Travel & Tourism

Thai Spas Shine at World Spa & Well-being Convention

By TAT

September 27, 2013

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Bangkok – September 25, 2013: Education, Innovation and curbing water usage in the spa sector were the dominant themes of the World Spa & Well-being Convention (WSWC) held between Sept 18-21 at the IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.

The event was designed to enhance the image of Thailand in the world spa market, upgrade the quality standards and innovation of services offered by the Thai spa industry and promote Thai spa services and products, especially in order to prepare for the upcoming era of the ASEAN Economic Community single market.

Expanded to four days this year, WSWC 2013 was supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports; Ministry of Commerce; Ministry of Public Health; Tourism Authority of Thailand; Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau; Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade; and Tourism Council of Thailand.

The event was attended by spa and wellness managers, entrepreneurs and suppliers keen to check out the latest products, technology and methods in the rapidly-evolving health & wellness sector. About 150 quality spa operators and business suppliers took up roughly 5,000 sq.m exhibition area.

Overall, the event attracted about 8,000 visitors from Armenia, Australia, China, England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and the Caribbean, a significant increase on the 4,600 visitors from 37 countries in 2012.

Mr. Krod Rojanastien, president of the Thai Spa Association said, “With approximately 80% of spa consumers being foreign nationals, the Thai spa and wellness industry recorded 5-6 per cent year-on-year revenue growth to 16 billion baht in 2012. We are projecting continued growth this year and beyond.

“The launch of the Asean Economic Community in 2015 is a huge opportunity for small-and-medium enterprises to seek expanded markets by upgrading the quality of their products and services.”

spa event2Mr. Andrew Jacka, Chairman of WSWC, and former president of the Thai Spa Association said, “The spa and wellness industry has experienced positive growth every year in the kingdom and across the region, and is consistently attracting new entrepreneurs. It has become a very significant driver of both tourism and exports of spa related products.

“Thailand which is often described as “Land of Spa”, is an important destination for international visitors seeking health and relaxation as well as for entrepreneurs seeking to build their brands in the international market.”

The World Spa & Well-being Congress held alongside the exhibition focussed on the theme of water-savings in the spas sector. The keynote address on the subject of “Essence Of Life: The Science Of Water, Our Well-Being, And The Spa Industry” was delivered by Dr. Ramesh Boonratana, Science Division, Mahidol University International College, Thailand.

According to the organisers, “The spa industry is reliant upon water, yet we use it uncontrolled quantities. From life giving to life resonance, an exploration of the science of water provides an opportunity to understand how water in all its forms (gas, liquid or solid) is or can be used in the spa and well-being industry.”

Speakers focussed on topics such as the Health & Healing Waters of both Europe and Asia. Delegates also heard the results of a Spa Water – Survey that sought to measure “How much water do you really use in your spa?”

Commenting on the event, TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said, “The TAT is proud to have been one of the supporters of the WSWC 2013. Health & wellness is one of our key target niche-market in our 2014 action plan. We believe such events go a long way towards helping us achieve our targets.”