RESEARCH
This ISPA survey captures an industry in the middle of an enormous transition as they reacted to daily changes in the public health landscape
A ISPA’s COVID-19 response survey offers insights into the spa world’s in-the-moment reaction to coronavirus. Josh Corman explains the significance of the data
46 spabusiness.com issue 2 2020
longside the rest of the world, the spa industry has spent much of the last several weeks responding to the rapid changes caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Attempts to mitigate the virus’s impact on public health through social distancing and other measures have forced a vast number of spas to close. As these rapid developments occurred, the International Spa Association (ISPA) surveyed stakeholders from across the industry – including owners and managers, vendors, consultants and educational institutions – to better understand the pandemic’s impact on the businesses within it. Specifically, ISPA sought feedback about the ways in which coronavirus (and COVID-19, the disease it causes) affected policies and practices, communications, revenues and more for spas and their resource partners. More than 500 spa industry professionals responded to the two-part
survey, which was conducted from 13-23 March. The majority of respondents (80 per cent) were based in the US. Though the situation facing the industry has evolved a great deal even since the survey was conducted, its timing offers insights into the spa world’s in-the-moment coronavirus response. “This ISPA survey captures an industry in the middle of an enormous transition as they reacted to daily changes in the public health landscape,” says Crystal Ducker, ISPA’s vice president of research and communications.
Operational changes By the dates on which they responded, 99 per cent of spas reported an increase in their cleaning and sanitation efforts, and 82 per cent had implemented other policies or procedures specifically related to COVID-19. Largely, these new policies reflected the early guidance provided by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control. For example, just over half of spas visibly promoted hand washing within the spa, nearly 70 per cent