There’s a strong focus on wellness
A vast array of activities are available
The Porto Santo Hotel & Spa claims to offer the fi rst sand spa treatments in the world
slowly revealing itself as a potential – and rather signifi cant – magnet for spa and well- ness enthusiasts and beginners alike. T e concept of wellness in Madeira has
been around since the days of old – the cul- tivation of whole, natural foods, the weather and a laid back lifestyle all contribute to an environment that is naturally balanced and eff ortlessly composed to embrace the expec- tations of today’s market. T ere are no fi gures to support how sub-
stantial the spa industry is or how eff ectively it contributes to the island’s economy. How- ever, a large proportion of hotels now have spas and/or wellness centres. Notably, the strategic intent to promote
and expand the exposure to spas and wellness is also very evident. Since 2005, a self-elected amalgamation of hotels and spas across the island have joined together in an initiative to help drive their own businesses alongside the destination of Madeira as a whole. T e group, called Spas da Madeira, was started by former Madeira Promotion Bureau (MPB) executive director Oto Oliveira and the owner of the country’s Galo Resort hotels Roland Bachmeier. MPB, which contrib- utes to half of the budget, is still one of the
SPA BUSINESS 3 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012
sponsors. T ere are currently 11 participating properties and members meet periodically to put together a strategic, common plan such as focusing on press/familiarisation trips or sending out newsletters to 60,000 travel agents in source markets, which was the goal for mid-2012. Another focus is to develop their dedicated website www.spasmadeira. com to make it more user-friendly, attractive and current by adding special promotions. Already working in their favour is a link to MPB’s own website
www.madeirapromo-
tionbureau.com which itself has a complete section and a digital brochure highlighting spas as a key activity for visitors.
UNIQUE SELLING POINTS During the last couple of years the Spas da Madeira group has also recognised the need to create an original identity for each of the spa concepts. T is includes emphasising unique treatments such as thalassotherapy; those incorporating aloe vera, a native plant; and the hot sand treatment which is off ered at the Porto Santo Hotel & Spa. Next to Madeira, Porto Santo is known
as the Golden Island and its sand is a mix of coral reefs, seashells and volcanic ash. T e
sands have a high content of calcium and strontium and have been proven by scientists at the University of Oslo, Norway and the University of Aveiro, Portugal to help people suff ering from rheumatic orthopaedic condi- tions when they submerse themselves in it. T e spa at the Porto Santo Hotel has hot
sand beds and it claims to off er the fi rst sand spa treatments in the world. T e beds feature the local sand which is heated to 40-43˚C. Guests spend 30 minutes covered in the sand twice a day to get the therapeutic benefi ts. T e minimum number of sessions recom- mended is 12 and for hotel guests there’s a seven day package of 14 sessions for €490 (us$600, £387). For others, the price is €50 (us$61, £40) a session. Within this article, there are three other
examples of how spas are diff erentiating themselves (see p76-77). If I’m honest, I was a little blown away by
my three-day peek at Madeira. T e coun- try has a fabulous energy about it and I’m excited by how much camaraderie there is among the spa operators – not only for driving their own businesses but in their collective passion to raise the fortunes of Madeira through their own sector.
Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital 75
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