SPA BUSINESS TRENDS IN ASIA and their impact on the global spa industry Samantha Foster Destination Spa Management Ltd 6 th March, 2014.
AGENDA Asia & Asian Spa Industry Emerging Business Trends Impact on Global Spa Industry
ASIAN SPA INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
ASIA FAST FACTS ASIA IS BIG 51 countries 8.7% earth s surface; 29.4% earth s land mass 60+% earth s population 4.3b excl. Russia quadrupled in C.20 6 of the 10 most populous countries 7 incl. Russia 4
ASIA FAST FACTS North Central South West Asia - United Nations sub-regions East South East ASIA IS DIVERSE Asia is not homogenous culturally, 5 very diverse regions: >50 official languages thousands of unofficial languages >70 official currencies >17 official religions divergent histories of colonisation, imperialism and forms of government home to the world s oldest healing cultures, e.g.: Indian, Chinese, Tibetan 5
ASIA FAST FACTS ASIA IS THE WORLD S FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIC REGION Source: Capgemini Analysis, Economist Intelligence Unit, 2013
ASIA FAST FACTS the Asian economies to look out for Source: Capgemini Analysis, Economist Intelligence Unit, 2013
ASIA S KEY MARKETS FOR SPA a generalisation Investing China India Middle East Malaysia Singapore Thailand Supplying Thailand Indonesia Philippines Sri Lanka Nepal, Bhutan Other S.E. Asia Consuming Russia Japan Middle East Hong Kong Taiwan Korea
ASIAN SPA GROWTH KEY DRIVERS Economic Development Rapidly growing mid-upper and upper class (HNWI) Globalisation Urbanisation Health Concerns Stress Chronic Disease Environmental Degradation 9
OTHER INFLUENCES Hinduism (South, South-East) Buddhism Taoism (East) Confucianism (East) Communism (North, East) Islam (West, South, South-East) Colonisation Dhanvantari, god of Ayurveda 10
OTHER INFLUENCES Hinduism Buddhism Taoism Yoga union with god Vedas scriptures: foundation of Ayurveda: "life knowledge holistic philosophy: physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony 8 components, including detoxification sorrow is caused by desire & attachment spiritual practices to transcend: meditation discourages ambition acceptance of one s situation: belief in fate gentle compassionate service, but very passive workforce Qi ( chi ) life force yin-yang, 5 elements constantly changing health = balance TCM: herbs, diet, qi gong, tai chi, tui na, etc. Feng Shui, Chinese astrology 11
OTHER INFLUENCES Confucianism Islam Communism Colonisation aim: social harmony: relationships over law use indirect channels mediators: potential for corruption, nepotism loyalty: to leader before family & friends strict hierarchy: unquestioning obedience. benevolent leadership specific duties & procedures, extensive ritual hammam to get rich is glorious (Deng Xiaoping) very ambitious: success gets respect judged by appearance: visible status important Tao belief in cycles: good times won t last cash economy distrust outsiders good language skills good service culture dilution of or fusion with traditional culture bureaucratic not very proactive workforce Unani medicine aromatherapy conservative society design: separation of male & female stigma for spa: challenges for staffing difficulty with licensing poor service ethic: jobs were given 12
KEY MARKET CHINA Est. ~50% of all Asia-Pacific spa openings. Day spas franchising fast (e.g. ~30 outlets p.a.) Bath houses and hot springs enjoying resurgence. Hotel & resort spas: over 90% domestic business Destination spa: high interest but low understanding Spa real estate: 2 nd home for high net worth individuals Investors have long term view: payback 15-20 yrs Move very fast to get things done International brands struggle Consumer is very different to western markets Intellectual Property is extremely difficult to protect Chinese people now highly concerned about their health: Expenditure on healthcare averages 1/5 of total income. 92% are worried about current or future health concerns. Source: SpaChina Magazine
KEY MARKET CHINA High income: 45 65 years old (ave. 50 yrs) Pursue the most expensive; not necessarily the best Aging appearance and age-related disorders are the primary concern Strong interest in Chinese traditional therapies. Rich Chinese spare no effort in their pursuit of antiaging at any cost. live under pressure from society and family 97% are in poor health condition Mid-upper income: 28-58 years old 97% are in poor health condition, mainly due to pressure, fast food lifestyle and lack of exercise. Stress and stress-related disorders are primary concern. Men want better physical and sexual performance. 86% of women are striving for flawless beauty. Follow international trends. Eager to try what is new. 14 Source: SpaChina Magazine
KEY MARKET INDIA Spa industry growing 15-18% p.a. >2,300 spas + ~700 in next 2 5 years. Valued at INR 700b (US$11.2b) in 2012; forecast INR 1 trillion by 2015 Target market: fast-growing mid-upper class Strong roots in Ayurveda Day spas franchising, mainly local brands Medi-spa: world leader in Facebook Facelifts Hotel & resort spas: typically outsourced to international brand initially, then inhouse Destination spas: many budget yoga & meditation retreats. Few international 5-star standard, but several in development Spa real estate: just starting to emerge Very slow moving to get things done 5-star quality can a struggle Source: Global Spa & Wellness Summit, 2013.
KEY MARKET U.A.E. Spas accepted in UAE, but taboo in stricter Islamic societies, e.g. Saudi Arabia. Target: GCC nationals and expats Major health problems: overweight and obesity (70+%), diabetes (30+%) Day spas: women s only concepts dominate Medi-spa: cosmetic surgery very popular Hotel spas: large pipeline for development due to events (e.g. Expo 2020) Extensive hydrothermal facilities expected Destination spa: high interest, but yet to be developed: unrealistic expectations for payback. Spa real estate: as yet unexplored
NEW & EMERGING BUSINESS TRENDS
DAY SPA Mainly local brands Rapid growth in franchises Membership pre-paid packages, is key to cash flow Kitty Party type events are strong revenue generators Mostly small, low budget operations Quality can be an issue however larger spas being built for integrated wellness, e.g.:
cosmetic surgery & ward day medi-spa day spa & thermal areas fitness club lifestyle medicine clinic holistic dentistry holistic medical hair & beauty spa cuisine cafe lifestyle retail Level 1 of 7 Urban Wellness Centre, Russia!
HOTEL & RESORT SPA Growth driven by expanding hotel supply Guest base supplemented with outside membership Often outsourced for an initial term; then brought inhouse Declining market for international 3 rd party operators Local hotel brands emerging, with good understanding of local market Increasing move towards Wellness services to differentiate, and try to increase spend and length of stay Struggling to make these profitable Wellness events and retreats
MEDI-SPA Most Asian countries vying for a share of medical tourism Hotel and resort spas supporting with pre- and post-surgery packages Anti-aging is key medi-spa driver Starting to move from pure Cosmetic to internal Rejuvenation Medi-spa as part of mixed use hospital developments Integrated Wellness Centres opening, but hard to stay integrated doctors reject holistic concepts, holistic practitioner reject medical
private tertiary hospital 189 specialist medical suites luxury hotel and spa conference centre integrated wellness clinic institute of nutrition lifestyle retail zone Integrated Healthcare & Hospitality Complex, Singapore!
full service hospital rehab centre (residential) wellness centre (residential) day guest / membership hotel convention centre retail development Integrated Medical Complex, UAE!
DESTINATION SPA Many 2-3 star level yoga / meditation / detox retreats Few full destination spas, but very strong interest in development Driven by global need for Wellness Modeling after famous brands like Chiva-Som Emphasis on traditional therapies Concept & business model not well understood in many emerging markets Longest payback of all model types Often combined with real estate
Destination Spa & Residences, India!
SPA REAL ESTATE High end: targeted to HNWI Developers see Wellness as a long term trend: underpinned by demographics and modern lifestyles Wellness centre adds value to residents Attracts premium pricing for houses Sale of the houses pays for the construction of the Wellness Centre Model is new: profitability not proven, as many of the houses are 2 nd homes with low occupancy Affiniti, Medini, Malaysia
>2,000 residences destination spa day use wellness centre wholefoods café Integrated Wellness Community, Malaysia!
commercial village residential community serviced apartments destination spa day use wellness centre wholefoods café farmer s market & retail Integrated Wellness Community, S.E.Asia!
Destination Spa, Residences & Country Club, China!
Residences Destination Spa Day Spa Corporate Wellness Retreat Resort & Residential Complex, China!
IMPACT ON THE GLOBAL INDUSTRY
ROLE OF ASIA Supplier Consum er Was: destination for outbound Europeans source of inspiration for treatments Will be: greater source of inbound tourism greater source of investment Huge new market with money to spend Need to understand their wants & needs Design operations accordingly
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION Appearance is everything: will spend on the visible items, may cut corners elsewhere Prefer natural materials, rich colours and textures. Don t like clinical. Expect large FOH areas: space equals luxury Often form over function Regulations are considered guidelines
TREATMENTS & PRODUCTS Admire western science for diagnostics, medical and holistic therapies European prestige brands still aspirational, but Growing movement to organic and natural products Must have instant results Fads eagerly adopted, e.g.: snail facials Korea is the gold standard for cosmetic procedures & cosmeceutical products Traditional Asian therapies must be performed authentically
SERVICE Very high expectations of service quality Warm, humble, respectful Expect top end service rituals High end guests can be very demanding, and behave in a way that Europeans may consider rude Need to consider effects on other guests, and how to address this Language is a big barrier Consider hiring same nationality staff
STAFFING Used to high staff-to-guest ratio: 3 5 staff to 1 guest generally lower payroll costs, but increasing rapidly attraction and retention of staff is a major operational challenge social stigma in some countries job-hopping is the norm operators reluctant to invest in training mostly full-time; few part-time or private contractors most training on-the-job <20% formal qualifications, but increasing as some countries regulate
OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES generally excellent execution, limited innovation passive, not pro-active everything must be instructed rank / status is important reluctance to assume responsibility don t like to say no problems are hidden: no one speaks up maintain face : no negative emotions time is flexible (guests and staff) 37
SUMMARY Asia is an increasing force in spa Offers great opportunities It is rediscovering national pride: not blindly following the West Need to understand the Asian consumer (or staff, or investor) What works in the West may not work in Asia Every country / region is different
Thank You! Samantha Foster sam.foster@dsmgurus.com 39