Spa industry news: global spa market hits US$184bn as Journey buys the Good Spa Guide (14 November 2026)
The Global Wellness Institute put a fresh number on the sector this fortnight: spas took US$184 billion in 2025, up 12.8 per cent on 2024. In the UK, the Good Spa Guide has a new owner, London will host the Global Wellness Summit in 2027, and Nick Jones has opened the gym at his new riverside health club. In Iceland, the Blue Lagoon share offer opened on 10 November.
Global spa market reaches US$184 billion as the wellness economy hits US$7.5 trillion
The Global Wellness Institute's Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2026, released on 11 November at the Global Wellness Summit in Phuket, values the global wellness economy at US$7.5 trillion (£5.6 trillion) in 2025, up 8.9 per cent on 2024. The institute forecasts US$10.9 trillion by 2030, average growth of 7.7 per cent a year.
Spas grew 12.8 per cent to US$184 billion, and the GWI puts spa revenue 53 per cent above its 2019 level. Thermal and mineral springs reached US$77.9 billion (up 10.4 per cent) and wellness tourism US$982.4 billion (up 11.4 per cent). The GWI expects spas to grow 8 per cent a year to US$270.1 billion by 2030, and thermal and mineral springs 9.8 per cent a year to US$124.5 billion.
Europe was worth US$2 trillion, behind North America (US$2.46 trillion) and Asia-Pacific (US$2.28 trillion). The fastest-growing sector between 2019 and 2025 was wellness real estate, up an average of 23.5 per cent a year.
Source: Spa Business, 11 November 2026.
Journey buys the Good Spa Guide and adds direct booking and vouchers
Journey, the UK hospitality technology and ecommerce platform, has bought the Good Spa Guide and relaunched its website with direct booking, gift vouchers and consumer reviews. Journey says around 1.4 million people a year use the guide, which was founded in 2006.
The Spa Spy assessments stay, with a clearer Bubble rating: three Bubbles for Good, four for Great, five for Excellent, and Five Luxury Outstanding. Each assessment scores five criteria: Peace, Practice, People, Place and Promise. The guide will run as a standalone brand under managing director Gregor Ritchie. Journey pitches the membership model as cheaper for spas than online travel agents, which it says typically charge 20 to 25 per cent commission.
The Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 take place at Sopwell House in St Albans on 16 November, with 361 entries across 20 categories and more than 260,000 consumer votes.
Source: Spa Business, 6 November 2026.
Global Wellness Summit will come to London from 31 October to 3 November 2027
The Global Wellness Summit will be held in London from 31 October to 3 November 2027. Nancy Davis, chief creative officer and executive director of the summit and the Global Wellness Institute, announced the host city at the close of this year's 20th anniversary event in Phuket.
Davis said the organisers chose the destination first and then invited partners to help shape the event, with Therme Group among them. Therme has a Manchester project in its pipeline.
Sources: Spa Business, 13 November 2026, Börsen-Zeitung, 10 November 2026.
Nick Jones opens the gym at The Health Club at St Clement, with a 25m pool and spa to follow
The Health Club at St Clement, part of Soho House founder Nick Jones's new London hotel at 180 The Thames near Temple, has opened its gym. The 25,000 sq ft club will add a 25m swimming pool and a spa, with an event sauna planned as part of the wellness offer.
Cleveland Clinic, the fitness business BeforeTheLights and the brain health brand Lore are named as collaborators. Membership enquiries are open, but the pool and spa opening date, membership prices and the detail of Cleveland Clinic's services have not been announced.
Source: Spa Business, 9 November 2026.
Blue Lagoon share offer opens, with trading on Nasdaq Iceland planned for 20 November
The public offering of shares in Bláa Lónið hf., owner of Iceland's Blue Lagoon, opened on Tuesday 10 November and ran until Friday 13 November. 150 million shares are on offer: retail investors get a fixed price of 95 Icelandic kronur a share (30 per cent of the offer, orders from ISK 100,000 to ISK 20 million), and institutions bid from a 95 kronur floor for the other 70 per cent.
The offer aims to raise about €105 million in new shares, which chief executive Sigríður Margrét Oddsdóttir plans to spend on a mountain hotel, a glacier bath and buying Arctic Adventures. The Blue Lagoon has revenue of €174 million and operating profit of €41 million, according to Börsen-Zeitung. The first day of trading in Reykjavík is planned for 20 November.
Source: Börsen-Zeitung, 10 November 2026.
What this means for UK spa operators
If you are a member of the Good Spa Guide, check how its new booking and voucher tools sit alongside your own channels and what they cost against your current travel agent commission. With the Global Wellness Summit in London next autumn, now is a good time to plan whether you want to host delegates, speak or simply attend.