The Wellness Wave Igniting Aquatics Opportunity

Wellness is more than a fleeting consumer trend – it’s here to stay. People are investing more and more in their physical health, mental well-being, relaxation, recovery, and healthy aging. Aquatics sits at the center of it all with a diverse workforce designing, building, and powering every water-based experience from cold plunges to hot tubs.

As demand grows, the wellness age is sparking fresh momentum around the ever-growing, always exciting pool and hot tub industry.

The Numbers Behind the Boom

Consumer lifestyles are shifting rapidly, leading to a ripple effect across the industries and economies driving this wellness innovation. The data speaks for itself:

82% of U.S. consumers consider wellness a top priority.
The U.S. wellness market is valued at $480 billion, growing between 5% to 10% each year.
The global wellness economy is anticipated to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029.

Why Water Is Central to Wellness

Pool and hot tubs represent a large part of this overall wellness ecosystem, providing the spaces where people can move, recover, and recharge. Our industry is built around health and wellness – and the physical, mental and social benefits cannot be understated.

Aquatics exercise can support strength, flexibility and mobility, while hot tubs can help reduce stress and body strain. In fact, swimming and aquatics therapy may help to improve emotional well-being too, while also lessening anxiety and depressive symptoms among young people.

The Water Wellness Workforce

Behind the scenes, aquatics teams deliver the technical knowledge, creative thinking, and hands-on skills that make our wellness escapes a reality. As expected, the increased interest and demand in this space correlates with the growing need for skilled professionals.

Our workforce serves as the go-to experts across sectors:

Construction: These crews kick off planning and designing, project management, and installation for new builds, renovations, and remodels.
Service: Maintenance professionals provide recurring care to maintain the space through water testing, equipment repair, and automation updates.
Manufacturing: This sector is the critical structure that keeps supply chains moving as the minds behind every product innovation, creation, and distribution.
Retail: Salespeople sell this wellness dream by educating consumers on the value of aquatics in their lives.
Swim Instruction: Our instructors help to master the life-saving skill of swimming, allowing more people to safely enjoy the benefits of pools and hot tubs.

Wellness is a proactive industry commitment. Technology designed to enhance the overall aquatics experience is just one of many examples, like energy-saving construction techniques and advanced water treatment that reduces chlorine. From the very first stages of a project, investing in a pool or hot tub isn’t a one-time purchase – it’s a lifetime of care.

PHTA: One Stroke Ahead

Aquatics is a people’s business, so it’s no surprise that consumer interest drives every resource and initiative. The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) is the leader in this space – informing and educating its member companies on timely trends, behavioral shifts, and industry outlook.

The association’s proactive role in providing this valuable knowledge to members comes to life through:

GENESIS: Innovative educational courses designed to enhance skills, deliver industry best practices, and fuel professional growth.
Center of Excellence: An on-demand, learning hub that offers customized programming informed by recent industry insights.
Certifications: Hands-on training to master the latest techniques and set yourself apart as a leading expert in your field.

Maria Moscato, International Design & Wellness Faculty Advisor for GENESIS, is one example of turning trend into a long-lasting standard. With a background in sustainable design and architecture, her European-influenced concepts have propelled her to the forefront of the industry’s wellness conversation.

"Creating the ultimate space relies on ingenuity, just as much as craftsmanship. Delivering wellness to every consumer through unique design and creative concepting has always been the goal," said Maria.

Where Wellness Meets Opportunity

In aquatics, you can build a career around something people increasingly value: feeling better and living well. Our pool and hot tub teams are channeling this wellness demand into safe, enjoyable experiences that last a lifetime.

If you’re eager to begin your journey in a meaningful industry, discover the different career paths and explore openings on our exclusive Work In Aquatics job board.