Do you have a strong opinion, or disagree with somebody
else’s point of view on topics related to the spa industry? If so,
Spa Business would love to hear from you. Email your letters,
thoughts and suggestions to [email protected]
Interview: Helene Goetzelmann
L'Occitane's international spa director tells Rhianon Howells how the consumer retail company has become a spa operator with 60 facilities
Ask an expert: Profit & Loss
Hotel spas need to fight capital expenditure allocation said an investor panel at this year's Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Research: All rise
There's been an increase in the five top key performance indicators in the US spa industry shows the 2013 ISPA study
Company Profile Promotion: ESPA promotion
As ESPA's 20th
anniversary year draws
to a close, founder and
CEO Sue Harmsworth
explains how and why the
company is still evolving
Safari Spa: Animal instinct
Safari spas are the staple for Amani, one of South Africa's largest spa chains. Lisa Starr talks to MD Ronleigh Gordon
Trends: Brief encounters
We take a look at some of the most innovative spa pop-ups, a growing trend across the leisure sector
Interview: Paul Smyth
Something & Son designer shares his insights on creating pop-up spa facilities. Magali Robathan reports
Summit review: Upping the ante
Katie Barnes reveals the takeaway messages from the 2013 Global Spa & Wellness Summit in New Delhi, India, attended by 375 industry leaders
Research: Local news
Domestic travellers dominate the global wellness tourism market which has an economic impact of US$1.3 trillion. SRI's Ophelia Yeung reports
Research: Thai up
Prantik Bordoloi analyses a 2013 Thai spa industry study based on both spa consumer and spa operator opinions
Software news: Tech talk
The latest developments and news from spa software suppliers from around the world
Sustainability Should Be More Than Just a CSR Statement
André Russ, vice president of sales, EC3 Global It’s been 21 years since the Rio Earth Summit. The first major global call to address sustainable development.
In 2013, we have a clear understanding of the sustainability challenges facing tourism. We also have the tools, know-how and technology to make a difference. The issue the spa industry faces, however, is its inability to take comprehensive and collective action.
We need to keep the sustainability message simple and achievable and not over complicate what is a straightforward concept. Keeping it simple means taking incremental steps to reduce the amount of energy, water and waste we create and learning to protect and respect the social settings in which we operate. The outcome is about delivering clean, safe, prosperous and healthy destinations to visit, live, work and play.
Sustainability must underpin everything we do as an industry. It should be more than just a marketing initiative or corporate social responsibility (CSR) statement. It should be a core part of a business where we move from treating it as a reporting requirement to a core part of our brand message.
To address sustainability, it’s important to focus on sound measurement and metrics. If you can’t measure it, you can’t track your performance overtime or manage it.
I urge spa operators and owners to commit to a plan of action with bold statements and stretch targets. Simply committing to the current state of play is not good enough.
The InterContinental Moorea resort in French Polynesia has achieved an EC3 gold certification for sustainability
BABTAC Strongly Opposes Habia Therapist Register Carolyne Cross, chairman, BABTAC & CIBTAC The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) read about Habia’s plans to launch a professional register for the spa, nails and beauty industries (see SB13/2 p14) with dissatisfaction and distrust.
The register, which involves therapists paying an annual fee of £35 (US$56, €41), has the potential to undermine the industry and could be viewed as a simple money-making scheme.
Our association has identified a number of concerns including a conflict of interest with existing services offered by Habia which, as the UK’s sector skills body, is responsible for the standard-setting of UK qualifications and training, as well as maintaining its national occupational standards.
Introducing a fee-paying register has the potential to negatively impact on standards – in the worst case scenario there’s a small risk that Habia could reduce standards so more people are eligible for the register and so it earns more money. At this stage, no outlines have been given for the policing of either the standards or the registers, and this is where our concerns lie.
Another worry is that the registers have been established with little or no consultation from the wider industry. This suggests a vested interest in the financial status of the registers and not in the development of a sustainable and progressive industry standard.
Finally, we feel the registers lack credibility – the checks advocated are actually less than those carried out by other major membership organisations including BABTAC – and add nothing to the industry. We are not against a register in principle and actively encourage a form of regulation, but the body which oversees it should be 100 per cent independent and transparent, neither of which Habia is in this instance.
Do you have a strong opinion, or disagree with somebody
else’s point of view on topics related to the spa industry? If so,
Spa Business would love to hear from you. Email your letters,
thoughts and suggestions to [email protected]
Interview: Helene Goetzelmann
L'Occitane's international spa director tells Rhianon Howells how the consumer retail company has become a spa operator with 60 facilities
Ask an expert: Profit & Loss
Hotel spas need to fight capital expenditure allocation said an investor panel at this year's Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Research: All rise
There's been an increase in the five top key performance indicators in the US spa industry shows the 2013 ISPA study
Company Profile Promotion: ESPA promotion
As ESPA's 20th
anniversary year draws
to a close, founder and
CEO Sue Harmsworth
explains how and why the
company is still evolving
Safari Spa: Animal instinct
Safari spas are the staple for Amani, one of South Africa's largest spa chains. Lisa Starr talks to MD Ronleigh Gordon
Trends: Brief encounters
We take a look at some of the most innovative spa pop-ups, a growing trend across the leisure sector
Interview: Paul Smyth
Something & Son designer shares his insights on creating pop-up spa facilities. Magali Robathan reports
Summit review: Upping the ante
Katie Barnes reveals the takeaway messages from the 2013 Global Spa & Wellness Summit in New Delhi, India, attended by 375 industry leaders
Research: Local news
Domestic travellers dominate the global wellness tourism market which has an economic impact of US$1.3 trillion. SRI's Ophelia Yeung reports
Research: Thai up
Prantik Bordoloi analyses a 2013 Thai spa industry study based on both spa consumer and spa operator opinions
Software news: Tech talk
The latest developments and news from spa software suppliers from around the world
Sustainability Should Be More Than Just a CSR Statement
André Russ, vice president of sales, EC3 Global It’s been 21 years since the Rio Earth Summit. The first major global call to address sustainable development.
In 2013, we have a clear understanding of the sustainability challenges facing tourism. We also have the tools, know-how and technology to make a difference. The issue the spa industry faces, however, is its inability to take comprehensive and collective action.
We need to keep the sustainability message simple and achievable and not over complicate what is a straightforward concept. Keeping it simple means taking incremental steps to reduce the amount of energy, water and waste we create and learning to protect and respect the social settings in which we operate. The outcome is about delivering clean, safe, prosperous and healthy destinations to visit, live, work and play.
Sustainability must underpin everything we do as an industry. It should be more than just a marketing initiative or corporate social responsibility (CSR) statement. It should be a core part of a business where we move from treating it as a reporting requirement to a core part of our brand message.
To address sustainability, it’s important to focus on sound measurement and metrics. If you can’t measure it, you can’t track your performance overtime or manage it.
I urge spa operators and owners to commit to a plan of action with bold statements and stretch targets. Simply committing to the current state of play is not good enough.
The InterContinental Moorea resort in French Polynesia has achieved an EC3 gold certification for sustainability
BABTAC Strongly Opposes Habia Therapist Register Carolyne Cross, chairman, BABTAC & CIBTAC The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) read about Habia’s plans to launch a professional register for the spa, nails and beauty industries (see SB13/2 p14) with dissatisfaction and distrust.
The register, which involves therapists paying an annual fee of £35 (US$56, €41), has the potential to undermine the industry and could be viewed as a simple money-making scheme.
Our association has identified a number of concerns including a conflict of interest with existing services offered by Habia which, as the UK’s sector skills body, is responsible for the standard-setting of UK qualifications and training, as well as maintaining its national occupational standards.
Introducing a fee-paying register has the potential to negatively impact on standards – in the worst case scenario there’s a small risk that Habia could reduce standards so more people are eligible for the register and so it earns more money. At this stage, no outlines have been given for the policing of either the standards or the registers, and this is where our concerns lie.
Another worry is that the registers have been established with little or no consultation from the wider industry. This suggests a vested interest in the financial status of the registers and not in the development of a sustainable and progressive industry standard.
Finally, we feel the registers lack credibility – the checks advocated are actually less than those carried out by other major membership organisations including BABTAC – and add nothing to the industry. We are not against a register in principle and actively encourage a form of regulation, but the body which oversees it should be 100 per cent independent and transparent, neither of which Habia is in this instance.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
