INQUIRER Global Nation

Cebu entrepreneurs who plan to enter the wellness industry were advised to open destination spas instead of day spas to avoid cutthroat competition.

A focus on training therapists will also ensure that customers get the best spa experience and encourage them to return.

These were some of the industry insights discussed by Cathy Brillantes Turvill, president of the Spa Professionals International Development Center.

Turvill delivered a talk on “Spa 101” in a whole-day forum mounted by the Cebu Health and Wellness Council last Wednesday at Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa.

“The answer to the Philippines is to avoid opening more day spas. Day spa in the country is too competitive. We need more destination spas,” Turvill told seminar participants.

A day spa offers services on a day-use basis or to clients who are in a hurry but need to be pampered.

Services include a body massage, body wrap, facial, aromatheraphy and other treatments.

The Philippine traditional massage or “hilot” should be promoted as a unique service, said Turvill.

Turvill, who presented data from American company Spa Finder Inc., said although most people go to day spas, more revenues are made from destination spas, which offer specialized services at higher rates.

Day spas are usually located in high-traffic areas. Examples in Cebu are Body 'n Sole, Spa at Cebu and Bodytune.

Destination spas, on the other hand, charge higher rates for more personalized services with longer treatment periods.

Shangri-La's Chi Spa and Badian's Island Resort and Spa are two examples in Cebu province.

Johnie Lim, president of the Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu (SWAC), said the organization has 55 spa members. Most of them own or operate day spas. Other SWAC members are hotels and suppliers.

While he agreed that there are already too many day spas in Cebu and that more destination spas are needed, Lim said the challenge was how to market this high-end investment.

“For a place like Manila which has a big population, people don’t mind driving a distance from Cebu City to Mactan to enjoy a destination spa like Chi. But for Cebuanos, they even find Mactan too far,” he told Cebu Daily News.

Lim said the the critical factor lies in targeting the right market. In the case of destination spas, foreign tourists are a sure target.

Since the spa experience is an inevitable part of a tour package, especially for the affluent market, industry players were told to gear up for delivering better services.

One of the 2008 spa trends reported by Spa Finder Inc. is the clients' recognition of good spa therapists. Tourists are willing to travel far to get the service of the best.

“For a long time, a spa has been recognized for its aesthetics value, it's magnificent structure and the ambiance,” said Turvill.

“But really, a good spa is measured by the spa experience of its clients. That experience is delivered by your therapists,” she added.