The definition of wellness
Following on from last weeks post about how spas can be fundamental in contributing to the £1.5trillion Wellness Industry over the next decade I wanted to delve into the definition of wellness.
We already know that it means different things to different people but I’m on a mission to understand what this growing market could actually mean to the spa industry and how our businesses can benefit from it. From my research, I have found it so interesting to learn about what others find important to their physical, mental or social wellbeing and I took all of this on board when determining what I think wellness means.
Listening to your clientele
Once I took into account the fact that we are in the hospitality sector and are here to offer a service to our clients I realised that wellness is actually whatever your clients deem it to be and if you don’t know what that is then this is where we need to start to ask the right questions of our desired demographic. It’s only from knowing that answer can you then really serve your clients and gain that loyal following. We know that if you actively listen to your clientele, they will feel appreciated and important. Plus, communication will be clearer for everyone as you have listened to what they truly value your service for.
The realisation that wellness can also act as a way to unite people is no surprise and we only have to look at the way we have flocked together to exercise either online or outdoors during Covid-19 as testament to this.
I recently read about Mark Hutchison who is the co-founder of Earth+Sky which is an online turnkey solution for spa operators to deliver bespoke wellbeing classes to their visitors. Mark said: “Earth+Sky was built out of a passion for delivering outstanding customer experiences, and to help hotels and spas elevate their wellbeing offering” and this really resonated with me.
A gap in the market for the spa industry
We have seen the steady growth of virtual fitness classes recently, but Miller and his team recognised that the quality of available classes was yet to meet the expectations of visitors to luxury spas, high-end hotels and top-tier leisure clubs. By filling a gap in a favourable portion of the market whilst simultaneously helping spas strengthen their offering and assisting clients with finding a harmonious balance between working out, self-care and mental wellbeing this approach might just be the offering spa owners need to look at when considering their own USP’s.
As my work as a Spa Consultant continues to grow, I am going to be putting wellness at the forefront of my plans. I’m looking forward to spending time delving into the spas desired demographic of clientele and researching what these people mean when they talk about wellness. I’ll then incorporate this into my builds, taking careful consideration to ensure that the business is designed with longevity in mind whilst fulfilling a need to our clients and operating in a way that balances the notion of wellness across work and life, for the staff, the owner and our clients.
Next week . . . I’ll be discussing inclusiveness within spas to ensure those with disabilities have access to the same level of wellness as those without.