(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The UAE's spa industry will continue to see an upward growth curve thanks to a persistent increase in tourist arrivals and rise of the wellness trend, says a new report. Female guests are outstripping male visitors at Dubai's resort spas, it adds.
"The hotel spa market has shown consistent performance over the last three years and we expect this trend to continue in the second half of the year. Despite growing competition in the spa market, factors such as the year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals in the UAE and the rise of wellness trends both globally and locally are having a positive impact on the spa market," said Pooja Hemrajani, senior consultant for hospitality at Colliers International Mena.
According to Colliers International's Mena Spa Report 2017, the UAE market comprises 687 operating spas, employing more than 20,000 people. This includes hotel and standalone spas.
Men vs women
Data from the Colliers Spa Benchmark Report for first-half of 2017 revealed that the split of female and male guests in Abu Dhabi hotel spas - 47 per cent - and Dubai city hotel spas - 55 per cent - is fairly even, whereas Dubai's resort spas receive a higher share of female guests at 62 per cent.
In hotel spas, the share of tourist and resident demand is almost even when compared to standalone spas that primarily cater to residents. In Dubai's hotel spas, the ratio of walk-in demand to in-house guest demand ranges between 43 to 46 per cent, whereas in Abu Dhabi's hotel spas, the share of walk-in demand is higher at 67 per cent, Hemrajani said.
Andreea Danila, founder and managing director, Millennial Capital, said in upscale day spas - with average treatment price of Dh250 - the ratio is almost evenly distributed between men and women, whereas luxury spas - with average treatment price of Dh450 - are more frequented by females while the midscale spas are more frequented by males.
Generally, males represent around 47 per cent of the total spa visitors in the UAE while only 13 per cent are male assistants at the spa facilities.
Female therapists preferred
Generally, female therapists are preferred and more commonly seen in spas around the UAE though male therapists are also common. Female visitors generally opt for female therapists especially on earlier treatments, she said.
Samir Hamadeh, general manager, Alpha Destination Management, says it is well-known that nearly 70 per cent of spa goers globally are women.
"However, in the UAE that differs and we have a significantly high percentage of men using spas. This is mainly because the awareness around the benefits of wellness lifestyle is growing as also the diversity of products. In addition, easy accessibility given the number of hotels with spa facilities in the UAE as well as the development of standalone spas, makes it convenient for people to use these."
Danila said majority of visitors tend to be hotel visitors - between 50-60 per cent, but this may vary depending on the nature of spa and varies between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For example, in the UAE the top two guest nationalities among GCC tourists are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait while international top guests include from the UK and USA. Given the extensive hotel operated spa infrastructure in the UAE, most of the visitors are tourists with a 48 per cent in-house guests for hotel-managed spas.
Wellness tourism is growing at a rate of six per cent per annum in the Middle East and the UAE leads spa tourism in the region. One in seven of total tourism dollars generated in the UAE comes from trips with a wellness component, Hamadeh said, adding that each emirate has its own mix of customers.
Spa still a luxury?
Hamadeh said spas were considered a luxury some years ago. That has changed now.
"The number of guests looking to experience spas, whether residents or tourists, has gone up. The growth of middle class is mainly driving the growth of spa and wellness industry; therefore, we have seen a lot of standalone spa outlets developing outside hotels. The diversity of types of spas allows consumers to enjoy a wide range of treatments at affordable price points," Hamadeh added.
Hemrajani noted that the most important aspects that play on the mind of the spa visitors are treatments/facilities offered, price of treatment and the brand's reputation.
"Customers look at what treatments and packages are available, what products are used, whether the spa has the facilities they may be looking for such as showers, steam/sauna, relaxation room, etc. The price of the treatment is always an important factor and plays a role in determining which spa to go to. For example, those on a budget may choose to look for spas with discounts and offers. Thirdly, a quick online search of customer reviews, blog posts and magazine articles can help a potential customer to gauge the quality of service offered. Those spas with the best reviews and a strong reputation benefit from higher treatments sold," she added.
According to Danila, the UAE population considers a host of factors including online reviews, pricing of treatments and quality of therapists when choosing a spa.
"Recently, we observed fundamental shift in consumer purchase/selection patterns especially for the millennial consumer who is highly influenced by the social media and micro-influencer type of marketing activities," she concluded.
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