Julien Patty - Deep Nature
Since its creation in 2004, Deep Nature's mission has been to manage successful SPAs, enhancing and protecting the investments of our partner entrepreneurs. We are able to do this thanks to the know-how and credibility of those who, like our team, profitably manage more than 55 SPAs worldwide.
It's been 6 months since the previous interview. How has the vision of the future of the sector changed since then?
Ultimately, there are no major changes. Until the health problem is solved, service professions like ours suffer. I am still surprised that in our spas the proposed treatments have "suffered" little from the pandemic since at the reopening the demand was as strong as before if not more. While the spaces and services of the wellness areas (saunas, hammam and swimming pools) suffer a lot since they are totally or partially closed and consequently with a very reduced flow.
Will this pandemic change the concept of well-being and the places dedicated to it in everyday life and on vacation?
Yes, I think the industry will change. The first lockdown showed great distrust towards humid places such as swimming pools and hammams. This distrust gradually disappeared as customers had the opportunity to learn more and build their own opinion. The distancing has also generated a sort of awareness of one's body and one's health with the desire to take care of it. Spas, with their services and treatments, are among those places that are no longer seen as reserved for an elite and as an occasional gift, but as a pleasure, indeed a need to take care of yourself, taking the time to do it. . But I also think that the tourism sector as a whole will change. People will be less looking for distant lands: they will focus again on Europe with less polluting, simpler, healthier and more close experiences.
The Wellness & SPA "decision makers", like you, in what will they have to invest immediately to harness and manage the changes generated by COVID-19?
We will have to work continuously and diligently, both with our customers but also internally, with our teams. Indeed, we often talk about customer reassurance, but much of our work has been and remains to communicate with our teams to ensure that they understand and apply barrier gestures but also all the news in customer welcome both at reception and in the cabin. ... and make sure they will always do so with continuing education plans. On the investment side, our future SPAs will have to integrate the paths, equipment and protocols necessary to deal with a possible new pandemic right from their design and construction, which obviously I do not want to hope for at all but which we must now consider in the development scenarios. of our projects.
Finally, same question as 6 months ago: optimistic or pessimistic and why?
I am very optimistic for the future. The various waves of confinement have shown that clients are immediately and assiduously present when they can come. In fact, we have carried out studies with our customers and they have highlighted the fact that they have full confidence in the teams of our SPAs to implement and comply with the hygiene and health regulations. Furthermore, there is a very strong tendency to take care of ourselves at home, but also outside the home. It is a phenomenon that strongly affects the quality of nutrition, physical activity, treatments and activities related to beauty and well-being. It must also be kept in mind that many think "we are entitled to it after all these periods of confinement", such thoughts play in our favor and we must keep them in mind. SPA, treatments, health, prevention, disconnection and rejuvenation through well-being are underlying trends that are growing every day.
