TIME FOR TLC: DETOX DEMAND DRIVES SPAS
dubai — The UAE’s spa industry will continue to see an upward growth curve thanks to a persistent increase in tourist arrivals and rise of the wellness trend, says a new report. Female guests are outstripping male visitors at Dubai’s resort spas, it adds.
“The hotel spa market has shown consistent performance over the last three years and we expect this trend to continue in the second half of the year. Despite growing competition in the spa market, factors such as the year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals in the UAE and the rise of wellness trends both globally and locally are having a positive impact on the spa market,” said Pooja Hemrajani, senior consultant for hospitality at Colliers International Mena.
According to Colliers International’s Mena Spa Report 2017, the UAE market comprises 687 operating spas, employing more than 20,000 people. This includes hotel and standalone spas.
Men vs women
Data from the Colliers Spa Benchmark Report for the first half of 2017 revealed that the split of female and male guests in Abu Dhabi hotel spas — 47 per cent — and Dubai city hotel spas — 55 per cent — is fairly even, whereas Dubai’s resort spas receive a higher share of female guests at 62 per cent.
In hotel spas, the share of tourist and resident demand is almost even when compared to standalone spas that primarily cater to residents. In Dubai’s hotel spas, the ratio of walk-in demand to inhouse guest demand ranges between 43 to 46 per cent, whereas in Abu Dhabi’s hotel spas, the share of walk-in demand is higher at 67 per cent, Hemrajani said.
Andreea Danila, founder and managing director, Millennial Capital, said in upscale day spas — with average treatment price of Dh250 — the ratio is almost evenly distributed between men and women, whereas luxury spas — with average treatment price of Dh450 — are more frequented by women while the midscale spas are more frequented by men.
Generally, men represent 47 per cent of total spa visitors in the UAE while 13 per cent are male assistants at the spa facilities.
Female therapists preferred
Generally, female therapists are preferred and more commonly seen in spas around the UAE. Fe-
The awareness of the benefits of a wellness lifestyle is growing as also the diversity of products Samir Hamadeh, GM, Alpha Destination Management
male visitors generally opt for female therapists, she said.
Samir Hamadeh, general manager, Alpha Destination Management, said it is well-known that nearly 70 per cent of spa goers globally are women.
“However, in the UAE that differs and we have a significantly high percentage of men using spas. This is mainly because the awareness of the benefits of a wellness lifestyle is growing as also the diversity of products. In addition, easy accessibility given the number of hotels with spa facilities in the UAE as well as the development of standalone spas, makes it convenient for people to use these.”
Danila said majority of visitors tend to be hotel guests — between 50 to 60 per cent, but this may vary depending on the nature of the spa and varies between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For example, in the UAE, the top two guest nationalities among GCC tourists are Saudi Arabia and Kuwait while international top guests include from the UK and US. Given the extensive hotel-operated spa infrastructure in the UAE, most visitors are tourists with 48 per cent in-house guests for hotel-managed spas.
Wellness tourism is growing at a rate of six per cent per annum in the Middle East and the UAE leads spa tourism in the region. One in seven of total tourism dollars generated in the UAE comes from trips with a wellness component, Hamadeh said, adding that each emirate has its own mix of customers. Hamadeh said spas were considered a luxury some years ago. That has changed now.
“The number of guests looking to experience spas, whether residents or tourists, has gone up. The growth of middle class is mainly driving the growth of spa and wellness industry; therefore, we have seen a lot of standalone spa outlets developing outside hotels,” Hamadeh added.
Hemrajani said the most important aspects that play on the mind of spa visitors are treatments/facilities offered, price of treatment and the brand’s reputation.
“Customers look at what treatments are available, what products are used, whether the spa has the facilities they may be looking for such as showers, steam/sauna, relaxation room, etc. The price of the treatment is always an important factor in determining which spa to go to. For example, those on a budget may choose to look for spas with discounts. Thirdly, a quick online search of customer reviews, blog posts and magazine articles can help a potential customer to gauge the quality of service offered. Those spas with the best reviews and a strong reputation benefit from higher treatments sold,” she added.
According to Danila, the UAE population considers a host of factors when choosing a spa. “Recently, we observed a shift in consumer purchase patterns especially for millennials who are influenced by the social media and micro-influencer type of marketing activities,” she concluded.