Domain Incite reports that a new domain, .SPA, has been added to the DNS root zone. This is the first non-branded generic top-level domain to be included in the root zone this year. The .SPA delegation was delayed for almost seven years due to a fight between applicants. The American company Donuts and the Malaysian Asia Spa and Wellness Promotion Council (ASWPC) made it into the final round of this fight, with the latter seeking the right to consider its application as that representing the interests of the entire spa industry. This application was indeed approved by many spa companies both in and beyond Asia.
The Belgian government also intervened in the debate, arguing that the country has a town called Spa, famous for its hydrotherapy centers (according to one version, the word “spa” comes from the town’s name). However, Belgium’s position was not unanimously supported in ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). As a result, representatives of Belgium reached an agreement with ASWPC that 25% of the profits from the new domain would go to the municipal budget of Spa. Thus, the Malaysian company took over and obtained the right to manage the domain.
However, the profit outlook now looks very vague. The spa industry is among the industries most affected by the pandemic. And while .BAR, for example, benefited from the lockdown, as many bars quickly acquired their own websites and set up delivery, this option is impossible for .SPA, just as home delivery of spa services is impossible. However, it always takes (and even quite a lot of) time before a domain starts to function after joining the root zone. And we really hope that by the time the ASWPC registry is ready to launch its domain, the situation will have changed for the better.
