During its September conference in Phoenix, the International SPA Association (ISPA) released its full annual findings of spa industry indicators, reporting a record high in total spa industry revenue at over $17.5 billion in 2017. This marks a 4.3 percent increase from $16.8 billion at year’s end 2016.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was commissioned to conduct the study by the ISPA Foundation. The study presents what is known as the “Big Five”: total revenue, spa visits, spa locations, revenue per visit, and number of employees for the US spa industry.
“The data continues to show a healthy and robust spa industry resulting in a wealth of reputable career opportunities for those looking to find a stable work environment,” said ISPA President Lynne McNees. “This study marks eight consecutive years of revenue growth with total spa industry revenue exceeding $17.5 billion in 2017.” ISPA research specifically cited some 38,000 openings for massage therapists thanks to this growth trend.
Also setting a record high, spa locations in the US are now at 21,700, surpassing the previous high of 21,300 recorded in 2008 just before the recession. The net increase of 510 spa locations in 2017 equates to just shy of 10 new spas entering the market in the U.S. every week. The study also revealed total visits to be 187 million—the equivalent of over 511,000 people visiting US spas each day.
“What is most striking is the across the board surge in numbers,” said Colin McIlheney, Global Research Director at PwC. “All key performance metrics are on a strong upward trajectory. This is evidence of an industry enjoying a sustained period of robust growth.”
The executive summary is available at experienceispa.com/images/pdfs/ExecSummary2018.pdf. For more related information and resources, visit experienceispa.com and www.getyourdreamjob.com.
The next report will be available at the 2019 ISPA Conference & Expo at The Venetian in Las Vegas, September 11–13.