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Spa Business Association has been working with Visit Britain, (the tourist authority for Great Britain) to develop clear definitions of the various categories of spas currently in the market in order to provide better information for consumers.
The following definition has been agreed by both SpaBA and VisitBritain;
“A Spa offers professionally supervised treatments, some of which are water-based, to enhance health, well-being and relaxation.” Spa Business Association & VisitBritain 2004.
A number of different types of venues may currently meet much of this criteria and may be considered to be 'spas' including;
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Hotel Spa |
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A spa within the boundaries of a property where the primary business is a hotel. |
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Natural Spa |
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A spa offering a naturally-occurring on-site source of mineral, thermal or sea water, or peat and mud and other natural materials utilised for treatments. |
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Day Spa |
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A stand-alone spa, which could be part of another business (eg store or salon) offering individual treatments or packages where the client may spend at least half a day. |
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Sport & Fitness Spa |
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A spa within a facility whose primary purpose is Health & Fitness. |
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Destination or Resort Spa |
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A spa whose sole purpose is to provide guests with lifestyle improvement and health enhancement through professionally administered spa services, physical fitness, education, nutritional advice on a residential basis. |
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Medi-Spa |
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A spa where medically prescribed treatments are administered by qualified medical staff. |
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Salon |
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A facility, normally within an urban environment, offering individual pampering and beauty treatments. |
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Quality Standard Scheme for Spas
SpaBA has recently launched a national Accreditation Scheme for Spas in the UK & Ireland in partnership with Visit Britain. The aim of this scheme is to provide better information for consumers so they can make informed choices about the venues they wish to visit. Any spa wishing to apply for accreditation under this scheme must first conform to the above definition of a spa drawn up by these parties.
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