Spa industry flourishing

From its humble beginnings in 1998, the nation's spa industry now offers world-class spa services and treatments, and holds a key position in the global supply chain of spa-related equipment and products, industry veterans said yesterday.

Now, it's looking to develop further through government support and the integration of its resources -- so Taiwan can become a top spa destination for foreign tourists.

"Taiwan's spa industry has been flourishing, with more spa centers dotting the streets than convenience stores," said Candy Tang (唐雅君), chairwoman of ISPA Taiwan, the local branch of the International Spa Association (ISPA). "But we lacked a central organization to consolidate forces and link up with international trends. Other than that, I believe this burgeoning industry is perfect for representing the voice of Taiwan."

Tang, who is also president of Alexander Health Club (亞力山大俱樂部), made the comments while introducing this year's Taipei Spa Show, which starts Friday at the Taipei World Trade Center's Exhibition Hall III. Admission for the five-day event is NT$150 per person.

The concept of spa -- the acronym for solus par aqua in Latin, meaning "healing by water" -- was first introduced to the nation in 1998 when Orient Retreat (登琪爾), the country's first ISPA member, started providing spa sessions.

The industry then saw the number of spa operators mushroom in 2000.

Now the industry has developed into a massive market worth nearly NT$10 billion (US$295 million) a year.

The exact figure is hard to estimate because the lack of grading criteria has led to a great variety of spa centers, from chain stores offering high-quality services to family-style workshops competing for the low-priced market, said Victoria Liu (柳湘琦), secretary general of ISPA Taiwan.

"Spa has become a lifestyle," Liu added. "It relieves pressure and will lead you to happiness."

With the help of essential oils, relaxing music, hot herbal tea and aromatherapists' magic fingers, industry veterans promise that customers in these exclusive facilities will be able to relieve all their stresses.

Spas are internationally categorized into seven types -- the day spa (more favored in metropolitan cities, such as New York and London), destination spa (such as those in weight-loss programs), cruise-ship spa, medical spa, resort or hotel spa, mineral springs spa and club spa (usually integrated with fitness centers).

Unlike spas in Thailand or the Indonesian island of Bali -- whose customers are 95 percent foreign tourists -- only 5 percent of the Taiwan spa industry's customers are non-Taiwanese.

Instead, female locals account for the bulk of the customer base, said Shenyn Wang (王序寧), managing director of Orient Retreat, which has ten outlets nationwide, as well as two in the US and five in Canada. Wang is also the founding chairwoman of ISPA Taiwan.

According to ISPA Taiwan, the nation's day spas are ranked among the top three in the industry. But spas here have not been able to generate widespread publicity among foreign tourists and businesspeople, Wang said.

Tang lauded spa services as a perfect complement to the promotion of tourism, as they are now available in five-star hotels, shopping malls and resorts.

With the nation's industry growing at a breathtaking pace of 20 percent per year, Tang said that government support is vital in developing examination systems for aromatherapists and training other professionals needed in the booming business.