Making changes in the spa industry

Spabreaks.com is now a multi award-winning spa booking agency and business, but that isn’t what we’re most proud of.  Our motivation is about providing the best experiences for spa goers, and also making sure everyone feels welcome and able to access the spa industry. Here are some of the ways we have been working to make wellbeing more accessible and even more enjoyable.

Making a difference

Driving change in the spa world

By making it easier to find the right spa experience from a wide variety of tailored packages and locations, we have opened up the spa industry to anyone who didn’t think it was for them before.  By working together with spas we have worked to make spa experiences more accessible to anyone with a disability.  

In particular we have striven to break down prejudicial barriers against cancer patients within the industry. This started with our pioneering Recovery Retreats, which have been a game changer since 2012 enabling anyone with cancer to go on a spa break without barriers. 

As the industry has evolved and more systemic changes have been made (such as specialist therapist training options) thanks to the efforts of industry leaders, we have been able to make that offering more flexible and it has evolved into our Safe Hands for Cancer Collection. 

The difference is that where once cancer patients could select specific spa experiences only, now you can choose a spa where therapists are qualified to adapt treatments for each stage of the cancer journey.

In addition, our founder, Abi Selby, has become a powerful and proactive advocate for the spa industry. As well as making it more accessible and opening it up to people who previously felt marginalised, she is dedicated to showing its importance to the UK economy and the nation’s wellbeing.

In particular she has done this as part of her voluntary work with the Beauty and Wellbeing All Party Parliamentary Group alongside Carolyn Harris MP, which seeks to represent the industry and its members as well as to address topics in parliament such as Menopause and Beauty Banks and ensuring everyone has access to basic hygiene products.

Abi has also sat on the board of the UK Spa Association (an association focused on improving the quality, training, standards, inclusiveness, and professionalism within the spa trade) for several years and is now Vice Chair. Furthermore, she sits on the board of the CEW (Cosmetics Executive Women) - an organisation focused on improving and growing opportunities within the beauty and related sectors.

The power of words

Changing the way we talk and think about wellbeing

We are also proud to have been proactive in the changing messaging around wellbeing.  We believe that health and wellbeing are not luxuries.  Wellbeing is something that needs to be incorporated into everything we do - a little and often rather than tacked on at the end of the working week. 

We don’t think wellbeing is something that should be added to your to do list as another reason to beat yourself up.  It shouldn’t be something that causes stress or anxiety, and we definitely don’t think it’s about self denial. 

For these reasons we are consistently mindful about the way we talk about health and wellbeing.  Spas are a place where no one has their proverbial armour on, and we want everyone to feel safe, cared for and supported.