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Diary Highlights
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20 Aug 2014
What to expect at next month's Global Spa and Wellness Summit in Marrakech
The eighth Global Spa and Wellness Summit (GSWS) is fast approaching – due to take place from 10-12 September at the Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, Morocco – bringing together the leaders and innovators of the spa industry to
help guide and shape the future of wellness in years to come.
Over the past couple of months, Susie Ellis – chair and CEO of GSWS and president of Spafinder Wellness 365 – has revealed a number of events delegates can look forward to, in addition to the usual panel-led discussions, small group breakout sessions and dining debates.
The line-up of speakers at the Summit, the theme of which is “Fast Forward” for 2014, is extensive. It includes innovative thinkers such as Swedish economist Dr Kjell A Nordström, architect Bjarke Ingels and marketing expert Paul Price. Ellis told Spa Opportunities that in order to discuss the future of spa and wellness, however, delegates must understand the industry’s origins and evolution. To do this, Don Ardell PhD and John Travis MD – both of whom are considered founders of the wellness movement – have been invited to speak at the Summit.
For the second year, the summit will feature dedicated forums for spas, hotel spas, hot spring spas, spa education and hydrothermal spa creators. New forums under consideration include those set to focus on corporate wellness and mixed use/real estate.
The Global Spa and Wellness Economy study undertaken by GSWS and long-time research partner SRI international will provide fresh data when it is released at the 2014 Summit and is set to include the first ever data on the global hot springs market. Predicting a giant boom in the hot spring industry, Ellis said: “Governments have not always thought about the hot springs aspect of wellness tourism, but it’s a wellness pursuit – visiting a hot spring provides relaxation and prevents stress.
“The data will really galvanise the hot springs industry as it’s a market that has never been aggregated before like this. So many countries offer this type of wellness but under different names, such as thermal, mineral and thalassic therapies. By uniting under one umbrella, however, there will be more recognition of the types of natural water therapies available – introducing a more competitive business edge to the global market,” Ellis continued.
Although she is part of an entity that provides global spa market research for the industry, Ellis stressed that the tourism bodies of individual nations should do more to find out how many spas they each have and acknowledge their revenue. “By categorising wellness for themselves, it will help national tourism industries to make better decisions,” Ellis said.
The New Zealand city of sRotorua is one such place that has identified hot spring wellness as an important driver for developing its tourism economy. The city’s mayor, Steve Chadwick, will attend the summit to promote the business potential for the natural hot springs in Rotorua.
Details of a new six-month spa management mentorship programme and a careers website – with resources for spa business interns – will also be unveiled at the summit. The announcements will be made during the third annual Spa Education Forum 2014 by the forum's leaders, including Anna Bjurstram, GSWS board member and vice president of Spas & Wellness; Lori Hutchinson, founder of Hutchinson Consulting, and Jean-Guy de Gabriac, CEO and founder of Tip Touch International.
While there are 130,000 to 180,000 spa managers/directors currently working globally, there are only 4,000 students worldwide currently enrolled in spa management-related degree programmes – according to the Spa Management Workforce & Education: Addressing Market Gaps report by SRI International in 2012. The mentorship scheme and the website are two tools to help address the serious gap between the number of spa managers and therapists needed, compared to the number of trained people that can fill them.
“Attracting more people to spa careers – and supporting those newly on the spa manager/director path – is mission-critical for our industry,” said Anna Bjurstram. “While there is so much work to be done, the new mentorship programme, spa career website and internship tools are very much steps in the right direction. We can thank industry leaders for spearheading these independent initiatives – they’re donating their time and passion to build a stronger industry workforce for our bright, collective future.”
The latest recruit to the GSWS board of directors, announced in August, is Franz Linser, PHD – founder and managing director of international consulting firm Linser Hospitality. Linser brings two decades' worth of experience in the hospitality, wellness, spa, sports and political worlds to GSWS. At age 28, he was responsible for the Austrian National ski team’s training and went on to develop a patented training system for high-profile athletes and rehab patients.
Linser’s appointment to the board of directors follows the addition of global tourism expert Jean-Claude Baumgarten and Mexican entrepreneur Gina Diez Barroso de Franklin in January.
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19 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort gears up to host UK Aufguss Championships next week
UK sauna enthusiasts will converge at Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland next week for the
highly anticipated second annual UK Aufguss Championships.
27 Mar 2024
Thailand's first lady attends APSWC Awards ceremony recognising industry excellence
The Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition (APSWC) recently marked another year of industry
achievement with a prestigious awards ceremony held during the 2024 APSWC Round Table
event in Bangkok, Thailand.
08 Mar 2024
Global Wellness Day 2024 to champion reconnecting with nature
Global Wellness Day (GWD) is set to mark its 13th annual celebration on 8 June 2024, under
the theme #MagentaNature, emphasising the vital connection between humanity and the
natural world.
04 Mar 2024
SHA Wellness receives top accolade at 2024 World Spa and Wellness Awards
Eight of the world’s leading spa operations were honoured at the annual World Spa and
Wellness Awards during a glamorous ceremony held in London over the weekend.
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01 Mar 2024
Second edition of UK Aufguss Championships set to heat up Galgorm Resort
The ancient art of aufguss will be celebrated this April with the Second UK Aufguss
Championships at destination spa and hotel Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland.
06 Feb 2024
Canyon Ranch announces Enchant at The Ranch wellness festival
Destination wellness brand Canyon Ranch will host the first edition of its beauty and wellness
festival, called Enchant at Canyon Ranch, from 17 to 21 March at its Tucson resort and spa in
Arizona.
10 Jan 2024
Spas of America unveils Top 100 Spas of 2023, Spa at Séc-he lands first place
Spa and wellness travel website Spas of America has unveiled its Top 100 Spas of 2023, with
The Spa at Séc-he in downtown Palm Springs, California, taking the top spot.
20 Dec 2023
We Work Well unveils 2024 event schedule for fitness, wellness and hospitality industries
International hosted buyer event company We Work Well (WWW) has confirmed dates and
locations for its 2024 conference calendar.
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