COVID-19
ISPA’s Snapshot Surveys traditionally provide quarterly examinations of spa and resource
partner performance, and this edition continues that custom. However, as the global
coronavirus crisis continues to profoundly affect the spa industry, the need for detailed insight
into how it will continue to respond remains substantial. As a result, this survey sought that
additional context and attempts to offer as clear a picture as possible of how the industry is
navigating the path toward reopening as restrictions are lifted in their areas.
Of course, understanding the way forward begins with recognizing the scope of the
pandemic’s impact on the spa industry. Virtually all spas reported being closed at the time of
their response, with more than two-thirds (67%) having no published reopen date. Significant
percentages of spas have furloughed (60%) or laid off (38%) employees during the crisis, while
nearly a quarter (23%) have implemented salary reductions.
In spite of those figures, however, the industry is already turning its attention toward reopening
efforts. In anticipation of guest concerns, many spas are planning to make personal protective
equipment, such as disposable gloves (38%) and face masks (44%) available to both guests and
staff, with at least a third of all spas still working toward decisions on such measures.
In addition, significant percentages of spas plan to implement other precautions—including
visibly posting their hygiene and sanitation efforts (84%), placing restrictions on communal
spaces (79%) and offering touchless payment options (51%)—as they prepare to welcome
guests once more.
Naturally, spa closures affected quarterly performance figures for spas and resource partners
alike, though the pandemic’s impact has not been particularly consistent on that front, possibly
due to the wide variation in closure dates and restrictions in different regions. 23 percent of
spas, for example, reported a revenue increase of 10 to 19 percent compared to the first
quarter of 2019, while 15 percent reported a revenue decrease in the same range.
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