The Business of Spas | Health & Wellness | Opportunities

Written by Shilpi Kumar

Saturday, 01 December 2007 00:00

Page 1 of 2

As health care moves beyond treatment to wellness and as people get ready to pay more for being pampered, the business of spas is set to boom

What comes to your mind when you hear the word Spa?
Large spaces, pastel shades, beauty and body therapy, subdued lighting and soft music, flowers, candles, breath-taking locations, exotic models posing in equally exotic ads, water, soft-spoken staff, massage, and specially prepared health food.

Spas are all these and much more.

A spa is all about pampering. It is about pampering the body, the soul and all the senses without overwhelming them. It is beyond relaxation and about rejuvenation. It is also about exclusivity; exclusivity in location, in design, in interaction and in offerings. Where else would one get covered with chocolate or honey? Where else would you go to have snakes slither over your body? And not to forget the hot stones, the mud wraps and the caviar masks! Worldwide, the spa industry is estimated to be worth Rs 10.7 billion with an annual growth of 200% in the Asia Pacific region! The past five years have shown an immense growth in the spa industry in India, as well, making it a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to venture into this market. As of now, although spas are emerging in metropolitan cities, there are only about 20-25 major spa centers, predominantly in the south, in Kerala and Karnataka. Hotel chains are realizing the benefits of having spas in their premises as an excellent value addition. The combination of ancient Indian traditions like yoga and Ayurveda with massage therapies are enticing millions of international tourists to India and a spa just adds to the rejuvenation and pampering while adding to the bottomline of the business.

Growing local income, an increasing propensity to spend on leisure and comfort, and an increasing tourist inflow, particularly for the commonwealth games of 2010, all point to an upswing in this business.

Many a Type
Over the years, the term spa has begun to mean different things to different people. You can hear about different kind of spas mushrooming across the globe. You can decide to start a day spa, which is the most popular in the West, and is visited by customers only for the duration of the treatment, a few hours of the day. Such spas offer services like facials, massages, body skin exfoliation etc.

Setting up a spa in a hotel is also a possibility. Hotels are destinations not only for tourists, but also businessmen, who go there for conferences and other business needs. Your spa could even be mobile within the hotel! Westin Hotels and Resorts for example has one such service with “a specially designed 31-inch wide spa bed, larger than traditional portable tables featuring heated AeroCel padding topped by plush double fleece lining and signature linen. A relaxing spa atmosphere is created before your massage starts with a spa basket holding a flower, healthful treat, bottle of water, and a letter with recommendations on how to make the most of the in-room spa experience. The basket also contains a spa music CD to be played before and during treatment as well as a selection of plant based aromatherapy oils and room sprays allowing guests to choose their own scent for the treatment.”

The USP of such a service is that people don’t have to leave immediately after the session is over and can stay and relax in the comfort of their own room.

A destination spa or resort spa is situated in a remote location, away from bustling cities and provides customers with in-residence programs, indulging them in a full-fledged wellness regime that consists of spa services, beauty treatments healthy cuisine, physical fitness consultation and health education.

Health/medical spas are the latest buzz. These are not just places to get pampered, but also to get treated. They normally offer what is called holistic treatment - a combination of both beauty, as well as therapeutic programs. More and more spas are now getting revamped to include health and fitness centers, special spa cuisines, hydrotherapy, acupressure, anti-ageing and other detoxification services, all under full time, licensed health care professionals. They also offer medical beauty treatments like medical peels, botox, laser surgery etc.

Or do you want to consider a dental spa, under the supervision of a qualified dentist? Dental spas are the answer to dental anxieties. A spa like serene environment with aromatic candles, soothing music and dim lighting is created to make the visitor feel relaxed. Some of the larger dental spa clinics also offer hot beverages along with massages, manicures and pedicures, reflexology etc, simultaneously, along with dental treatment. There are about 200 such spas in the United States. Besides the US, there are about 20 more in countries like Germany, South Korea, Columbia, Brazil and Thailand. This market is still untapped in India, and the Indian dental care services market was estimated to be more than $446 million in the year 2005.

With the number of tourist arrivals expected to go up to 10 million in 2010, coupled with the Commonwealth games, there is an excellent opportunity for us to expand

What is your USP?
There is a sense of the exotic that gets conjured up when you use the term spa. Many spas offer unique techniques like volcano ash body wrap, crystal healing, aroma therapy, stone therapy, besides the more traditional Ayurveda and acupressure and incorporate products like honey, cocoa butter, chocolate, fruits and even caviar into their service offerings. With people willing to dig really deep into their pockets for such indulgences, these have become the USP of some spas.

Organic and natural is another common USP. Ananda in the Himalayas, which claims to be the world’s top destination spa, for example, offers about 80 beauty and wellness treatments using natural substances like sea-weed, jasmine, wild-rose, salt and sandalwood as part of their therapeutic regime. 'Maya, the spa', part of the 18-acre Radisson resort in Kumarakom, Kerala, is one of the biggest spas in South India. It offers exotic western and oriental therapies, like Sabai stone therapy, solar therapy, and Moroccan mud wrap along with ayurvedic treatments using herbal extracts. Based in The Ashok hotel in New Delhi, Amatrra Spa, claims to amalgamate “Astroscience” with Ayurveda. According to Srishti Khanna of Amatrra, “treatments are prescribed based on a person’s planetary diagnosis, keeping in mind aromas, colors, gems and a diet that is best suited for the particular customer”

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written by Spa Filters, July 08, 2010

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written by Rosh Alex, November 16, 2009

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