The 2019 State of the UK Swimming Industry Report reveals that the UK swimming industry has not changed significantly in the last 12 months. 26 swimming pool sites have opened and 27 have closed.
The 2019 report highlights that the industry, over the 12 month period to the end of March 2019, has seen an increase in the number of swimming pools opening and a decrease in the number of swimming pools closing compared to the previous year.
Nuffield and GLL remain the UK’s leading private and public operators (by number of sites with a pool). Public leisure trust GLL lead the way with 146 swimming centres, followed by Nuffield who have 111 clubs with a swimming pool.
The 2019 report shows that 84% of the UK population live within 2 miles of one of the 3,170 swimming pool sites.
Commenting on the figures, David Minton, Director of LeisureDB said: “Although the total stock of swimming pools doesn’t change dramatically, year to year, the carrying capacity of the water keeps expanding. It’s very encouraging to see participation is growing across the industry. Operators have found that by differentiating the offering, improving the customer journey and providing digital solutions helps towards engaging the consumer both in and out of the water.”
Summary of Key Facts
The number of swimming pool sites in the UK is 3,170.
26 public and private swimming pool sites opened in the last 12 months, up from 22 in 2018.
27 public and private swimming pool sites closed in the last 12 months, down from 33 in 2018.
The public pay and play swim fee increased by 5% to £4.58.
Notes
The State of the UK Swimming Industry Report is compiled from the most comprehensive review of the UK swimming industry, involving individual contact with all sites. The reporting period is the 12 months to 31st March 2019. The audit and resulting figures are compiled by independent leisure market analysts, LeisureDB, who have been monitoring the performance of the fitness and swimming industry for over 30 years. Further details of the report can be found here 2019 State of the UK Swimming Industry Report.