INVESTIGATION “While the West already has a
tertiary educational structure in place, it’s diff erent in other parts of the world where newer spa markets are growing most rapidly”
Although Derby has been a trailblazer in
integrating vocational spa training into a management degree, it’s no longer the only university in the region to do so. Warwick- shire College, also in the UK, off ers a two-year foundation degree in spa management with a strong emphasis on both management edu- cation and hands-on skills. Crucially, it not only stipulates that students get a vocational therapy qualifi cation before they apply, but also that they complete at least 400 hours of work experience – and like Derby, it also has an on-site commercial spa. In Ireland, the Athlone Institute of Technology off ers a three-year bachelor’s degree in spa manage- ment with modules ranging from fi nancial accounting, HR and revenue management through to massage, complementary treat- ments and spa tourism. It also includes a mandatory six-month work placement.
EMERGING MARKETS
Although the UK seems to be leading the pack when it comes to dedicated spa man- agement degrees, an increasing number of universities in mainland Europe are also moving into spa in a big way – from the University of Tartu Pärnu College in Esto- nia, which has launched a two-year masters degree in wellness and spa service design and management, to Turku University of Applied Sciences in Finland, which headed up a pan- European research project to develop four extensive spa management modules that can be incorporated into tourism and hospitality degree courses on an ad hoc basis as well as accessed online (more of that in part two). But while the West already has a tertiary
educational infrastructure in place to meet spa management training needs – albeit one that’s rather piecemeal – it’s a diff erent story in other parts of the world, especially in newer markets where the spa industry is growing most rapidly. Vanessa Main, direc- tor of spa operations and development for Hilton in the Asia-Pacifi c (sb11/3 p28) says:
“If you look at America and Europe and even Australia, those regions have now got some quite solid educational solutions available at universities and elsewhere. In Asia, that is still somewhat missing.”
PART ONE
The Ananda Spa Institute, India, is leading the way in Asia with its spa management diploma course that’s certifi ed by international examination boards CIBTAC ant ITEC
It’s inevitable, then, that emerging mar-
kets are already looking for alternative solutions to university or college education to meet the increasing demand for educated spa managers. Nowhere is this truer than in India, where commercial academies set up by top spa operators – initially to meet the need for trained therapists – are now off ering full-time spa management diploma courses. Among the highest profi le of these are the Ananda Spa Institute – a subsidiary of IHHR Hospitality, developed in consul- tation with spa consultant Crebbin-Bailey (sb08/3 p36) – and the Orient Spa Academy,
42 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
which is a subsidiary of the Neesa Group. Affi liated with international examination boards CIBTAC and ITEC respectively, these academies may not be able to off er the in-depth business content or international clout of a degree – but they are meeting a growing need for focused spa management education in the region. For anyone looking for a full-time degree
or diploma course to get them started on a career in spa management, one thing is cer- tain: the number and diversity of options out there is truly overwhelming. If the forth- coming results of the SRI study can start to make sense of the picture, for both spa employers and aspiring employees, that can only be a good thing. ● In part two: we look at the management
training options for those already in work, from therapists to career-changers
SPA BUSINESS 2 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012
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