The UK Spa industry today received a boost to its image and development as new research commissioned by VisitBritain, and supported by the Spa Business Association and the British International Spa Association showed that consumers would welcome a Quality Standards accreditation scheme.

The qualitative research is the first of its kind in this area and will be used by VisitBritain`s Quality department in developing an accreditation scheme based on this consumer feedback in the future. Conducted by TNS Travel & Tourism, the survey was commissioned with the aim to assess consumers` needs, understanding, awareness and experience of spas in the UK.

The study showed respondents` main motivations for visiting spas was primarily to relax and unwind from work and everyday life pressures. Other important reasons cited were health and physical well-being and to have quality time or for a treat or special occasion. Word of mouth recommendations from friends and relatives were shown to be the preferred information source for the spa goers surveyed, with formal or published information sources highlighted as secondary reference after the spa had been recommended.

The majority of respondents involved in the research were of the opinion that the introduction of a quality standards scheme would be beneficial and in particular thought it would provide an indicator of how spas compared against each other as well as helping to identify genuine spas. When asked about the most important aspects to assess in such a scheme, those surveyed highlighted standards of cleanliness, helpfulness of staff and noise/tranquillity levels as most important. Other factors included range of qualifications and experience, health and safety and range of treatments available.

Overall, the majority of respondents surveyed favoured an accreditation scheme whereby spas would need to fulfil a basic set of standards in order to call themselves an accredited spa as opposed to a ratings system based on 1-5 stars. This was based on the respondents` opinions that a star-rating scheme would be related to spa size, with smaller spas or lower rated spas being perceived as lesser quality, which may be misleading. The accreditation scheme was favoured as it was felt it would provide reassurance that all spas in the scheme had met a basic set of standards. In addition to this, the majority of those surveyed were of the opinion that awards for excellence in certain areas, over and above the basic accreditation, would add value to the scheme.

Following feedback from this initial research, VisitBritain`s Quality department plan to draw up a draft Spa Accreditation scheme, based on consumer demand, consulting with the industry throughout the process. Providing there is sufficient support, VisitBritain aim to launch a pilot scheme in 2006 with a view to launching full accreditation in 2007.