SNAPSHOT SURVEY
BY JOSH CORMAN
PANDEMIC POLICIES
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EARLIER THIS YEAR , as COVID-19 vaccinations became more readily available in many countries and governmental restrictions limiting occupancy in spas were lifted , the face mask policies and other pandemic-related safeguards that most spas had adopted began to recede . However , when vaccination rates slowed ( particularly in the U . S .) and the Delta variant caused cases to rise again in many areas , spa leaders were forced to decide which , if any , of those safeguards to reinstate . At the same time , vaccine mandates issued by a number of large corporations and government bodies once again raised the question of how — or if — spa industry businesses might encourage more employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination .
It was against that backdrop that the August ISPA Snapshot Survey , which asked industry leaders to share data concerning their businesses ’ response to the developments noted above — was conducted .
Which of the following best describes your spa ’ s COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees ?
9 % 4 %
19 %
Require employees to be vaccinated or provide a qualified exemption
7 % 6 % 5 %
Plan to require employees be vaccinated or provide a qualified exemption in the future
71 %
68 % 62 %
Do not have an employee vaccination policy
ALL SPAS RESORT / HOTEL SPAS DAY SPAS
16 % 19 % 14 %
Other
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Has your spa ’ s mask policy become more stringent within the past 45 days ?
53 %
47 %
All Spas
58 %
42 %
Resort / Hotel Spas
YES NO
48 %
52 %
Day Spas
ALTHOUGH MOST SPAS STILL REQUIRE employees to wear masks in at least some parts of their spas , those requirements are less common for guests . Nearly two-thirds ( 65 percent ) of spa respondents said that employees must wear masks in all areas of the spa regardless of vaccination status , while 18 percent said that employees were required to wear masks in certain areas of the spa only . Just 13 percent of spas reported having no mask requirement of any kind for employees .
One quarter of spas said that guests are required to mask up in all areas of the spa , and about the same number ( 23 percent ) had guest mask requirements in place only in certain areas of the spa . About 4 in ten spas ( 39 percent ) allowed vaccinated guests to go maskless , and the remaining 25 percent did not require guests to wear masks at all . About half of all spas ( 53 percent ) indicated that their mask policies had become more stringent within the past 45 days , suggesting that many spa leaders acted in response to rising COVID-19 case numbers . It should be noted , however , that some spas never relaxed their mask policies in the first place .
Other pandemic-related safeguards are in place at fewer than half of all spas in most cases . Health / symptom waivers ( 47 percent ), contactless check-in or payment options ( 47 percent ) and the removal of communal items / amenities ( 46 percent ) remain the measure most commonly taken .
58 PULSE � OCTOBER 2021