Spa industry witnesses global growth - By Rowena C. Burgos
Inquirer
Last updated 00:27am (Mla time) 08/12/2007

MANILA, Philippines - With the current focus on holistic remedies, organic produce and botanical beauty products, it’s no surprise that interest in spa treatments is on the rise. Everyone from harried executives to housewives is eager to try anything that keeps them looking younger and feeling better. It is the perfect time then to take the plunge into the spa and wellness industry, one of the hottest personal-service businesses around.

According to a 2002 study by the International Spa Association (ISPA), there were nearly 156 million spa visits in the United States in 2001, 68 percent of which were made to day spas. Revenues for the US spa industry were nearly $11 billion in 2001, up from $5 billion two years earlier.

But to achieve financial success, spa industry players should not only offer havens of relaxation to guests, but also take care of their personnel as well, says Grace Gawler, an internationally renowned holistic wellness practitioner, naturopathic philosopher and herbalist.

Gawler was one of the speakers at the 5th Annual Australasian Spa (ASPA) Conference held recently at the Luna Park Convention Center in Sydney, Australia.

The conference, with the theme “Deliver the Experience, Realize the Profit,” focused on relationship management, profit, staff and corporate social responsibility. It was attended by spa and salon owners, managers, therapists, receptionists, suppliers, service providers, tourism and hospitality partners.

In her presentation, titled “Beyond Technique—Where Staff Sustainability Meets Profitability,” Gawler emphasized, “Without spa therapists, there would be no service, no profit, and indeed no business; yet despite working long hours, most of them are given little time for restoration, revitalization and self-care.”

There is a need to take care of employees so that they can deliver well, Gawler adds. “When a therapist embraces self-care practices, it tends to flow over into home and social life, and a healthier, happier and more stress-resilient employee is the result. This also translates into fewer absences due to illness and greater motivation in the workplace,” she says. “The more empathy, knowledge and ability to respond to individual needs the therapists demonstrate, the more satisfied and uplifted the guests will be.”

Laying the groundwork

Finding out what your prospective clients want is an important part of planning for your new venture. Case in point: ISPA’s 2006 spa usage survey indicates that two of the top five reasons people don’t visit a spa are that they think spas are too costly, and they feel they’re not the “spa type.” So study the demographics of your target market, advises Sue Sant, who has 15 years of customer relations management experience in the hotel, aviation and services consulting industries.

In her lecture, “Understanding Your Customer,” Sant said, “You also have to educate people about your services so they don’t think of them as a luxury. People feel guilty about pampering themselves, so instead, we should position ourselves as providers of healthy living services.”

Also early in the planning process, one has to decide exactly which services to offer. Sant adds that the range of services will have a major bearing on the kind of facility you choose. “Because spa equipment (like massage tables) tends to be large, you’ll need enough room to spread out and create a relaxing atmosphere.”

To attract an upper-end clientele, you’ll need a well-appointed facility in a good neighborhood. It should be located near other retail businesses for good visibility, and it must have sufficient parking. “Don’t underestimate the importance of parking. Spa services are not necessities, not even for baby boomers bent on preserving their youth. So if it’s difficult to visit your spa for any reason, they won’t come—or they’ll go somewhere else,” Sant says.

Social responsibility

Not everyone cares whether businesses are socially responsible, but many clients feel better about supporting a brand that has a positive impact on society, says Anne Maree Huxley, CEO and founder of Models of Success and Sustainability.

“I believe this is especially important for spas, which are often perceived as indulgent rather than therapeutic. Eco-spas, in particular, have a commitment to incorporating green practices such as organic gardening, water conservation and ecological building design,” Huxley says in her presentation “How to Realize Profits Through the Triple Bottom Line.” “They must encourage sensitivity to the environment and wildlife and promote the wellbeing of local people and culture by preserving indigenous healing traditions and ingredients. ”

Spas that communicate a message of holistic involvement in their environment, Huxley adds, will be seen as more authentic.

Aside from the lectures, the ASPA Conference also showcased the wellness products and technologies of Pevonia, Thalgo, AquaOil, True Solutions Int’l, Li’Tya, Dermalogica, Firm-n-Fold Massage Equip, Sunlight Saunas, Spa Sounds, OP Therapy and Fabricadabra.

At the Philippines Island of Wellness booth, massage therapists Ma. Carlota Abenales (Edsa Shangri-La Hotel), Atho de la ruz (Spa Association of the Philippines Inc.) and Mario Gemino (Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa) treated visitors to the Pinoy Spa, a massage treatment that removes a client’s energy imbalance, thereby achieving a renewed state of wellness.

Guests also relished the Dagdagay, a foot massage using two bamboo sticks; and the Baños, bathing of hands and feet with warm water and healing herbs.

“Joining international conferences like the ASPA Conference benefits the Philippines in terms of networking and cutting-edge information, wherein our spa industry is very much wanting,” says Marjorie Lopingco, SAPI president. “I’m so thankful to the Department of Tourism for backing us up 100 percent in helping develop the global perception that will put the Philippines back on the map.”

So what’s the future of the Philippine spa industry?

“Although it’s a sunrise industry, the growth is phenomenal if we do it right and if we have the mental resolve to do it right, we can be a major player. Now that the government has looked into this industry with enthusiasm, it will inspire everyone involved to see it through. We have all it takes to make this vision happen,” says Consuelo Jones, tourism attaché in Australia and New Zealand.

Source Inquirer [Aloe-Spa News]