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Wellness and medical tourism in Africa was a focus
Around 75 government officials, hospitality executives, physicians and spa operators from a dozen African countries convened in the sunny seaside town of Mombasa, Kenya in September for an annual industry conference organised by the Spa & Wellness Association of Africa (SWAA).
With the backdrop of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals which outlay a plan of action for planetary health and wellbeing, and Africa adding 2030 and 2063 Agendas which focus on this, the 2019 SWAA conference was dominated by exploring the difference between medical and wellness tourism, and the status of those markets in Africa. “Tourism is on the rise [in Africa] and health is as important as it’s ever been before,” says Elaine Okeke Martin, president of the SWAA’s board of directors.
While defined data is difficult to come by concerning many things African, it would seem that South Africa and Mauritius have more well-developed markets in wellness tourism, but Africa as a continent sees very little inbound medical tourism. Suki Kalirai, a former UK spa industry representative at government level and current spa owner, shared some reasons for the scarcity of medical tourists including a lack of both standards of treatment and supporting regulatory structures, as well as contracts and processes that meet global expectations.
However, progress is being made, and Dr Betty Radier, CEO of the Kenya Tourism Board, explained that ageing populations in advanced economies, urbanisation and an increase in time spent on leisure activities are factors driving health tourism in Kenya.
One issue flagged up by public health specialist Meelan Thondoo is the fact that African countries have enough challenges providing sustainable healthcare for their own communities, and that available funding should go towards that effort.
Having previously held director roles at Six Senses and Anantara, Naim Maadad, CEO of Gates Hospitality, moderated an excellent panel on the intersection between wellness and health tourism. The major theme emerging was that wellness tourism is typically elective and even recreational, while health tourism is often driven by need as well as economic factors.
Meanwhile, medical aesthetics were highlighted to spa operators, including live botox demonstrations. Isabel Roos of Isa Carstens Academy in South Africa explained the current framework of beauty certifications in this part of the sector.
Ancillary workshops engaged African spa operators with practical and actionable education. The well-attended events included two full-day spa management courses in Nairobi and Mombasa delivered by Wynne Business, Wellness for Cancer training delivered by Julie Bach, both sponsored by Biologique Recherche, and LCN nail training sessions.
The overall takeaway is that SWAA continues to bring high-quality educational and networking experiences to the spa and wellness operators in Africa.
Lisa Starr
Lisa Starr is a senior spa consultant and trainer at Wynne Business [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2019 issue 4
Editor's letter: Democratic wellness
To truly flourish, the spa industry needs to step outside its comfort zone and reach out to different markets with new and exciting business models, says Katie Barnes
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Boundary-pushing wellness in Iceland, self-care focus at Devarana and Civana’s equine retreat all feature in our spa menu round-up
Interview: Alexandre Cantin
Canada’s Groupe Nordik wants to open 10 nature spas, focusing on bathing and thermotherapy, by 2027. Katie Barnes talks to its VP of growth and strategy
Promotional feature: Starpool - Star quality
Wellness expert, Starpool, is known for offering complete wellness solutions with Italian design flair, enabling operators to create world class treatments and experiences
Training: Covering all bases
Resense joins forces with Lobster Ink to create an online training program for multiple spa roles
Promotional feature: Gharieni
Spa equipment innovator, Gharieni, is partnering with leading spas around the world to showcase its products to clients in real world settings, as CEO, Sammy Gharieni, explains
Research: Positive picture
ISPA’s latest US spa study shows continued growth across key metrics and pinpoints CBD and gen Z as trends. Russell Donaldson reports
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSystems - Cool customer
Rainer Bolsinger, who heads up hotel and spa sales of icelab at Zimmer MedizinSystems, and icelab customer Chenot Group, explain how cryotherapy can be incorporated into your business
Promotional feature: Biologique Recherche - Skin deep
Biologique Recherche has spent the past 40 years developing technology and products to understand the skin on an individual level. Pierre-Louis Delapalme and Rupert Schmid tell Spa Business about the Parisian brand’s latest innovations
Research: On the move
The global physical activity market is now worth US$828bn according to a new GWI study. But what emerging trends do spas need to know about?
Promotional feature: SpaSoft - Onwards & upwards
The enhanced integration between SpaSoft and multiple PMS systems will help your team save time, remove the possibility of human error and create an elevated guest experience
Software: Monetising
How is software helping spas to navigate e-commerce and further monetise their relationship with clients
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
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Wellness and medical tourism in Africa was a focus
Around 75 government officials, hospitality executives, physicians and spa operators from a dozen African countries convened in the sunny seaside town of Mombasa, Kenya in September for an annual industry conference organised by the Spa & Wellness Association of Africa (SWAA).
With the backdrop of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals which outlay a plan of action for planetary health and wellbeing, and Africa adding 2030 and 2063 Agendas which focus on this, the 2019 SWAA conference was dominated by exploring the difference between medical and wellness tourism, and the status of those markets in Africa. “Tourism is on the rise [in Africa] and health is as important as it’s ever been before,” says Elaine Okeke Martin, president of the SWAA’s board of directors.
While defined data is difficult to come by concerning many things African, it would seem that South Africa and Mauritius have more well-developed markets in wellness tourism, but Africa as a continent sees very little inbound medical tourism. Suki Kalirai, a former UK spa industry representative at government level and current spa owner, shared some reasons for the scarcity of medical tourists including a lack of both standards of treatment and supporting regulatory structures, as well as contracts and processes that meet global expectations.
However, progress is being made, and Dr Betty Radier, CEO of the Kenya Tourism Board, explained that ageing populations in advanced economies, urbanisation and an increase in time spent on leisure activities are factors driving health tourism in Kenya.
One issue flagged up by public health specialist Meelan Thondoo is the fact that African countries have enough challenges providing sustainable healthcare for their own communities, and that available funding should go towards that effort.
Having previously held director roles at Six Senses and Anantara, Naim Maadad, CEO of Gates Hospitality, moderated an excellent panel on the intersection between wellness and health tourism. The major theme emerging was that wellness tourism is typically elective and even recreational, while health tourism is often driven by need as well as economic factors.
Meanwhile, medical aesthetics were highlighted to spa operators, including live botox demonstrations. Isabel Roos of Isa Carstens Academy in South Africa explained the current framework of beauty certifications in this part of the sector.
Ancillary workshops engaged African spa operators with practical and actionable education. The well-attended events included two full-day spa management courses in Nairobi and Mombasa delivered by Wynne Business, Wellness for Cancer training delivered by Julie Bach, both sponsored by Biologique Recherche, and LCN nail training sessions.
The overall takeaway is that SWAA continues to bring high-quality educational and networking experiences to the spa and wellness operators in Africa.
Lisa Starr
Lisa Starr is a senior spa consultant and trainer at Wynne Business [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2019 issue 4
Editor's letter: Democratic wellness
To truly flourish, the spa industry needs to step outside its comfort zone and reach out to different markets with new and exciting business models, says Katie Barnes
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Boundary-pushing wellness in Iceland, self-care focus at Devarana and Civana’s equine retreat all feature in our spa menu round-up
Interview: Alexandre Cantin
Canada’s Groupe Nordik wants to open 10 nature spas, focusing on bathing and thermotherapy, by 2027. Katie Barnes talks to its VP of growth and strategy
Promotional feature: Starpool - Star quality
Wellness expert, Starpool, is known for offering complete wellness solutions with Italian design flair, enabling operators to create world class treatments and experiences
Training: Covering all bases
Resense joins forces with Lobster Ink to create an online training program for multiple spa roles
Promotional feature: Gharieni
Spa equipment innovator, Gharieni, is partnering with leading spas around the world to showcase its products to clients in real world settings, as CEO, Sammy Gharieni, explains
Research: Positive picture
ISPA’s latest US spa study shows continued growth across key metrics and pinpoints CBD and gen Z as trends. Russell Donaldson reports
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSystems - Cool customer
Rainer Bolsinger, who heads up hotel and spa sales of icelab at Zimmer MedizinSystems, and icelab customer Chenot Group, explain how cryotherapy can be incorporated into your business
Promotional feature: Biologique Recherche - Skin deep
Biologique Recherche has spent the past 40 years developing technology and products to understand the skin on an individual level. Pierre-Louis Delapalme and Rupert Schmid tell Spa Business about the Parisian brand’s latest innovations
Research: On the move
The global physical activity market is now worth US$828bn according to a new GWI study. But what emerging trends do spas need to know about?
Promotional feature: SpaSoft - Onwards & upwards
The enhanced integration between SpaSoft and multiple PMS systems will help your team save time, remove the possibility of human error and create an elevated guest experience
Software: Monetising
How is software helping spas to navigate e-commerce and further monetise their relationship with clients
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
Aditya Saluja, an industry leader in luxury wellness hospitality, has been
appointed as
commercial director of spa and wellness for the spa management division of
Minor Hotels,
MSpa International.
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
i-Tech Industries Founded by Dr. Gianfranco Tudico, CEO of i-Tech Industries, icoone was created from the vision of co [more...]
