What a year it’s been. At this point, we’re so used to the idea of COVID-19 that it’s difficult to remember a time before mask-wearing and social distancing.

In the early days of March, 2020, as lockdowns were just beginning in much of the Western world, I felt the shock and panic that so many others shared. And when I thought about the work that I do in the spa and wellness industry – tied so closely to the international travel market – I was quite sure it would all dry up.

Needless to say, I was wrong. Not only has this industry showed incredible resilience in the face of such an unexpected global crisis, but wellness, once again, seems to be on the rise – only this time, perhaps with a little less Instagram and a little more authenticity.

Numerous consumer surveys back this up; people have a new-found desire to keep their bodies as healthy as possible, and when all this is finally over, they’ll be clamouring for wellness travel with a hefty dose of nature (see page 13, pages 138-140 and pages 162-165).

For this year’s Spa Handbook, we turned to some of the brightest people in the industry to give us their thoughts on what lies ahead for spa and wellness (see pages 67-152).

While no one can truly know the future, we hope this collection of well-respected industry voices will help give shape to the wellness industry in 2021 and beyond; taken together, they form a snapshot of all the ways that we can collectively pivot in the face of such challenging times, and come out the other side stronger.

We are on the cusp of something new, and something big. The world we left behind in 2019 is in the past, and nothing will ever be quite the same as it was. This is the chance for our industry to really shine (there’s a reason we chose yellow for our cover) and to show the world all the ways that wellness can help build a bright new future.

Jane Kitchen, editor, Spa Business Handbook | janekitchen@spabusiness.com | @SpaBusinessJK