers to monitor consumer insights during this time, shows that once businesses reopen, 28 per cent of spa-goers noted they aren’t nervous at all to visit a spa, while 47 per cent are a little nervous and only 25 per cent are very nervous. We’re here to help spa professionals remove all apprehensions and get back to operating in a manner that leaves guests and employees worry-free.
The spa industry remains committed to closely following the reopening guidelines established by various governing bodies across the globe and to working cohesively to reintroduce spa back to the consumer in the safest manner possible. As this is a commitment shared by all in our industry, the resources shared from ISPA have been received with overwhelming gratitude and positivity. ISPA’s toolkit was downloaded 46,000 times in the first week and has even been used by professionals in completely different industries, which proves even further how valuable and in-demand these resources are across the globe. The ISPA toolkit includes a Spa Reopening Checklist complete with communications templates and preparation guidelines, a comprehensive Sanitation & Hygiene Guidelines document and practical signage templates to display in your place of business.
ISPA will continue to monitor industry and legislative developments surrounding the COVID-19 impact and develop additional resources as updates are rolled out in the coming weeks and months. The spa community is resilient and filled with passionate professionals which will help us remain #ISPAStrong through it all.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 2
Editor’s letter: Our greatest challenge
Spa and wellness businesses will reopen while COVID-19 is still circulating in the community, meaning we have to find models which work in this new reality, says Katie Barnes. So how will this change the industry?
On the menu: Pivot to digital
Which forward-thinking spas are taking their offerings online during the coronavirus pandemic?
Interview: Mary Celeste Beall
The celebrated Blackberry Farm has opened a sister property in the mountains of Tennessee. The owner tells Spa Business why wellness through nature underpins the new destination
Everyone’s talking about: COVID-19
Spa operators, wellness companies and organisations from around the world talk to Spa Business about the impact of coronavirus and what to expect down the line
Promotion: Simone Gibertoni: Clinique La Prairie
World-renowned medical spa, Clinique La Prairie, is creating a global network of
locations to support clients with their wellbeing, every day of the year, says its CEO
Research: First responders
ISPA’s COVID-19 survey offers insights into how the industry has responded to the global pandemic. Spa Business magazine examines the findings
Hotel spa: Country life: The Newt
Karen Roos, owner of the world-renowned hotel The Newt, on design, gardens and a spa housed in an old cow barn
Insights: Calls to action
Industry leaders around the world come together in a crisis to share ideas and innovations in a series of GWS Collaboration calls. Spa Business magazine reports on the highlights
Insights: Webinar wisdom
Spa Business shares its industry-relevant takeaways from the masses of webinars that are being streamed worldwide
Research: Measure for measure
Intelligent Spas reveals its latest global spa benchmarks and explores what they mean in today’s ever-changing climate
Focus on: Extreme wellness
Spa Business tries out two boundary-pushing, cold immersion retreats led by ‘The Iceman’ Wim Hof and Dr Marc Cohen
Promotion: Barr and Wray: Creating
a seamless journey
With 60 years of experience, Barr and Wray has long been known for excellence in technical design for wellness. Design director Graeme Banks explains the company also offers interior design services
Interview: Juliu Horvath
The founder of Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis tells Spa Business why he’ll never stop adapting his famous movement modality
Promotion: ISPA publishes Reopening Toolkit
A much-needed guide by ISPA gives essential advice on business planning, standard operating procedures, marketing and communications to support spas through the coronavirus crisis
A much-needed guide by ISPA gives essential advice on business planning, standard operating
procedures, marketing and communications to support spas through the coronavirus crisis
In response to the recent announcements of several US states reopening sectors of their economies, the International Spa Association (ISPA) has compiled a Spa Reopening Toolkit with insights and expertise from global spa leaders, governing bodies, medical professionals and resource partners. ISPA wants to ensure that our industry reopens in a thoughtful manner with consideration of all established and evolving standard operating procedures. Spas have always followed healthy guidelines and have been a safe environment for employees and consumers. Now with COVID-19 being a source of global unrest, the spa industry is ideally equipped to bring healing and much needed stress relief to those whose health and mental wellbeing have suffered from this pandemic.
“We’re proud that nearly 100 volunteer spa leaders and organisations have graciously shared their time and expertise to develop these new resources and they’re to be commended,” says ISPA chair, Garrett Mersberger. “Volunteers are the heart of ISPA and we’re grateful for their commitment to our amazing industry.”
ISPA’s newly-released Consumer Snapshot study, conducted with PricewaterhouseCoopers to monitor consumer insights during this time, shows that once businesses reopen, 28 per cent of spa-goers noted they aren’t nervous at all to visit a spa, while 47 per cent are a little nervous and only 25 per cent are very nervous. We’re here to help spa professionals remove all apprehensions and get back to operating in a manner that leaves guests and employees worry-free.
The spa industry remains committed to closely following the reopening guidelines established by various governing bodies across the globe and to working cohesively to reintroduce spa back to the consumer in the safest manner possible. As this is a commitment shared by all in our industry, the resources shared from ISPA have been received with overwhelming gratitude and positivity. ISPA’s toolkit was downloaded 46,000 times in the first week and has even been used by professionals in completely different industries, which proves even further how valuable and in-demand these resources are across the globe. The ISPA toolkit includes a Spa Reopening Checklist complete with communications templates and preparation guidelines, a comprehensive Sanitation & Hygiene Guidelines document and practical signage templates to display in your place of business.
ISPA will continue to monitor industry and legislative developments surrounding the COVID-19 impact and develop additional resources as updates are rolled out in the coming weeks and months. The spa community is resilient and filled with passionate professionals which will help us remain #ISPAStrong through it all.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 2
Editor’s letter: Our greatest challenge
Spa and wellness businesses will reopen while COVID-19 is still circulating in the community, meaning we have to find models which work in this new reality, says Katie Barnes. So how will this change the industry?
On the menu: Pivot to digital
Which forward-thinking spas are taking their offerings online during the coronavirus pandemic?
Interview: Mary Celeste Beall
The celebrated Blackberry Farm has opened a sister property in the mountains of Tennessee. The owner tells Spa Business why wellness through nature underpins the new destination
Everyone’s talking about: COVID-19
Spa operators, wellness companies and organisations from around the world talk to Spa Business about the impact of coronavirus and what to expect down the line
Promotion: Simone Gibertoni: Clinique La Prairie
World-renowned medical spa, Clinique La Prairie, is creating a global network of
locations to support clients with their wellbeing, every day of the year, says its CEO
Research: First responders
ISPA’s COVID-19 survey offers insights into how the industry has responded to the global pandemic. Spa Business magazine examines the findings
Hotel spa: Country life: The Newt
Karen Roos, owner of the world-renowned hotel The Newt, on design, gardens and a spa housed in an old cow barn
Insights: Calls to action
Industry leaders around the world come together in a crisis to share ideas and innovations in a series of GWS Collaboration calls. Spa Business magazine reports on the highlights
Insights: Webinar wisdom
Spa Business shares its industry-relevant takeaways from the masses of webinars that are being streamed worldwide
Research: Measure for measure
Intelligent Spas reveals its latest global spa benchmarks and explores what they mean in today’s ever-changing climate
Focus on: Extreme wellness
Spa Business tries out two boundary-pushing, cold immersion retreats led by ‘The Iceman’ Wim Hof and Dr Marc Cohen
Promotion: Barr and Wray: Creating
a seamless journey
With 60 years of experience, Barr and Wray has long been known for excellence in technical design for wellness. Design director Graeme Banks explains the company also offers interior design services
Interview: Juliu Horvath
The founder of Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis tells Spa Business why he’ll never stop adapting his famous movement modality
Promotion: ISPA publishes Reopening Toolkit
A much-needed guide by ISPA gives essential advice on business planning, standard operating procedures, marketing and communications to support spas through the coronavirus crisis
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound
may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new
research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
