spa management Workforce & education - Association québécoise ...

Spa Management Workforce & Education: Addressing Market Gaps
Executive Summary
The services delivered by spas to their customers are fundamentally about the power of human
touch and human interaction. As such, people are at the heart of a spa. People are a spa’s
greatest asset and are essential to its success, but people are also typically a spa’s greatest
expense and greatest challenge. The fundamental importance of human resources to the future
of the spa industry was underscored by the delegate survey conducted at the 2011 Global Spa &
Wellness Summit 1 in Bali, Indonesia, where delegates rated “training/education” as the #1
greatest challenge facing the spa industry today, and also rated “lack of professional human
resources” as the #1 obstacle to growth for their own businesses.
While staffing challenges occur across all levels and positions in today’s spas, these challenges
are especially important and especially prevalent at the management level. As for any other
business, talented leadership and strong management are critical to the success of a spa.
The Global Spa & Wellness Summit has commissioned this study by SRI International to
examine the many challenges faced by today’s spa industry in hiring strong, well-qualified spa
management personnel, as well as the root causes of these challenges. The study presents a
series of recommendations for industry stakeholders to pursue in order to address key market
gaps in the supply and demand for skilled spa managers/directors.
The analysis and recommendations presented here are based on extensive primary and
secondary research, conducted during December 2011-May 2012:
Three global online surveys: 1) a survey of current spa managers/directors; 2) a survey of
spa industry executives and thought leaders; and 3) a survey of spa management-related
educational programs and private training companies.
Over 45 telephone interviews, conducted with leading spa industry “thinkers” and
representatives of spa management education and training providers.
A literature review and collection of existing information related to spa management
workforce and education.
An inventory of over 100 spa management-related educational programs and training
providers worldwide. 2
1 Prior to 2012, the Summit was officially called the Global Spa Summit (GSS).
2 The educational inventory was compiled by intern, Charlett Kohwles, a student at Saxion University in the Netherlands, with
guidance from SRI.
© Global Spa & Wellness Summit LLC i