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The Business of Spas

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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”



Comments (22)Add Comment
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written by UTTARA REDDY, May 18, 2011
I want to start a moroccan hammam in hyderabad india need more info
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Wellness sector in India
written by Indalytics Advisors Private Limited, March 09, 2011
India's wellness sector is growing at a CAGR of 24 percent, and is attracting many players. We have published an outlook report on Indian Wellness Sector, which discusses the sector in depth.

The report discusses the following:
•Definition of the sector
•Size and structure of the sector
•Factors that will drive the business
•Regulations governing the sector
•Latest trends in the sector
•Business opportunities in the sector
•Risks associated with the sector
•Outlook of the sector

To know more about the report, please copy and paste this URL in your browser: http://indalytics.com/wellness.pdf

You can also visit us to know more about the report and buy it

-Indalytics Advisors

http://www.indalytics.com/
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Spa Etiquette
written by Sue, February 24, 2011
This is a very interesting and informative post. One of the main areas of concern for spa goers is what to wear for your session. And also, what is the normal spa etiquette. You don't want to turn up for your session wearing unsuitable or old underwear now do you?

Pop over to http://www.247pampering.com for some general advice on spa etiquette.
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written by nfl football jerseys, October 18, 2010
I saw that you were interested in a Wholesale Jersey supplier? Well your search is over. I am by far the most trustworthy and reliable supplier in the industry. We've been dealing with many clients successfully daily. Our customers always come back for repeat business, which is our main goal with any transaction.

Hope visiting this page will grab your trust, all anyone really wants is a trustworthy supplier who they can count on to deliver on quickly, correctly, and top quality every time!
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Exotic Flower Guide
written by Rumana Akter, September 26, 2010
Have you ever seen a man or woman who hates flowers and being with it? The answer will be a big no as each one every one of us love flowers. Flowers resemble beauty, charm, freshness, love, peace and many others.

Exotic Flower Guide
http://flowerguide.us/
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written by Spa Filters, July 08, 2010
There is a wide choice of Spa and Water Filters at FiltersFast.
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Happy New Year!
written by nike basketball shoes, December 29, 2009
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Executive director
written by Rosh Alex, November 16, 2009
Hi... if any spa is willing to franchise their treatments... we have a fantastic space.Please contact on the email id.
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Best Sokobanja Accomodation
written by Vladimir, May 28, 2009
If you are looking for accommodation, visit us on http://sokobanja018-apartmani.blog.com/

and we will provide you best accommodation there is, visit us.

Ako su vam potrebni apartmani u Sokobanji, posetite nas sajt >http://sokobanja018-apartmani.blog.com/< i pogledajte sta vam nudimo.
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written by Rahul, April 18, 2009
It would be nice if some info on cost can be shared.
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Privatni Smestaj Soko Banja
written by Privatni Smestaj Soko Banja, February 05, 2009
I think so
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Soko Banja
written by Soko Banja, January 20, 2009
I think that so
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Apartmani Soko Banja
written by Apartmani Sokobanja, January 19, 2009
Jeee. Sokobanja iz the best
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Soko Banja Apartmani
written by Soko Banja Apartmani, January 06, 2009
Soko Banja iz wrily nice spa
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Sokobanja
written by Sokobanja, December 28, 2008
I vrily think so
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Sokobanja
written by Dejan, December 28, 2008
That is corect. Sokobanja iz the best spa
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Apartmani Sokobanja
written by Apartmani Soko Banja, December 21, 2008
Hi . This i super
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Soko Banja
written by Soko Banja, December 17, 2008
I forgat to sai abaut acomodation i Sokobanja spa http://www.apartmani-sokobanja.mobi
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Sokobanja
written by Sokobanja, December 17, 2008
Sokobanja is the most popular spa in Serbia. See it
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One more beautifull spa
written by Soko banja, Serbia, December 11, 2008
I think that Sokobanja spa in Serbia www.soko-banja.org is also a nice spa.
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Interested to start Spa and Fitness World in Nanded
written by Mayur Modi, September 23, 2008
Dear Sir

We are interested to start SPA,Fitness worl in Nanded,pls provide us details as early as possobile
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written by Syamala Prasad Oruganti, August 30, 2008
Anybody out there considering "Day Spa" biz???
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