The swimming pool sector in Belgium continues to develop with the contribution of the Belgian Federation of Pool and Wellness Professionals (BFP). With global climate change, some changes are taking place in the pool industry. We talked to Joeri Dils, President of the Belgian Federation of Pool and Wellness Professionals, about what awaits the Belgian pool industry in the future, the strategies for the growth of the swimming pool sector in Belgium, the sector’s approach to neutral energy use and their perspective on the Turkish pool sector.
As the Belgian Federation of Pool and Wellness Professionals (BFP), you play an active role in the construction and renovation of swimming pools, bringing together swimming pool and wellness manufacturers and distributors of various products related to the pool world. In this context, could you evaluate the current state of the swimming pool industry? What does the future hold for the sector? How has the Belgian swimming pool sector grown and developed? What is BFP’s contribution to this process?
The swimming pool sector has been growing in Belgium for more than 10 years. The most important reasons for this are longer and hotter summers, climate change, people looking for “health at home”, the democratization of pool prices in relation to income and not only for the happy few, pools are good for your physical and mental health. On top of that, a pool is also a real estate investment.
In Belgium, as in most countries, the pool sector boomed in 2020 and 2021 (during the Covid period). In 2022, with the end of the Covid period and the start of the war in Ukraine, we experienced a market crash as energy prices rose to levels we had never experienced before.
Today, with energy prices falling and inflation receding, we see the market starting to recover. We believe the market will recover to normal (pre-Covid) levels in 2023 and 2024.
In the future, we will have two main areas of focus in our sector:
– Reducing a pool’s carbon footprint by minimizing energy and water consumption. This is good for the environment and reduces a pool’s total cost of ownership (TCO). European standards will help us speed up this process.
– The construction of new pools will continue, but the renovation of the existing pool park will also become an important issue. We are already seeing some pool companies specializing in refurbishment.
Can you tell us about the impact of the awards events on the industry nationally and internationally? What would you say about the different organizational ideas and projects that EUSA and BFP are planning to give momentum to the sector?
We organize national pool and wellness awards and also participate in the EUSA competition. We believe that these initiatives are very important to promote the pool industry, to highlight the performances of Belgian pool builders who are doing exceptional and very high-end projects with a focus on quality, reliability, durability and aesthetics.
What is the impact of global climate change on the swimming pool industry? What are the measures that the industry and users can take in this regard? Can you evaluate the sector’s approach to neutral energy use?
Climate change may sound controversial, but it is one of the driving forces for the Belgian and European pool industry. Longer and hotter summers have an impact on the demand for private swimming pools.
On the other hand, we focus on reducing the carbon footprint of pools. The technology to minimize energy and water consumption is already available today. Good insulation of the pool and an automatic insulated (solar) pool cover is a very effective measure to minimize energy and water consumption. The use of heat pumps or solar absorbers in combination with solar panels makes it possible to heat a pool without using fossil resources. These are just a few examples of how we as a pool industry can contribute to a sustainable pool industry. This is not only good for the environment, but also lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a pool.
How do you see the development of Turkey’s swimming pool and SPA market in Europe and the world? Can you evaluate Turkey’s position in the sector?
I believe that Turkey has a great potential thanks to its good climate and tourism with developments in the private real estate and public markets.
What do you think about your cooperation with Turkish swimming pool and SPA professionals and what are your suggestions for increasing this cooperation?
EUSA is one of the platforms where possible collaborations can start. It is very important and useful to exchange ideas between different members on a regular basis. International forums and exhibitions also contribute to this process.
If you could imagine a swimming pool project in Turkey, what would it be?
High-end project focusing on sustainability. If possible with a beautiful landscape, as there are many in Turkey…
Which features should a perfect swimming pool have for you? What are your priorities in both architectural design and technical equipment in swimming pools?
The perfect pool combines aesthetics with safety, sustainability and comfort. This means you need a professional pool company that builds the pool. The main features are an automatic pool cover, a highly efficient heating system powered by renewable energy, a properly sized filtration system and a reliable automatic water purifier. These are the most basic parts of the pool. Of course, there are more options and features such as pool lights, water attractions, Jetstream devices and connected pools. All these options customize a pool and help to increase the comfort level.
What do you think about the influence of cultural values on swimming pool projects? Which swimming pool project has impressed you the most? What were the prominent features of this project?
Cultural values are very important, not only in the pool industry. We should embrace these values as they tell us who we are. Cultural exchange is an indispensable part of our lives and is always of great importance. Cultural values allow us to think outside the box in pool projects and customize pools according to customer needs.
What would you like to say in conclusion?
I would like to thank you for this interview and I hope we can continue to work with Turkey and other European countries, because change is essential for a successful pool industry.
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