Standards & Practices
Standards and practices continues to be one of the key issues for the spa and wellness industry as identified each year by delegates to the Summit. While the Global Wellness Summit isn’t set up to be actively involved in creating standards and practices or monitoring them, a role as “hub” can be quite useful. Because this is an area of importance where quality models are just beginning to emerge, the list below is a combination of lists of standards and practices that various countries/organizations have established as well as organizations that participate in helping raise standards and practices through service reviews, awards programs and such.
If there are other links you feel should be included that would help visitors to this page learn about standards and practices for our industry, or if this list needs to be corrected in any way, please send us an email. We will be happy to update the information accordingly.
Country, association and accreditation entities that promote industry standards/practices/codes:
- Worldwide: International Institute for Building Biology® & Ecology – Create a Healthy Home
- Worldwide: Global Centre for Healthy Workplaces (GCHW)- Global Healthy Workplace Certification
- Worldwide: Global Wellness Institute (GWI)- Guide to Hydrothermal Spa Development Standards
- Worldwide (HQ in USA): International SPA Association (ISPA)- Code of Conduct
- Worldwide (HQ in USA): International SPA Association (ISPA)- Global Best Practices
- Canada: Spas Relais Santé- Certified Spas in Quebec
- Canada: Spa Industry Association of Canada with Leading Spas of Canada- Code of Ethics
- Canada: Spa Industry Association of Canada with Leading Spas of Canada- Standards & Practices
- Canada: Spa Industry Association of Canada with Leading Spas of Canada- Standards & Practices for Medical Esthetics
- Canada: Spa Industry Association of Canada with Leading Spas of Canada- Quality Assurance
- Europe (HQ in Brussels): European Spas Association (ESPA)- Quality Standard for Medical Wellness Providers in Europe
- Indonesia: Bali Spa and Wellness Association (BSWA)- Standards & Practices
- United Kingdom: British International Spa Association (BISA) and Green Globe Standard- Essential Spa Standards
- United States: American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)- Code of Ethics
- United States: International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI)- The WELL Building Standard®
- United States: Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)- Green Business Certification Inc.
- United States: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)- LEED volume certification & LEED campus and multiple building certification
- United States: National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers/Distributors & Association- NCEA Code of Ethics
Companies that monitor practices and/or do mystery shopping:
- Worldwide (HQ in USA): Leading Spas- Leading Quality Assurance
- Worldwide (HQ in USA): Deloitte- LRA Worldwide
- United States: Coyle Hospitality
Award programs that require specific criteria for evaluation:
- Worldwide (HQ in USA): Conde Nast Traveler- Travel Awards
- Worldwide: Global Centre for Healthy Workplaces (GCHW)- Global Healthy Workplace Awards
- Worldwide (HQ in USA): Travel and Leisure – World’s Best Awards
- Worldwide (HQ in USA): TripAdvisor- Travelers’ Choice
- Worldwide (HQ in South Africa): World Luxury Spa Awards
- Worldwide (HQ in UK) : World Spa & Wellness- World Spa and Wellness Awards
- Asia: Asia Spa Awards- Category Criteria
- Europe: European Health & Spa Award- Criteria of Evaluation
- United States: Forbes Travel Guide- Global Star Ratings