Expert advice from The UK Spa Association
Q&A with Helena Grzesk
General Manager for The UK Spa Association
- Why will spas be so important for the public after the Covid-19 lockdown?
"Take a few seconds just to remember how incredibly relaxed you felt after your last massage or visit to a spa. During the lockdown, people have been isolated from their families, friends, work colleagues from any kind of physical or social connection with anyone for weeks and weeks. We've seen people turning to technology in droves in search for wellness experiences they can explore at home and the focus on mental health and wellbeing will be even more important to us now than ever before. Spas will help people reconnect again and provide a haven where people can come to relax and learn how to be well and how to live a healthy lifestyle. Spas have the expertise to destress the physical body, rebalance emotionally and spiritually and just to recognise the need to stop and just take a breath."
- What might look different for people when they come back to spas?
"As spas begin to reopen, things might look a little different to how they have done before. Spas will open, maybe, with a phased approach, with different areas and facilities reopening at different stages as we get back into our businesses. I fully anticipate that the number of guests in our spas when we reopen will be much lower than they were before and probably will open with smaller teams to start with whilst we understand and get used to the new circumstances, as we open our businesses and can comply with social distancing measures wherever possible. There could also be the need for the teams and you as guests to use some additional personal protective equipment, of course depending on government guidelines for safety and wellbeing of everyone."
- What about hygiene and safety in spas when they reopen?
"Even before Covid-19 spas have always been incredibly clean, hygienic spaces with rigorous and robust hygiene practises to ensure the safety of their teams and their guests. For so many years, spas have hidden their cleaning practises behind the scenes but now it's time for us to bring the rigorous cleaning and hygiene practices that we undertake to the forefront and show you, our guests, what we do to keep you safe and keep our spas pristine each and every single day. I want to take this final opportunity just to reassure you that spas have always been incredibly safe and hygienic places to be and although as we recognise things might look a little different when we reopen I’ve got no doubt that you'll be greeted with a warm welcome, skilled expert therapist and a place to deeply relax when you visit a spa again very soon."