UK named 6th largest spa market, with 3,671 spas
The wellness market in the UK is flourishing, boasting the sixth-largest spa market and ranked number four globally for personal care and beauty, according to a new global report.
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI)'s new Geography of Wellness report showcases each country’s wellness assets and the data specific to eleven sectors of the “Global Wellness Economy.”
How many spas are there in the UK?
As of 2020, the report found that the UK was home to 3,671 spas, with the spa industry being valued at $2.1bn (£1.7bn), while personal care and beauty was valued at $37bn (£30.1bn).
GWI defined spas as establishments that promote wellness through the provision of therapeutic and other professional services aimed at renewing the body, mind, and spirit.
Meanwhile, personal care and beauty includes consumer expenditures on beauty and salon services (excluding spas); skin, hair, and nail care services and products; cosmetics, toiletries, skincare and services that specifically address age-related health and appearance issues.
The number of spas in the UK rose from 3,547 in 2017 to 3,780 in 2019. GWI said that the significant increase in the number of spas and spa revenues in 2019 is not entirely due to new builds, but also due to a dramatic increase in the number of hotel/resorts listing themselves and their spa facilities/services on global online booking sites, especially in emerging market countries.
More than 100 hotel/resort spas opened in between 2017 and 2019. GWI explained that the number of hotel/resort spas stays the same from 2019-2020 because there is currently no basis for determining whether there were any permanent closures in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health including both mental and physical health.
The wellness economy encompasses industries that enable consumers to incorporate wellness activities and lifestyles into their daily lives. GWI estimates that the global wellness economy grew from $4.3 trillion (£3.5 trillion) in 2017 to $4.9 trillion(£3.9 trillion) in 2019, or by 6.6% annually, a growth rate significantly higher than global economic growth (4.0%). In 2020, the wellness economy fell by 11.0%, to $4.4 trillion (£3.6 trillion) while global GDP declined by 2.8%.
Overall the UK’s global wellness economy ranked fifth out of 218 countries worldwide and second out of 55 countries in Europe. Additionally, the UK ranked in the top five in six of the eleven wellness sectors out of 218 countries globally.
Other sectors in which the UK ranked highly include physical activity and healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss also both ranking at number five for both in the world.
The research was supported financially by Therme Group which is currently building the UK’s third thermal spa in Manchester. Currently, the UK ranks 48th in the world for Thermal Baths/Mineral Springs but Therme Group is hoping to be part of "a growing movement" to revive the grand tradition of thermal bathing in the UK – a history that includes Roman-era thermae and Victorian bathhouses.