Concept for a new wellness hotel in Queenstown, NZ
WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN A ‘POST-PANDEMIC SPA’ 2020 changed everything, including what makes a great spa. Ana Crawford describes her perfect recipe for a successful spa business in our new post-pandemic society.
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or many businesses, 2020 was debilitating. However, now is the time for us to re-evaluate how we’re running our spas to enable a more sustainable future. The vital importance of wellbeing has been emphasised, and with the increased concerns around immunity and health, we must decide what we want our future industry to look like. Regionally, tourism has been identified as an industry vital to any functioning economy and governments have recognised this by boosting domestic tourism efforts and protecting businesses wherever possible. So, with the need for wellness increasing in the modern world, we’re in a great position to sustain and invest in our industry’s future. But how do new and existing spas approach their business development in 2021?
Broaden Markets And Revenue Streams Businesses in international tourist destinations were the hardest hit in 2020 (due to border closures and their complete reliance on one market). It has reminded
us that the world can change at any moment and we must be equipped. Now is the time to re-build your business by diversifying your markets and services. Whilst local stand-alone day spas rely heavily on domestic clientele, in 2019, the international market made up approximately 30% of business for key regional thermal spas. This market was cut off overnight and a shift to a more domestic (age-broad) market was vital for business survival. This significantly impacted average guest spend (the Global Wellness Institute states that wellness tourists spend 178% more than average domestic tourists), so increasing guest volume and auxiliary revenue streams are essential.
World-Class Facilities Regional research has shown that a great natural setting is no longer enough to singularly engage thermal spa consumers. The industry needs to evolve to fulfil more design-driven international expectations (and the recent surge in new and redeveloped spa facilities regionally emphasises this). Properties have begun upgrading their designs to host more experiential, modern, functional spa heat and water facilities. How can your business remain ‘design and facility competitive’ and your heat / water facilities commercially maximised?
High-Tech, Low-Touch Spaces And Technologies
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, Turkey
30 | SPA+CLINIC
Recent lockdown restrictions accentuated how vital nurturing and health is to us all. When compromised, it prompted the global spa world to reimagine their low-touch offerings.