SUMMIT REVIEW KATIE BARNES » MANAGING EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS


The Bosphorus Bridge (left); this year’s hosts, GSS board member Susie Ellis and SpaFinder board member Josh McCarter (above)


HOT TOPICS T


urkey sits at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; and Istanbul, with its European and Asian quarters connected via the iconic Bosphorus Bridge,


was the ideal setting for a worldwide gath- ering at this year’s Global Spa Summit (GSS). Top executives from the spa indus- try all came together with a view to solving shared problems and discussing ideas and opportunities for the future.


Held at the Çiragan Palace Kempinski,


the 2010 summit was a sell out: it reached its 250-delegate limit and had representa- tives from 40 nations, the widest reach in its four-year history. It was also interesting to note an increase in the number of dele- gates who weren’t directly related to the spa industry, with executives from the medical, fitness and tourism sectors. Despite the economic downturn, a live audience poll showed that the spa operators


We look at the key trends and highlights from the 2010 Global Spa Summit in Turkey


are regaining confidence – 32.1 per cent of del- egates estimated that their total profit for 2010 will be ‘up significantly’ compared to 2009 and 42.1 per cent estimated that it will be


‘up somewhat’. In addition, the majority (51.3 per cent) said their business had expanded since May 2009 while only 18.4 per cent had downsized. Overall, the feeling was that a full, global economic recovery – where the econ- omy would reach those levels enjoyed before the recession – would occur in 2012. In 2009, there was talk about


a merger between medical and spa tourism or ‘wellness tourism’ (see SB09/4 p35). Tis year, the focus was on the need for scien- tific proof, a topic outlined by keynote speaker Dr Ken Pelletier, a US clinical professor of medi- cine. If spas are to leverage their relationship in medical circles, they need to prove the efficacy of their services (see p20). There was also recognition of the importance of ‘wellness’,


Top spa executives come together with a view to solving shared problems and discuss- ing ideas for the future


38 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 3 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010


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