SpaFindersTop Trends for 2010

I'm particularly interested to see the Top Spa Trends for 2010 as identified by SpaFinders as it coincides with some my observations that were expressed in previous articles and speaking engagments. I also tend to have a slightly different take on some of the points made.

Top 10 Global Spa Trends to Watch in 2010
1) The New “P” Word Goodbye, pampering. Hello, prevention. Well, not so fast. It’s more like, move over, pampering; hello, prevention. Against the backdrop of a global healthcare crisis, prevention is poised to be the new “it” word of the spa industry in 2010 and beyond. But rather than replacing established industry concepts like pampering and wellness, it’s a sharp (and smart) refocusing of the conversation. Pampering, after all, speaks to the stress-reduction, relaxation goal of most spa-goers, and that in itself is preventive.
My take: Stress reduction is of critical importance in today's world. The majority of spa consumers want to feel they can justify the expense of a treatment -- and "healing spa treatments" fit the bill.

2) Year of the Hammam With spa-goers increasingly seeking authenticity, tradition, and that magical spa experience that also offers true results, the Middle Eastern hammam (hamam in Turkey) represents one of the hottest trends for 2010, albeit with a distinctly modern expression. This is the year in which people who have never heard the term hammam will learn its meaning, and those already familiar with it will discover new places to experience it.
My take: Certainly SpaFinders identification of hammam as a hot trend will increase awareness worldwide of this unique spa offering. I think the trend should be broadened to include Turkey's thermal spa experiences since both are hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Having the 2010 Global Spa Summit hosted in Instanbul in 2010 should be helpful in promoting Turkey's spas.


3) Not “Going to,” But “Belonging to” a Spa No longer a place where you infrequently “go” for the occasional treatment, spas are being creatively re-imagined as places of “belonging”—not only through the big rise in membership programs, but also in the diverse ways spas are being recast as social or communal hubs—contributing the additional, although unspoken, benefit of emotional health.

4) The Online Spa 2010 will be a watershed year for the spa industry’s virtual presence. Consumers are already online searching for spas, booking treatments, joining online weight loss and coaching groups, and embracing social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. (Some even play the online Sally Spa game.) But there’s more to come.
Get ready for gaming while you exercise, for having health information (like your blood pressure and heart rate) automatically uploaded for access online by your spa or doctor, and for spas to use yield management software that—much like the airlines—enables price variation, so spas can offer a less expensive massage on weekday mornings, compared to Saturday afternoons. And in early 2010, you’ll be able to stroll down any street in the U.S. and check your iPhone to pinpoint the spa nearest you, thanks to the upcoming SpaFinder App.
5) The Hybrid Spa The modern spa is increasingly a “hyphenated” affair, with spas incorporating far more fitness, fitness centers incorporating more spa, hospitals incorporating spa elements, and spas bringing in more medical doctors and specialists. The era of the spa/fitness/integrated-health-center/hospital/spiritual-retreat/wellness-center/beauty-clinic is on a serious upswing. It’s one integrated human body, after all, and the “pure” spa is on the decline, while the hybrid spa is busy inventing new you-name-it plugged-in hybrid models.

6) The Price Is (Still) Right2009’s headline spa story was the industry’s aggressive response to the global recession and the near-universal focus on deals, deals, and more deals. While there’s (cautious) consensus that the economy is in recovery mode, there’s great news for consumers in 2010: The spa bargains will continue apace, not only straight discounting, but also more innovative incentives smartly designed by spas to drive incremental revenue and retain loyal customers. And keep an eye out for savvy new spas combining less expensive treatments and facilities with a touch of glamour, hitting a sweet spot between nice and price.
My take: Add value and give the customer what they want. Help the customer solve their problem by providing solutions in terms of programming while keeping in mind customer needs in terms of time constraints and bugets. It seems obvious but one wellness destination launched a programexcluding meals and overnight accommodations thus limiting themselves to a local market only.

7) Wellness Tourism WowsWe’re familiar with people seeking spas for wellness—and also with “medical tourism,” crossing borders for medical procedures (often plastic surgery, dentistry, knee replacements, etc.). Well, make room for “wellness tourism,” a new term describing travel across borders for preventive services, diagnostics, spa and well-being vacations, even stem cell banking. The concept not only dramatically broadens the appeal of the medical tourism model (which has suffered from its narrow association with plastic surgery), it’s increasingly poised to become the way we define our time away from home and work in the future.
My take: Hallelujah Susie. Well said. Luxury hotel management companies would do well to recongize wellness tourism as an industry that is here to stay and dedicate resources to develop and implement global packaging that resonate with customer demands in terms of programming and pricing.

8) Scary and Silly Spa Stories Drive Evidence, Science, and StandardsThe fallout from heavily publicized spa horror stories—and the recession-driven consumer insistence on no-gimmick treatments with real, measurable benefits—will quicken a rising industry trend: the demand for evidence-based therapies, stricter industry standards, and greater transparency/resources to help spa-goers separate the wheat from the chaff. As spas move into the health and wellness sectors, facts, evidence, and science that support industry approaches will move front and center, even at the cost of a few diamond facials.

9) Diversity at a Tipping PointFor years analysts have discussed how the spa industry has been attracting new demographics (men, teens, seniors, new ethnic groups). But in 2010 diversity has reached a tipping point: It has fully arrived, and it’s here to stay. Spa-going has become so mainstream that the face of the spa-goer will now continue to reflect the wider global population. Every spa region has its unique “diversity story,” and around the globe far more men, younger and older generations, and ethnic groups are hitting the spa. And spas are taking note, with offerings that cater to these diverse groups’ needs and wants. Set to explode: In the U.S. alone, where approximately 78 million baby boomers are poised to enter their 60s, watch for “silver spa-ing” to really take off.
My take: Babyboomers make great customers. Right on Susie for this assessment.

10) StillnessThe modern human experience is an unprecedented amount of sensory overload, noise, and media stimulation. We’re wired to the gills, spending nearly all waking hours in front of TV and computer screens—bombarded, texting, tweeting, clattering away—now even on airplanes. With the spa as one of the last remaining sanctuaries of silence and serenity, look for the industry to put a new emphasis on stillness, on slowness, on silence. From totally silent massages/treatments or using white noise and subtle nature sounds instead of music; to silent walks, hikes, and dinners at Red Mountain or Rancho La Puerta; to Six Senses Spas’ focus on a “Slow Life” approach; to an upswing in meditation offerings and programs, spas will help clients move from busy-ness and overload to quiet, to stillness. “Sounds” awfully good.
My take: This ties back to stress reduction and the first trend. Stillness is another word for meditation and meditation takes many forms whether it is a walking meditation such as hiking or the labryinth, active meditation such as yoga, tai chi or qi gong or visual meditation such as guided imagery. I agree with Susie's identification of this general trend however disagree on the silence part - sound meditation such as chanting or the sound of a gong has been used for thousands of years to reconnect to a different form of consciousness.

Top Internet Searched Surgeries

While most savvy consumers searching for medical information on the Internet, they also seeking healthcare providers to treat their particular illness. As you probably already know, the Internet is one of the major marketing vehicles to medical tourism and I found it interesting that AOL has collected and summarized these consumer patterns in an article.

Some medical tourism businesses that are looking to expand their offering, might find this interesting while others may have already secured and distilled more complex data pertinent to their focused area of expansion.

Take it for what it is worth, at a glance, it is still interesting information.

Below are the Top Searched Surgeries on AOL Search:
1. Eyelid surgery
2. Lap band surgery
3. Gastric bypass surgery
4. Cataract surgery
5. Bariatric surgery
6. Lasik surgery
7. Tummy tuck surgery
8. Knee surgery
9. Gall bladder surgery
10. Prostate surgery

Medical Tourism in Developing Countries

I'm currently reading "Medical Tourism in Developing Countries" by Milica and Karla Bookman, copyrighted 2007 and published by Palgrave MacMillan.

Chapter 2, "Plastic Surgery is not Peanuts: Economic Growth and Dependency" was a bit of a misnomer as plastic surgery is not mentioned for the first 14 pages of the chapter. The remaining 4+ pages does not reference plastic surgery/asthetic procedure trends, outline the most desired procedures, or the most frequented countries for these procedures or any mention of the role of medical spas in medical tourism or an overview of plastic surgeries gone wrong. Botched plastic surgery procedures were graphically represented at the MTA Congress last September with the Plastic Surgery Association raising the point of liability for physicians who assume the risk of correcting such procedures.

Bridging Pampering and Wellness in the World

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques and Spa - a publication for skincare and spa professionals - recently published "The Link Between Spa and Medical Tourism: Bridging Pampering and Wellness all over the World" in the December 2008 issue. I was pleased to write this piece which includes the drivers to both domestic and international health tourism, the convergence in trends in healthcare and tourism and examples of healing traditions from India, Guatemala and Turkey.

Below is an excerpt....

For many spa professionals, medical tourism may sound a bit mysterious but leaving home for care and treatment is dates back thousands of years when Greek pilgrims traveled to the Mediterranean to an area known for its healing powers. Medical tourism includes both international and domestic travel, whether it to an exotic resort halfway around the world or driving to a healthcare facility several hours away.

You may even consider small spa towns to be an early form of medical tourism. For centuries Europeans visited hot springs and thermal spas as treatment for arthritis, bronchitis and other health issues and in the U.S, many traveled by stagecoach seeking the curative relief of hot springs. Resorts grew around these watering holds including Saratoga Springs, NY and Hot Springs, Arkansas. Times have changed but the desire for health will never wane.

Healthcare is a hot topic. Especially with an an estimated 50 million uninsured (Source: U.S. Census) and millions without dental insurance, Americans are looking for options. Many have joined the movement towards “self-care” by implementing healthier lifestyles, seeking alternative medicine and balancing work and life. High deductibles and co-pays and HSAs (health savings accounts) have created patients that have become savvy healthcare consumers. The Internet has become a source for patients to learn more about diagnosis, conditions and treatment options. According to a recent survey , 39% of American consumers revealed they would go abroad for an elective procedure if they could save half the cost and be assured the quality was as good or better. In countries such as India, Thailand and Singapore, often a surgical procedure, which includes airfare and a stay in a resort hotel can cost 10% of comparable services in the U.S.

On the flip side, it is estimated that more than 400,000 medical tourists from South America, Canada and the Middle East will seek care in the United States this year.(Source: Deloitte: Medical Tourism – Consumers in Search of Value). Some come to avoid long waiting times for medical care, while others seek medical services that are not available in their home country while others combine leisure travel with healthcare. The top procedures include cosmetic, cardiac, orthopedic and oncology services.

For a full transcript in PDF please email a request to camille@globalspaandwellness.com

Power Point Presentation: The Importance of Thermal Tourism in Turkey and the Middle East

For those of you who are interested in learning more about Turkey's thermal tourism initiatives and how they related to the Middle Eastern consumer, I welcome you to click on the link below.
It is a PDF of the presentation that I gave in Turkey last month.

The event was sponsored by the Association for Improving Health Tourism and has been posted to their website.

The Importance of Thermal Tourism in Turkey and the Middle East
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLThe Importance of Thermal. Tourism in Turkey and the. Middle East. Presented By: Camille Hoheb. Founder, Global Spa and Wellness. Business Consultant ...www.saglikturizmi.org.tr/sunum/adana/Camillehoheb.pdf -

SYNERGY BETWEEN THE SPA AND MEDICAL TOURISM INDUSTRIES

“SYNERGY BETWEEN THE SPA AND MEDICAL TOURISM INDUSTRIES” PRESENTED AT THE WORLD MEDICAL TOURISM & GLOBAL HEALTH CONGRESS
September, 2008

(LOS ANGELES, CA -SEPT 2008) — Camille Hoheb, owner and founder of Los Angeles California.-based Global Spa and Wellness moderated an international panel of speakers at the World Medical Tourism and Global Health Conference organized by the Medical Tourism Association (http://www.medicaltourismcongress.com/) and held September 9th though the 12th 2008 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco.

The panel discussion, entitled “Synergy between Medical Tourism and Spa Tourism Industries” included Dr. Talavane Krishna, Founder and President of Indus Valley Ayurvedic Clinic in India; Cecile Billiet, owner and founder of Spa-Med-Holiday in Guatemala and Bonnie Joy Kaslan, Honorary Consul General representing the Republic of Turkey.

Ms. Hoheb stated, “It was an honor to be involved with the Medical Tourism Association in planning and moderating the panel discussion which focused on spa and medical tourism. The diverse group presented the authentic healing traditions of India, Turkey and Guatemala. The purpose of the session was to facilitate open dialogue and a friendly exchange of ideas between two industries that are meeting the growing demands for health and wellness worldwide”.

About Camille Hoheb
Camille Hoheb is a business development consultant based in Los Angeles providing strategic planning, operations, and marketing and public relations services to the spa and wellness industries. With 17 years in hospital administration, spa and wellness center start-ups, she has developed over 120+ spas nationwide, held executive positions with several medical spa franchise companies and specialized in physician retention and marketing in the hospital industry. Ms. Hoheb earned her Master’s degree in Health Care Administration and has been widely published in national trade publications. She is member of the Day Spa Association and sits on the Advisory Committee for the Association of Improving Health Tourism.

About Global Spa and Wellness

Global Spa and Wellness is a development firm delivering strategies and solutions to spa, health & wellness businesses. Our goal is to provide direction, strategy and resources to enable a business to grow and thrive. Global Spa and Wellness provides services to businesses seeking to enter the field, to grow and to expand. These businesses include: days spas medical spas, wellness centers, physician practices, hospitals, outpatient centers, teaching institutions and clinics.

Related Links:
www.medicaltourismcongress.com
www.medicaltourismassociation.com
www.globalspaandwellness.com

Keywords: Camille Hoheb, “Global Spa and Wellness”, Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism Association, World Medical Tourism and Global Health Congress

The Importance of Thermal Spa Tourism in Turkey and to Neighboring Middle Eastern Countries

“The Importance of Thermal Spa Tourism in Turkey and to Neighboring Middle Eastern Countries” presented at international medical tourism symposium by Camille Hoheb, Founder and Owner of Global Spa and Wellness

October, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(LOS ANGELES, CA -OCT 2008) — Camille Hoheb, owner and founder of Los Angeles California.-based Global Spa and Wellness spoke at the Health Tourism Symposium organized by The Association of Improving Health Tourism (http://www.saglikturizmi.org.tr/eng/) held October 11th 2008, in Adana , Turkey. The Health Tourism Symposium was part of “Cukova Medicine 2008”, a medical products and technology fair/exhibit.

The presentation, entitled “The Importance of Thermal Spa Tourism in Turkey and to Neighboring Middle Eastern Countries” provided an overview of the status and potential of Turkey’s numerous thermal spas as an attractive and critical health tourism product.

Ms. Hoheb stated, “Adana is a city that is positioning itself to become a prominent health tourism destination and it was an honor to speak on one of the three major medical tourism initiatives of Turkey. I felt privileged to exchange information and ideas on $40 billion global industry with speakers from Jordan, Greece and the host country. This event was an excellent precursor to the International Medical Tourism Congress to be held next March in Turkey where which 1,500 participants representing 30 countries are expected.”

About Camille Hoheb
Camille Hoheb is a business development consultant based in Los Angeles providing strategic planning, operations, and marketing and public relations services to the spa and wellness industries. With 17 years in hospital administration, spa and wellness center start-ups, she has developed over 120+ spas nationwide, held executive positions with several medical spa franchise companies and specialized in physician retention and marketing in the hospital industry. Ms. Hoheb earned her Master’s degree in Health Care Administration and has been widely published in national trade publications. She is member of the Day Spa Association and sits on the Advisory Committee for the Association of Improving Health Tourism.

About Global Spa and Wellness
Global Spa and Wellness is a development firm delivering strategies and solutions to spa, health & wellness businesses. Our goal is to provide direction, strategy and resources to enable a business to grow and thrive. Global Spa and Wellness provides services to businesses seeking to enter the field, to grow and to expand. These businesses include: days spas medical spas, wellness centers, physician practices, hospitals, outpatient centers, teaching institutions and clinics.

About The Association for Improving Health Tourism (AIHT)
The Association was founded in 2005 to improve health tourism in Turkey. Medical tourism, spa tourism and tourism for the elderly and handicapped are key product lines in the tourism industry. The AIHT seeks to establish Turkey as a leader in the growing medical tourism industry by securing cooperation with professional institutions, government agencies and private organizations. Each year the AIHT hosts an international Congress to promote health tourism worldwide.

About The Association for Improving Health Tourism Congress
The 2nd annual International Health Tourism Congress will be held February 27-March 2, 2009 in Antalya, Turkey. For more information: http://www.saglikturizmi2009.org/

Related Links:
http://www.globalspaandwellness.com/
http://www.saglikturizmi.org.tr/eng/
http://www.saglikturizmi2009.org/

Keywords: Camille Hoheb, “Global Spa and Wellness”, Medical Tourism, Health Tourism, “Association for Improving Health Tourism”, “thermal spa tourism”, Turkey