Global professionals and
experts in spa management and the health & wellness sector will be meeting
in Bangkok for the World Spa & Well-being Convention between 19 and 21 September,
2012.
Organized by the Thai Spa
Association, with sponsorship support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand
and the Thailand Exhibition and Convention Bureau, the event is being billed
the “only gateway offering a myriad of opportunities to network, build business
connections and be inspired with industry people across the region.”
The gathering is expected
to give yet another boost to the spa, health and wellness sector, one of the
fastest-growing niche market segments of the Thai travel and tourism industry.
Including both the
prevention and curative sides, Thailand’s health and wellness sector attracts
millions of visitors annually ranging from medical tourists seeking treatment
for various ailments to stressed-out executives seeking relaxation therapies
and industry practitioners seeking to learn the fine art of Thai massage.
Research shows that in 2010
alone, Thailand was visited by an estimated 1.4 million medical tourists, up
from 500,000 in 2001. The average length of stay for medical tourists ranges
from three days for a routine check-up to three weeks or more for plastic
surgery. The average expenditure of patients seeking plastic surgery is
estimated at 130,000 baht per head, (40% for treatment, 60% for travelling
expenses).
Thailand’s spa and wellness
industry has also helped generate millions of jobs at the grassroots level,
especially among women. Many of the organic and herbal products used by Thai
spas are being exported worldwide.
The growth and
opportunities for the sector will also be accompanied by challenges, which will
be discussed at the World Spa & Well-being Convention. In addition to the
exhibition and congress, the event at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention
Center will be highlighted by the Thailand Spa & Well-being Awards.
Attendance is projected at
3,000 trade visitors at the exhibition, 400 congress delegates and 5,000
members of the general public, including travel agents, spa consumers, hotel
operators, spa operators, spa suppliers, spa therapists, developers, and
investors.
According to the organizers
of the World Spa & Well-being Convention, “The event is designed to enhance
the image of Thailand in the world spa market, upgrade quality standards,
encourage innovation of services, and showcase the latest products, technology
and methods to highly targeted key decision makers.”
Speakers at the congress
will highlight Asian industry trends. One of the main topics of discussion will
focus on helping Thai spa operators and manufacturers to prepare for the ASEAN
Economic Community 2015.
The Thai Spa Association
was set up in 2003 and boasts roughly 450 spa businesses in Thailand and 15
countries around the globe.
For registration and
inquiries on exhibiting and participating, please visit www.worldspawellbeing.com.
(thailand.prd.go.th)
