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A call for spa to be recognised as essential service
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
In the midst of the mega disruptions in the spa and beauty industry caused by COVID-19, World Wellness Weekend founder, Jean-Guy de Gabriac, is proposing that people make wellness essential in 2021.
“While the world waits for a vaccine, let’s highlight that wellness is a path to improving the situation with grit, resilience and innovation,” says De Gabriac. “We can all be part of the solution enhancing vitality, serenity, immunity, creativity and solidarity.
“In Paris and Brussels where I live, all spas, salons and fitness clubs have closed for the second time this year, alongside all ‘non-essential’ businesses. Yet the research about the benefits of wellness treatments and programmes are abundant and well documented. So, how can our profession be recognised as ‘essential workers’ by local or state officials, so that spas remain open and clients can safely come back to enhance their vitality, serenity and immunity with very thorough sanitisation procedures?”
De Gabriac notes that the following numbers show that the world is not facing a single pandemic with COVID-19, but several.
These pandemics are:
SLEEP pandemic: 62% of adults worldwide feel that they don’t sleep well, with consequences on mood, cognitive faculties and possible long-term conditions as Alzheimer’s & Parkinsons (World Health Organisation).
OBESITY pandemic: 39% adults aged 18+ were overweight in 2016 (1.9 Bn) and 13% were obese (650 M) (World Health Organisation).
SEDENTARY pandemic: According to the Mayo Clinic, ‘Sitting is more dangerous than smoking and kills more people than HIV’. According to Eurostat, 46% Europeans have no physical activity.
STRESS pandemic: 75%–90% of doctor visits in the USA are related to stress.
He continues: “No matter where you are, the key driver to resetting the spa and wellness profession is not ‘Location, Location, Location’, but ‘Vocation, Vocation, Vocation’. Our vocation is not just ‘touch skin’, but to touch lives. We need to facilitate and accelerate the implementation of small steps towards lasting healthier and richer lifestyles.
“As wellness professionals this is our chance to rise to the occasion, and become agents of change and position transformation for people in our communities in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.”
De Gabriac believes that wellness professionals (hospitality, spas, salons, fitness clubs, yoga therapists etc) should partner with their local officials to implement actions to support SDG3 (‘Good Health & Wellbeing for All’) as follows:
On an individual level: guests, clients, members can connect with the best version of themselves through therapeutic massage, energy healing and sessions on stress management to alleviate anxiety and emotional traumas.
On an organisational level, companies should work to instill a culture of wellness, infusing trust, leadership, creativity through guided meditation, sessions on resiliency, and change management with CAM professionals (consultants specialised in behavioural change and organisational change).
Cities could care for local communities with programmes like the Dubai fitness challenge, which runs in November with 30 minutes of exercise during 30 days.
“Hopefully, our industry will find a way to partner with private insurances companies, like in Canada, to promote prevention and save billions in preventable health costs,” concludes De Gabriac.
For more information email Jean-Guy de Gabriac on jean-guy@tiptouch.com or log onto