Will the COVID-19 crisis be looked upon in the future as just a “hick-up” in the growth curve of fitness in Europe or will it be a serious roadblock in achieving EuropeActive's ambitions of 80 million members of Health & Fitness centres by 2025 and 100 million by 2030?
With the aim of finding an accurate answer, EuropeActive has commissioned Deloitte to perform an in-depth study into these questions. The study will be done during this summer and the key findings will be presented at the European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF) on September 30th.
The primary purpose of the research is to determine the short (2020) and medium-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on club operators in the European fitness industry. The impact will be measured with respect to the usual fitness market KPIs such as number of clubs, memberships and revenues. Additionally, the research will comprise indications about potential cost reductions incurred (or expected) by European fitness operators as well as measures taken (or planned) to overcome or reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research methodology
The primary research method will be a survey conducted among European fitness operators in selected European markets. The study will also be drawn on research from other institutions such as 4Global in order to provide EuropeActive with as much solid information as possible to look at the C19 impact.
EuropeActive Executive Director Andreas Paulsen said: "We were off to an incredibly promising beginning of the new decade, the 2020’s, when the crisis of COVID-19 hit European society and the world at large. But although C19 is challenging our sector existentially, and we are required to critically rethink our sectoral structures, as well as our role, purpose and commitment in European society, awareness of the positive benefits of fitness and exercise on citizens’ physical, social and mental wellbeing is stronger than ever."
"This realisation represents a massive opportunity for our sector, perhaps the greatest ever, and the most important vehicle for fulfilling this potential is professionalising our sector through knowledge and skills. The contents of this in-depth data-based publication is of pivotal importance to understanding and effectively addressing the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, which were either caused or uncovered by COVID-19 in our sectoral ecosystem", he concluded.
This project has been made possible thanks to the generous support from FIBO as main sponsor and Virtuagym and BRP Systems/Sportsolution as co-sponsors.