The UK Spa Association (UKSA) has appointed Caroline Mullen and Laura Steventon as new Scottish board members, a move that matters to institute professionals as regional representation becomes more valuable to a national association the more its underlying market grows unevenly across the UK. Mullen brings more than 20 years of luxury hospitality, spa and wellness experience, while Steventon has spent almost three decades across spa, beauty and wellness in the UK and South Africa.

UKSA is the UK's trade association for the spa industry, representing operators and suppliers and organising regular networking events across the country. As a trade association, it does not publish commercial financials.

Mullen is director of spa and wellness at Schloss Roxburghe Spa and Golf Resort, part of Destination by Hyatt. Steventon holds commercial and sales leadership roles at Exclusive Beauty and Thalgo UK.

The appointments reflect the UK spa sector's uneven regional growth rather than a routine board refresh.

The UK spa market was valued at approximately 4.6 billion US dollars in 2025 and is forecast to reach 13.7 billion US dollars by 2034, a compound annual growth rate of 12.9 per cent, with Scotland cited among the leading regions benefiting from rising wellness tourism, according to GM Insights.

UKSA general manager Rachel Bevan said, "We were blown away by the response to our Scotland board member vacancy; it was fantastic to see so many experienced professionals wanting to play a part in shaping the future of our industry. Following the interview process, we felt Caroline and Laura both bring something different to the table and we're excited to welcome them to the Board."

For the sector, dedicating board seats to a specific nation within the UK signals that national associations increasingly need geographically distributed governance to match where growth is concentrated. For the sector's Scottish operators specifically, formal board representation gives a fast growing regional market a direct channel into national policy and programming decisions.

Whether this model of nation specific board seats expands to other UK regions will depend on how visibly Scotland's representation translates into programming that reflects its distinct wellness tourism market.

Source: European Spa Magazine / GM Insights