Feeling the Pinch Yet? (How One Resort Spa Deals with Growing Competition in its Area) : Travel and Hotels News Onlypunjab.com- Hotels and Spa Guide

| Wedding | Fashion | Home | Onlypunjab Email

We Have Recently Made Changes to Our Website, If you are unable to find something Specific, Please Search Below

Website Main Page | News Main

Feeling the Pinch Yet? (How One Resort Spa Deals with Growing Competition in its Area)

Publish Date : 3/14/2007 7:34:00 PM Source : Travel and Hotels News Onlypunjab.com

Surveys conducted over the past ten years show a continued booming growth within the North American Spa Industry. This trend has encouraged hotels and resort operators to add increasingly larger, more sophisticated and more lavish spas to their resorts, each often claiming to be different from and/or superior to their competitors in treatment styles, modalities and atmosphere. These spas, for the most part, are independent businesses within their respective hotels, and competing for the same seasonal Vacationer in a highly competitive market. The challenge to these operators, many of whom are not part of their hotels' much larger marketing budgets, is to capture their market share despite the competition from restaurants, retail, other leisure activities and, of course, other spas. This is especially true when the spas are located in markets with a large share of international travelers. For Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa, this presents a challenge as well as an opportunity.
In Whistler, the growth in spas over the past five years has nearly doubled, while the number of tourist visits has been in a decline since 2001. This has been attributed partially to lower recorded snowfalls in 2003 and 2004 and to growing competition from other B.C. ski areas, according to the Tourism Sector Monitor, August 2005. Some hotel operators are asking whether the ski industry alone will be enough to sustain a healthy economy for the resort in the future. Is this why spas are proliferating in so many of Whistler's hotels? Why aren't Hotel operators opening larger restaurants, more retail stores or other leisure activities operators? Why do we need more Spas in the Resort? Could it be due to the promise of higher tourist volumes leading up to the 2010 Olympic Games slated for Whistler? Or is it due to market demand and consumer driven? What could we do to sustain growth for the long term and yet maintain profitable business year round?

The reality is that Spas and other Health and Wellness providers have the potential of providing a balance to other conventional Whistler attractions. Unlike Ski and Golf, spas are neither seasonal nor weather dependent and can be easily incorporated into any of the other activities planned by the visitor. Spas, by their very nature, offer a more personalized service to their customer and give them an atmosphere within which they can rest, de-stress and relax, providing them with an alternative to outdoor activities like ski and golf. Not only that, they can be enjoyed either individually or as a group.

Last year the International Spa Association/Canadian Tourism Commission survey focussing on the Spa Traveler in North America was presented at the Leading Spas of Canada Annual Conference. The emerging Spa Vacation market now has between 20-25 million adult followers in North America alone and has the potential for a 20% growth per year for at least the next three years. One aspect of particular note to Whistler spas is that Spa Travelers are savvy travelers and travel virtually all year round in pursuit of their dream spa vacation - a perfect match for Whistler as it looks for a niche market to complement the Ski industry.

The real question, then, is whether the Spa Vacation Industry can become the third pillar in the Resort's economy, in addition to Ski/Winter and Golf/Summer vacations. Is it capable of filling hotel rooms in the shoulder seasons and spreading economic benefits to other businesses in the resort in the process? Responding to the confidence of industry players that this is so, Tourism Whistler formed a Health and Wellness subcommittee to facilitate a collective, coherent marketing campaign beyond the Resort. The aim is to promote not only Spas, but also conventional Health and Wellness providers like Dental and Medical Clinics, Psychologists, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Nutritionists, Personal Trainers and even New Age and Herbal Stores. The ultimate goal is to make Whistler known as a premier Wellness Destination in North America. Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa has played an active role in this effort to help voice the common challenges from Spa Industry point of view in promoting a Wellness destination.

The unique combination of winter and summer activities, its proximity to the international hub of Vancouver and the 2010 Olympic Games will continue to spotlight Whistler Resort as a top tourist destination. How the spa community responds to the challenge of growing and integrating the Spa Vacation industry as part of the Tourism/Hospitality Industry over the next few years will be key. We believe that, working together, we can provide our guests, and especially the Spa Traveler, a variety of excellent reasons for returning to Whistler throughout the year.

If the Spa Vacation market is to become a new engine for growth in this ski-oriented resort, several things need to occur so that it is sustainable in the long term:
1. Spas must be seen as part of the Tourism/Hospitality Industry. Hotel operators need to embrace spas as a complementary tourist activity, just as they have ski and golf in the past. This includes joint marketing activities and cross promotions.

2. Spas need the support from other businesses. Since the Spa Traveler enjoy activities such as dining out, shopping and going to the theatre. Spas are not in the business of providing these services, so they have to come from other businesses in the community.

3. Spas need to be seen as an integral experience in the eyes/minds/hearts of our guests. The Spa Traveler needs to have a reason to visit Whistler throughout the year and satisfy his/her desire for Education and Entertainment, in addition to traditional spa services. Special event organizers can be engaged to provide these services.

4. Spas must work together collaboratively in order to look professional in the eyes of the Spa Traveler. No one spa is capable of providing all the services mentioned above; consequently, some information and cost sharing among the many operators is desirable.

In fact, the Spa Vacation has revolutionized the Tourism/Hospitality Industry in Asia and across Europe in the past few years. As spas are added to hotels and resorts, attitudes and philosophies are subtlety altered in dealing with the guest. The personal touch (and service) becomes increasingly more important, not just to the guest but to the entire staff. Has this happened in North America? Probably not to the extent that it has in Asia and elsewhere in the world. Asian and European Wellness destination also relied on their long-standing heritage and deep-rooted Spa culture to lure Spa Vacationers to their location. Many North American Wellness destinations don't have this luxury and will have to be more innovative with their message to Spa Vacationers.

The big question for many emerging North American Wellness destination like Whistler, then, is whether or not their Tourism/Hospitality Industry is willing to embrace this new reality. Will the Spa Vacation industry be left to find its own way? Or will the Tourism/Hospitality industry recognize the desirability of incorporating it and speed up the process? In any case, while we find the answers to these questions, resorts in Europe and Asia are not standing still. They are in the process of transforming themselves into premier spa vacation destinations, marketing not only to their own geographic markets, but also aggressively to North American consumers. In Whistler, we don't have other choice but to work together to ensure that we stay in the leading edge of this trend and engage all our tourism partners in a meaningful way.

To contact Jay Wahono
Member of Leading Spas of Canada
Member of International Spa Association
Member of Tourism Whistler

Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa
4359 Main street, Whistler, BC V0N1B4
Phone: 1-604-9385982
www.tamansarispa.com

Onlypunjab.com

HoneymoonersReviewGuide.com Releases Results of Major Honeymoon Survey Publish Date : 7/24/2007 7:24:00 AM
What are honeymoon couples saying upon their return home? How romantic was their honeymoon? How much did it cost? What....

ThermaSol Introduces Stylish Controls and Groundbreaking New Steam Bath Equipment for the Home Spa Publish Date : 7/24/2007 7:24:00 AM
ThermaSol celebrates 50 years as the leader in steam by introducing several industry firsts. Fortunately, steam shower owners...

Thailand Golf Tour Operator, Golfasian, Records Record Sales, Expands Operations and Announces New Positions Publish Date : 7/24/2007 7:24:00 AM
Golfasian, a leading Thailand golf tour operator, has expanded its Bangkok operations following a significant 126% increase...

Mobility Products & Design Announces AMKAR -- Wheelchair Accessible Electric Car Publish Date : 7/23/2007 7:22:00 AM
Mobility Products Design (MPD) announced today that AMKAR is available for sale to the public through a limited number of...

Excitement is in the Air in Niagara Falls as Adventure Attractions Grow Publish Date : 7/23/2007 7:22:00 AM
For decades, Niagara Falls has been known for honeymoons and family-friendly fun, but this popular Canada destination has another...

Now is the Time to Book Your Fall Colours Kawartha Cottage Package Publish Date : 7/23/2007 7:21:00 AM
There has been a slight shift in cottage country tourism resulting in more people traveling throughout the fall season. Tourists ....

Leading Travel Insurance Comparison Site Launches Plans from Global Underwriters Publish Date : 7/23/2007 7:21:00 AM
Squaremouth, the industry leader in travel insurance comparison shopping today adds Global Underwriters products to its lineup. "We are always...

Green Mountain Inn Named to Boston Magazine's 2007 'Best of New England' and Expedia.com's 'Insider's Select' Publish Date : 7/22/2007 7:19:00 AM
New England is home to hundreds of critically acclaimed restaurants, award-winning resorts and quintessential inns, however...

Bemus Bay Condos Already 30% Pre-Sold Publish Date : 7/22/2007 7:19:00 AM
Sales of new lakefront condominiums under construction in the historic village of Bemus Point have been brisk according...

Grand Hotel Marriott Receives National Recognition for Golf and Wedding Offerings Publish Date : 7/22/2007 7:17:00 AM
The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa has earned the 2007 Gold Tee Award for Excellence in Golf and Meeting Facilities ....

Total Results : 4966
More News (Opens in New Window) : [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 Next Page