Victoria East
Demonstrate the knowledge of how to create an effective treatment package using all aspects of the Spa environment.
’Spa’ the Millennium buzzword for health, beauty and relaxation; it is hip in holiday speak and a mantra for the growing band of worshippers at the altar of self- preservation. Yet despite its current popularity in the lives of trendsetters, jet setters and health fanatics everywhere, the ‘spa’ is not a new stop in the road to wellbeing. It is a concept as old as the hills it springs from, rewritten for the contemporary scene. (Benge 1999 p.9)
A destination Spa, providing guests with accommodation, dedicated in several days of pure pampering with a whole range of spa therapies, spa cuisine and fitness for the sole purpose of a healthier lifestyle (Spa Stay 2005 p.1). Spas in Thailand are very popular in the 21st century with overseas clients coming to take time out from their hectic day to day lives.
Between June 2001 and June 2002, 230 spa operators attracted a total of 3.3 million customers, of which 2.5 million or 79 percent were overseas clients (Japan Times 2006 p.3).
This illustrates that Thailand is a good environment to open a high quality destination spa for a range of clientele including honeymoons and holidays. Health tourism, meaning to travel to increase general health problems for example stress, has become very popular around the world, especially in Thailand due to the culture, food, lifestyle and change in nature (Vajirakachorn 2004 p.1).1997-1999 the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched a new scheme to focus on foreign tourists, by promoting traditional health care including massage, herbs and authentic Thai food (Vajirakachorn 2004). This is why Thailand would be a good place to set up a traditional, authentic destination spa to attract clients with lifestyle problems, who want to be educated as well as pampered in the warm climate and exquisite surroundings.
Clientele retreating to Thailand for a holiday or break from day to day life, will want to stay in a spa which has captured the traditional Thai culture, if not they would have spent less money and stayed within a destination spa within the UK. Therefore it is important to make sure that research has been carried out in all aspects of the spa, including which core therapies will be provided. Water is one of the most important core therapies in any spa around the world; Thailand has many natural hot springs for example Bor Khlueng, which have been said to relieve muscle aches and pains (Thailand.com 2008). As a result these springs should be taken advantage of for the use of relaxation and their therapeutic benefits along with other core therapies with in the spa industry (see Appendix 1). Such therapies that could be used within the water therapy are Watsu, Kneipp Baths, Hydrotherapy, Flotation Tank, Al Chi and Balneotherapy. One of the most common core therapies within any spa around the world is heat, this includes: Caldarium, Hamman Rasul Baths, and Shiro Dhara. Heat treatments will help to relax and calm the body and prepare the client for further touch treatments. Such touch therapies includes traditional Thai massage, along with Lanna Massage and Royal Thai massage (see appendix 2). Most Thai Spas will also include Swedish massage, Reflexology and Aromatherapy. A destination spa should also include the core therapies Relaxation and Exercise, as part of a destination spa the client has come purely for the spa experience and nothing else, so it is important to think about what the client will be doing when they are not in the spa. For example yoga, nutrition classes and relaxing gardens to walk through; this will help the client to relax as well as having an educational purpose. Within a warm climate such as Thailand it can become very hot so another type of core therapy which would be important in this destination is cold therapy, such treatments as ice fountains can help to cool down the skin and regulate normal body temperature (ISPA 1999).
