PHOTO: RAGDALE HALL
RESEARCH
by Megan Whitby, assistant editor
Attitudes towards wellness and sustainability were the most surprising
How are UK spa-goer outlooks and behaviours changing? The Good Spa Guide asks 8,000 consumers in order to find out
T
he Good Spa Guide (GSG), a publication and website which reviews and rates spas and treatments in the UK, has revealed the findings from its latest consumer survey called the State of Spa Report 2023. Based on feedback from 8,827 respondents across the country (almost 90 per cent of whom were female), the survey highlights the behaviour and opinions of spa-goers.
WHAT MATTERS MOST? So what attracts people in the UK to spas in the first place? When booking a spa, thermal rooms are deemed the most important factor (58 per cent), followed by the right treatment selection (13 per cent), relaxation 110 spabusiness.com issue 3 2023
PHOTO: GSG
VIEWPOINT
Caitlin Dalton, director, Good Spa Guide
rooms (10 per cent), outdoor spa space (10 per cent) and a pool (6 per cent). Forty-five per cent of people state they prefer to arrive at a time that suits them rather than have the spa dictate one, while 53 per cent say they’re happy for the spa to allocate it.
WELLNESS AND SUSTAINABILITY Across all age groups, the majority of consumers (47 per cent) indicated that wellness options – such as holistic treatments and mindfulness classes – aren’t a main priority when booking spa trips (see Graph 1). Only 4 per cent of respondents say they “wouldn’t book a spa unless there are wellness options”. GSG asked people how much sustainability matters to them when booking time at a spa.