from ISPA ’ s latest research , the 2021 U . S . Spa Industry Study , shows that the spa industry also seems to have benefited from this phenomenon , with a surge in demand creating a ‘ V-shaped recovery ’ in the industry ’ s key metrics .
Industry revenues have undergone a resurgence to $ 18.1 billion , a 49 percent rebound from the 2020 figure , bringing the industry ’ s long soughtafter record of $ 20 billion back into view . Spa visits rebounded by 40 percent to 173 million , but that ’ s still almost 20 million visits short of 2019 ’ s record high . So where have the other 20 million visits gone ? The latest consumer data suggests that this is partly down to supply challenges — people
ment — but also a group of people who feel they need a little more time before they venture back to the spa post-pandemic . Bringing these two metrics together sees a sharp jump in revenue per visit which , at $ 104.50 , now sits an all-time high for the industry . Put simply , in 2021 , those who were visiting spas were spending more .
We know the pandemic also had an impact on the total number of spa locations and the people who work in them . Despite the difficult environment , openings and closures appear to have remained steady in the last year after the hardship of 2020 , meaning that the number of spas in the U . S . remains in excess of 21,500 . It is finding it difficult to get an appointarguably staffing that presents the industry with its greatest challenge . The research estimates that over 345,000 people work in the U . S . spa industry , making it a significant contributor to the health of the wider economy . That said , the number of vacancies has increased yet further since the pandemic , now sitting at approximately 45,000 — almost 29,000 of which are massage therapists , a considerable rise . Vacancies have proven to be a thorny topic in the spa industry even long before the pandemic arrived , but now more than ever , finding the solutions to the challenge will be important to help spas meet the demand from their customers and fuel their own plans for growth .
“... new research among both spa leaders and consumers in the U . S . shows clear evidence of a significant bounceback in the industry ’ s key metrics .”
2022 ISPA U . S . SPA INDUSTRY STUDY
JULY 2022 n PULSE 17