European fitness leaders are "extremely confident" about the current economic and marketplace conditions for the industry.

According to the new 2018 IHRSA European CEO Study Report, industry executives also have a high level of confidence for the future of the health club industry on the continent – despite the political and economic turbulence of the past decade.

The report, based on a survey of more than 2,600 European facilities, features a European CEO conviction index, which serves as a barometer for the current and future business conditions affecting the club industry in Europe.

“CEO confidence in the health club industry is extremely high in Europe,” said Florian Cartoux, IHRSA director of Europe.

“CEOs are very confident about the current economic and marketplace conditions for the industry, as well as how those conditions impact their own club businesses.”

The survey does, however, reveal that there are areas of concern.

One of these is confidence in the employment environment – CEOs indicated that over the next three years, recruiting and retaining qualified staff would be a "significant challenge".

The report also highlights positive and negative trends which are guiding decision-making among CEOs.

Results show that while the power of social media and the emergence of millennials as consumers are seen as positives, the growth of franchises and ‘middlemen’ such as Classpass are seen as a threat.

To download and read the full report, click here.