Saunas and steam rooms to open a month after beauty salons, despite a 1900% rise in demand

This week brought with it welcome news about the reopening of hairdressers, beauty salons and spas on April 12, as the Prime Minister announced the details of his "roadmap" out of England's third lockdown. However, one area of the sector has not been able to share in the collective sigh of relief. Unlike the rest of the industry, saunas and steam rooms will remain closed until May 17 at the earliest.

The move echos the events of last year, which saw a delayed and staggered approach to the reopening of the sector in its entirety, much to the frustration of spa business owners whose saunas and steam room facilities were the last to be given the government's green light during the first lockdown.

Constituting up to 75 percent of total revenue for some spas, the inaccessibility of these spaces to customers (even while other areas of the business, like pools, were allowed to be open) meant it was simply not commercially viable to reopen some spas without resuming sauna and steam room services, resulting in unnecessary and prolonged closures of wellness businesses last year.

This will come as a disappointment to many, who are as ready as ever to get back into spas and make use of the facilities on offer. So much so, in the hours after Boris Johnson addressed the nation, Google Search Trends saw a 1,900 percent increase in people searching for 'when do spas open?', according to Spa booking experts SpaSeekers.

Chief Operating Officer at the British Beauty Council, Helena Grzesk, says: "Whilst we are delighted with the decision for personal care services to reopen in Step 2 of the 'roadmap', the decision to delay the reopening of saunas and steam rooms until Step 3 is incredibly disappointing. We are seeking clarity from BEIS to understand this decision. The majority of spas are sadly having to make a very difficult decision, with many forced to remain closed until Step 3. It is very frustrating."

The government has sought to clarify the delay by stating: "The virus is known to spread more easily in indoor environments where people can mix. Saunas and steam rooms will open in Step 3, in line with indoor entertainment. We understand that these restrictions have been difficult for businesses, but we have to reopen the economy in the safest way possible."

While the provision of a loose date to reopen saunas and steam rooms may well help to cushion the blow, these services will only be allowed to resume providing the four key tests are met, those being: the vaccine rollout is going as planned; vaccines are effective in bringing down deaths and hospitalisations; case numbers are not rising so fast that the NHS risks being overwhelmed; new variants do not create unforeseen risks. It means the prospect of delays are ever present and businesses like spas will need additional financial attention.

In response to the news, the UK Spa Association said, "We will continue to work with fellow industry organisations, with a combined focus for financial support for the sector, including the personal care emergency fund and the VAT reduction to 5 percent. Many other industries have received funding grants and we have seen Hospitality receive the VAT reduction to 5 percent, and so we will continue to fight with tenacity for our industry."