RESEARCH
and when choosing where to go, online is the favourite source for spa consumers in Thailand, followed by recommendations from friends and social media. Websites and social media are also the two marketing tools used most frequently by spas. Relaxation remains the primary reason
for visiting a spa in Thailand, the study found. Rewarding or spoiling oneself, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and health issues are the three purposes that came in a close second. Meanwhile, Thai massage, foot massage and aromatherapy massage are the most popular treatments. In the future, it’s felt that facilities would
benefit from highlighting the efficacy of services – 61 per cent of the spa managers questioned believe it’s important that treatment claims are scientifically validated. Using or linking up to resources like
wellnessevidence.com – a search engine for existing research on spa modalities – might be useful in this case. Most consumers in Thailand have a significant preference for female therapists, especially female consumers – 73 per cent of them said they prefer to have women administering their treatment. And the top three important characteristics of therapists for spa consumers are pleasant behaviour, the ability to explain treatments and responding to individual customer needs. In addition, spa managers feel quality
is key – 52 per cent of the managers questioned believe consumers are willing to pay more for certified therapists, while 66 per cent feel that voluntary standards – such as belonging to a marketing consortia with qualifying benchmarks – attracts customers too. Yet in reality, the take up of voluntary standards is low. Out of 10 standards the study listed, Spa
Spa-goers expect to visit spas more in 2015 and spend more money, but they want discounts for their loyalty
Excellence – a benchmark by verification company SGS Thailand and the Thai Spa Association – was the most popular and even then only 24 per cent of spa operators were signed up to it. As part of the study, spa-goers were
asked how much a spa visit usually costs. Most think they spend between THB750- THB1,500 (US$23-US$46, €18-€37, £14-£29), a category picked by 31 per cent of the respondents picked; followed by THB1,501-THB3,000 (US$46-US$91, €37-€73, £29-£58), the range that 18.8 per cent of customers chose. When buying products, it’s no surprise
that price remains the most important consideration for all customer types. But after that, the top priorities are natural ingredients, organic ingredients and having a recognised brand.
A PROMISING FUTURE In its conclusion, the 2014 Spa Industry Study asked spa-goers about future visits and expectations – and the results were promising. Eighty-three per cent of survey respondents say it’s likely, or very likely that they’ll visit a spa in the next 12 months. What’s more, they expect to visit an average of nine times, compared to seven visits in the previous 12 months. Spend could potentially increase too.
Forty-nine per cent of Thai spa-goers think they’ll spend more than THB1,500 (US$46, €37, £29) in the next 12 months – that’s 8 per cent more people than last year. But in return, spa-goers have some
clear demands. They’d like to see more discounts on treatments or packages for repeat customers, as well as customised services (see Graph 1). Next on the list was an expectation for spas in Thailand to have more respect for traditional treatments. Consumers are less bothered about the improvement or expansion of facilities, décor refurbishments or having healthy food/spa cuisine options. Given the findings of the study, it seems
GRAPH 1 What Thai Consumers Want to See from Spas in 2015*
Greater respect for traditional treatments Spa décor to be refurbished
Spa facilities to be improved or expanded Healthy food / spa cuisine options Discounts for repeat customers
Treatments or packages to be customised *Source: Thailand’s 2014 Spa Industry Study, Stenden Rangsit University 84
spabusiness.com issue 1 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015 42% 20.3% 37.3% 29.8%
46.4% 46.1%
Prantik Bordoloi is a research coordinator, Stenden Rangsit University Email:
prantik.bordoloi @
stenden.com Twitter: @prantikbordoloi
operators who meet these requests, will be setting themselves up as recipients for that all important extra spa visit or increased revenue spend. ● A full copy of this report is available from the Thai Spa Association. Details:
www.thaispaassociation.com
PHOTO: ©SO SPA AT SOFITEL BANGKOK
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