Issue 41

 

 

The World Spa and Well-being Convention 2015 boosted the image of Thailand’s holistic wellness industry among the international markets.

The Thai Spa and Wellness sector “is soon to become the hub of the spa and well-being industry in Asia and the world,” according to Krod Rojanastien, president of the Thai Spa Association.

“If all sectors understand the whole image of the spa and well-being industry, government and private sectors could scope the right direction together, Thailand firmly has potential to be a hub,” Rojanastien said at the World Spa and Well-being Convention 2015, held at Bangkok’s IMPACT Arena from September 24 to 26. “Health and wellness business will build on Thailand’s economy.”

The sector is already huge.

According to the DITP, the country’s spa industry was valued at 32.4 billion baht (US$904 million) in 2014, and it continues to grow every year.

Hosted by the DITP in collaboration with the Thai Spa Association, the World Spa and Well-being Convention 2015 aimed to promote spa businesses in Thailand and expand their markets overseas.

“This convention elevates the standard of Thailand’s spa and well-being industry through new innovations, services, product development, technologies and branding,” says Rojanastien. “More than 117 companies, both local and international who were producers, exporters, operators and media in the spa and well-being sector, attended the event.”

Established in 2001 as a non-profit organization, the Thai Spa Association has been working with the government to support and develop the spa industry in Thailand, central to this is the World Spa and Well-being Convention.

“The key of this event is not only sales,” says Rojanastien. “We create the opportunity for our members to present [their services] to the public. They could exchange their knowledge, present their quality products and learn to improve their standard to the international level.”

The convention included an exhibition, conference and award ceremony that recognised the efforts and achievements of all those in all spa and well-being sectors.

“Apart from that, we try to support more clusters – tourism, cuisine, fitness or meditation as all of these constitute holistic wellness,” adds Rojanastien, who believes that the ageing society will also have a significant impact on Thailand’s economy.

“The Ministry of Public Health has invited the Thai Spa Association to participate in writing a 20-year national master plan for this,” he says. “If we could manage this issue practically, the spa and well-being industry could help lead Thai economy to the bright side.”

For more information, please visit www.thaispaassociation.com

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi