Once again, the lack of good quality therapists and procurement challenges have been cited as obstacles to entering the market. Although Norton from the Four Sea-
sons points out that: “T e Middle East is a remarkable destination where there is enor- mous room for spa development to grow.” The emirate which has attracted most
future spa projects is Abu Dhabi, with fi ve high-end hotel sites on the drawing board, followed by Dubai with three planned spas. McCall Wilson says: “T ere’s still a lot of
investor interest in the Middle East, espe- cially from domestic parties. A lot of luxury resorts are being built in this region and spas are expected in this off ering. As with China, I’ve been surprised by the amount and importance of regional travel. T ere’s obvi- ously global business and tourist travel there. However, there’s also a huge regional market for expats living in Dubai who want to travel to nearby destinations for a weekend break.” Gibson adds: “[Investors in] the Middle East
had a knee jerk reaction [to the economic cri- sis], but on a long-term scale projects are still proceeding. We have a couple of sites we’re working on, but they’re some way off and I think that’s wise given the present unrest.”
SPA BUSINESS 2 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
NORTH AMERICA When it comes to spa projects on the drawing board, North America is bot- tom of the pile. Only 10 spas are in the pipeline for high- end hotels, representing 4 per cent of development worldwide in our sample. With three spas planned
T e Middle East is the second most popular region for future spas and Abu Dhabi is attracting most interest. Dubai is a top choice too and already boasts Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa (above)
in North America, Four Sea- sons still considers the region to be a strong one because “spas have become a way of life for many Americans” says Norton. Gibson says: “North America had an
absolution panic reaction when the eco- nomic downturn hit – we had 10 projects planned there in 2008, but by the end of the year all of them had been cancelled. I think spa development has started to pick up again, but not where hotel spas are con- cerned. Day spa development has increased, so has destination spa growth to a certain degree and there is defi nitely movement in the medi-beauty sector.” McCall Wilson says: “Fairmont would love
more spas in North America because we know the market and do very well in it. T e market
is challenging for new hotel projects as credit is still tight for developers. Many projects were teamed with residential [elements] so the slow down in second home purchase also aff ects growth. “Spa development will
grow again in the region but it’s going to be diff erent. Labour and construction
costs in spas are high, so that’s going to drive some changes in spa design: such as consid- ering areas that aren’t so labour intensive
– we’re seeing an increased interest in fi tness for example. T ere will be diff erences, but that’s good. Every business in our industry grew really quickly and while it’s still grow- ing there’s lots of fi ne tuning and I think one trend will be diff erentiating.” McCarthy concludes: “Spa development in
North America slowed substantially, but does seem to be picking up. Many of our opportu- nities are coming from conversion projects as opposed to new builds. Growth will con- tinue as the economy regains strength. But industry-wide, we’ll see a movement towards smaller spas and leaner operations.” ●
Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital 45
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