PEOPLE
"The spa industry is notoriously bad at catering for anyone with cancer" Abi Wright, director and co-founder,
Spabreaks.com
A
bi Wright, the direc- tor and co-founder of spa booking website
Spabreaks.com, has launched Spa for All,
an umbrella initiative designed to open up the spa industry. The initiative encompasses Recovery Retreats, spa breaks spe- cifically designed for anyone who is being treated for cancer, or has had cancer within the past two years, and Accessible Spas, which lists accessi- ble facilities and spa packages which allow carers to go along to spas for free to use the facilities. “We receive on average 12 enquiries
a day asking about special require- ments, whether that be accessible facilities or particular health concerns that make organising a break a little trickier,” says Wright. “Spa for All is about providing the information and packages to give customers who may have historically felt marginalised
from the industry the ability to choose a spa break with as much independence as possible, safe in the knowl- edge that treatments are safe and discretion is para- mount, so when they arrive they can enjoy their break just like anybody else. “The spa industry is noto- riously bad at catering for anyone with cancer, which is absurd given that one in three people are affected by it at some stage. Invariably customers will be turned away from spas and refused treatment, so we created Recovery Retreats, offering consultations over the phone before guests arrive so their concerns don’t have to be dis- cussed at the spa reception desk.” Plans are underway to expand Spa for All in 2013 with the further pro-
gression of Recovery Retreats and the addition of Teen Skin Clinics; Friendship Spas, for those wanting a solo spa break but nervous of going by themselves; and Spa for Me for new mothers, combining postnatal depres- sion counselling and treatments in venues with crèche facilities. Wright initialy trained as a jour-
nalist, before working at Donnington Valley and The Vineyard at Stockcross, then launching her own PR and marketing agency. She launched
Spabreaks.com in June 2008. “I want to make spas accessible for
everybody,” she says. “The spa indus- try has been traditionally closed to huge groups of people predominantly out of fear or a lack of knowledge, but the facilities are there – I want to tell everyone about the amazing opportu- nities that are available.”
Details:
www.spabreaks.com
The
spabreaks.com website features spa reviews by customers with disabilities
ISSUE 1 2013 © cybertrek 2013 Read Leisure Management online
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