Spas: the way forward post-Covid
In the post Covid era, one way forward is to focus on achieving a healthier and wellness orientated lifestyle. A simple definition of ‘Wellness’ is; “it is a complete state of mental, physical and social well being. The core of a travel experience to a tourist is ‘well being’ and there are early signs that this is triggering a point of interest in the choices people are making when booking Covid holidays and accommodations. Preferences towards destinations that provide Spa and wellness – even ‘Ayurveda’ options is on the high!
‘Wellness’ is turning a full circle in the tourism industry post Covid. There will be those who merely yearn to get away to a warm sunny beach...feet touching the sand as they walk, breathing in the balmy windblown air – by itself a mild form of wellness. However, a great majority of holiday-makers will no longer be satisfied with doing just that! At a time, where a sharp consciousness of healthy living is integrated into a ‘new’ demand for a safe and healthier lifestyle, they will seek out travel destinations that offer curated and personalised wellness packages that sync with the ecosystem of the particular locality.
The Spa industry will, as in the past, continue to be indecisively positioned in the minds of the customer - On the one hand, the COVID-19 virus being emotive, would influence some people to totally avoid spa oriented services on the safety front. On the other hand, there are those who, in embracing a wellness oriented lifestyle, will visit Spas under any compulsion – be it to a drive to a closely located safe sanctuary in the city or nearby, in the short term, and eventually, across the border, once the threat of COVID recedes...on the long-term.
The ‘physical’ wellbeing of the Spa and Wellness areas will earn the trust of the customer -where the Spa or Wellness centre is spotlessly clean and effectively sanitised. Other protocols such as; staff undergoing regular personal hygiene checks, frequent monitoring of body temperature, a doctor’s health certification, air circulation efficiency to name but a few, will need to be superlative to elevate the client’s confidence. Taking customers in by ‘prior appointment’ system will appeal to most. Remember that the use of sanitizers, face masks and gloves will be here for some time.
A green approach by going paperless is ideal. The traditional marketing and promotional practices with a ‘hard sell’ that was done prior to COVID-19 will be constrained in the current situation, owing to social distancing and other regulations to fight the pandemic. Today’s customers are tech savvy and spas that embrace the digital platform to market not only the treatments they offer, but to also spread the news of what safety and hygiene protocols they have adopted - will stand tall in the cluttered and disoriented marketplace.
Other strategies to attract attention would be to arrange online sessions featuring facets of the services on offer built around clips of aerobics, yoga / meditation and similar therapy sessions on mental wellbeing that would sustain interest on wellness as well as your spa in the minds of consumers. To further promote one, bundled offers in the form of rebated vouchers or gift cards for massages and treatments can be sold online to generate revenue.
An area that spas in Sri Lanka may well pursue with greater vigour is to promote Ayurveda and Aromatherapy as one that can be incorporated into our lifestyles. True, it is not an undiscovered avenue, and, yet its full potential has neither been explored nor exploited. Marketed and done properly - the international traveller would make sure to experience this holistic package when inbuilt in the wellness offerings during their stay.
In conclusion, the human body helps us instinctively survive, evolve and adapt to the changes in the situation during and post-Covid. The bright light at the end of the tunnel is the focus on wellness.
Mehroon Wahab is a former media representative for ‘Spa Asia’ in Sri Lanka & the Maldives and it was during her tenure that the Singapore based magazine published a 14-page feature on the best spas in Sri Lanka.
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