IHRSA Passport Program Grows to Over 1,000 Clubs in 35 Countries

BOSTON, MA—June 4, 2019—Today, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced that the IHRSA Passport Program has enrolled more than 1,000 health club locations worldwide. The Passport Program offers members of participating IHRSA clubs discounted guest access to a global network of health clubs when they travel, using the free TrainAway mobile app.

TrainAway, based in Copenhagen, was chosen by IHRSA to digitalize the IHRSA Passport Program earlier this year. TrainAway has partnered with more than 1,200 gyms in 35 countries on four continents and has users from more than 140 countries. In addition to English, the app is available in Portuguese, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian, with more languages on the way.

“Our members like TrainAway’s innovative technology and user interface,” says Joe Moore, IHRSA’s president and CEO. “The Passport Program enrollment has been very smooth for all involved as there is no IT integration needed, and the benefits to clubs and their members are easy to see.”

“San Francisco is a very transient city with lots of people visiting the area for business or vacation. We love that the IHRSA Passport Program allows us to bring in additional revenue by giving people from all over the world the opportunity to experience our gyms,” says Troy Macfarland, director of marketing for FITNESS SF. “Our members have found it easy to use the TrainAway app to find a gym and purchase a pass when they travel, and appreciate the discount they receive because FITNESS SF is part of the program.”

“The IHRSA Passport Program is invaluable to us,” says Alan Leach, chief executive of the West Wood Clubs located in Ireland, and an IHRSA board member. “The IHRSA Passport Program is a great selling and marketing tool for our membership team, particularly with the corporate market. The program gives us a great competitive advantage because it adds a special exclusivity to club membership. Also, as a retention tool, it’s indispensable, as members who leave us lose out on that ‘exclusive’ perk of being able to use other clubs when they travel.” Leach also notes that the TrainAway app will be a useful tool for club operators coming to Dublin for IHRSA’s European Congress in October.

“We are proud to be the official provider of the IHRSA Passport Program, giving IHRSA clubs a great benefit to offer their members when they travel and a convenient method for handling incoming travelers while generating additional non-dues revenue,” says Kenn Gudbergsen, co-founder of TrainAway.

How It Works

Members of gyms that are part of the IHRSA Passport Program can use the TrainAway app to search for and find other participating IHRSA health clubs around the world. Using an invitation code provided by their home club, users save 25% on the purchase of one-day passes at IHRSA Passport clubs. TrainAway collects all payments from consumers and sends the club an activity report and payment each month. There is no cost to the club to enroll in the IHRSA Passport Program, powered by TrainAway, nor is any IT integration required.

The IHRSA Passport Program, powered by TrainAway, is free, but is available only to IHRSA member clubs. To learn more or to enroll, visit the IHRSA Passport Program page.

About IHRSA

IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, is a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide. IHRSA and its members are dedicated to making the world healthier through regular exercise and activity promotion. For more than 30 years, the IHRSA Passport Program has provided discounted guest access for members of participating IHRSA facilities worldwide.

IHRSA's events provide a vast array of speakers on business and corporate culture, instructional sessions on all aspects of succeeding in the health club industry, social events to mix and mingle with peers, and the most spectacular trade shows in the industry. Upcoming IHRSA events include: The Sportec/IHRSA Management Seminars in Tokyo, Japan (July 9-11); The IHRSA Institute in Chapel Hill, NC, USA (August 6-9); The IHRSA/Fitness Brasil Latin American Conference & Trade Show in São Paulo, Brazil (August 29-31); The IHRSA European Congress in Dublin, Ireland (October 14-17); IHRSA Women's Leadership Summit at Athletic Business, Orlando, FL (November 14); The ChinaFit/IHRSA China Management Forum in Shenzhen, China (December 8-11); and IHRSA 2020—the IHRSA International Convention & Trade Show in San Diego (March 18-21, 2020).

About TrainAway

TrainAway is dedicated to eliminating barriers to fitness worldwide by making it as easy to workout on the go as it is at home.

• Founded in the beginning of 2017, TrainAway is based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Launched the world’s largest gym directory of 130,000+ gyms.
• TrainAway currently has partner gyms in 40+ countries (USA, Brazil, France, Singapore etc.) and is available in more than 30 of the world’s largest travel destinations (New York, Rome, Paris, São Paulo, etc.).
• Based on a pay-per-use payment model, TrainAway offers short-term access to its partner gyms (day pass, three-day pass, and week pass); TrainAway is not a subscription-based service
• For more information, visit the TrainAway website.