Tourism agency VisitBritain is embarking on a pilot programme to identify and compare authentic spas as part of it recently launched UK spa accreditation scheme.

Between now and September, anonymous evaluators will visit around 25 spas across eight categories – hotel spa, natural spa, day spa, sport & fitness spa, resort spa, medi-spa, salon spa and destination spa – to refine the criteria developed by VisitBritain in association with the British International Spa Association and the Spa Business Association.

Accreditation is based on an overall consumer feel-good factor and aims to distinguish the discrepancy between facilities provided at a dedicated spa and those offered at leisure centres and hotels with basic or ad-hoc spa features.

The compiled results will culminate in a final accreditation scheme which will be presented at the Professional Spa show at London’s ExCel in March 2007. Details: www.spaassociation.org.uk