International Resorts And Spa
I want to speak about how in the Middle East wellness is all to do with beauty and physical appearance
And how in Asia it’s to do with the mind and the rejuvenation of the body.
My articles are the following and you can add on it , minimum 2 articles
[Accessed 1 Oct. 2014].
http://beautyworldme(dot)com, (2014). Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. [online] Available at:
Description
The coursework is an individual academic essay that provides a conceptual debate on the activities that influence the development of the resort or spa industry.
Select a topic of your choice based on the module content i.e. resort definition, resort ownership, services marketing: people, physical evidence or process, resort strategic management, resort sustainability, spa, or wellness. Research the topic and find an argument (two clearly contrasting perspectives). Analyse, assess, compare and contrast the different perspectives then give your opinion and justify it.
Please ensure that you link the contrasting perspectives you are writing about to relevant theories that support your opinion and its justification. You should not merely describe the perspectives but critically assess their influence on the development of resorts and spas.
Structure
In principle, an essay does not have or has a limited number of headings. It flows in a logical manner and includes an introduction, main section, and conclusion.
• Title page: Include the programme name, module name and code, essay topic/argument, student name and UoD number, lecturer name, and submission date.
• Acknowledgements: If appropriate, provide a page acknowledging those who helped you complete the assessment.
Page 4
• Content page: List the contents (Introduction, Findings and Analysis, Conclusion, References) and the page numbers they appear on.
• Introduction: In approximately 200-300 words provide the background, state the objectives and provide an overview of the content of the essay.
• Findings and analysis: In approximately 2000 words provide enough clarity and indicate the theoretical concepts that inform your findings and analysis.
• Conclusion: In approximately 200-300 words summarize the main points and state your opinion and its justification.
• References: Provide a reference list of all sources.
• Appendices: No appendices.
Formatting guidelines
• Use 12 point-size, 1.5 line spacing, and Arial font
• Spell and grammar check your text
• Reference all sources in the text using the Harvard Referencing System
• Include a reference list of all sources at the end of the report
Please name your file and title your Turnitin submission using your last name and first names only as follows: Charlet_Gilles or Peh_Lian_Choon.
Module Name: International Resorts And Spa
Student Name: Abdulrahman Mohammed Jamjoom
Argument:
The wellness industry has been growing at a fast rate, compared to the rest of the tourism industry. At the heart of this growth are two major markets, which are driving the major changes and developments. The Middle East and Asian continent are the leading in the wellness vacation industry, but they are both leading different ends of the industry. The Middle East has concentrated on the beauty and physical appearance, while Asian markets are concentrating on mind and rejuvenation of the body.
Class : BAHE1
Words : 2825
Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc417649090 \h 3The wellness vacation industry PAGEREF _Toc417649091 \h 4Growth of wellness in the Middle East PAGEREF _Toc417649092 \h 5Wellness Industry Trends PAGEREF _Toc417649093 \h 6Wellness industry in Asia PAGEREF _Toc417649094 \h 8Wellness industry Growth PAGEREF _Toc417649095 \h 8Industry trends in Asia PAGEREF _Toc417649096 \h 8Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc417649097 \h 10References PAGEREF _Toc417649098 \h 13
Introduction
In 2008, the recession hit some of the major world economies, crippling some of them such as a majority of the EU member countries. The global economy is highly interconnected and for those countries that did not suffer massive losses, business was slow (Beautyworldme.com, 2015). This was mostly the case in the hospitality sector. This sector relies on most of the people having disposable income for their entertainments and relaxation. A lot has changed now and most of the countries are enjoying thriving economies. Wellness spas and resorts have been on the rise, with customers getting quality immersive experiences through well-crafted programs (Beautyworldme.com, 2015). The wellness vacation industry has been slowly developing a foothold, on persons that would want to improve their emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. While the industry has gained massive leaps in the recent past, it dates back beyond the 18th century when the Europeans would have mineral baths as a means of relaxing and healing the body (Levine, 2014). In this paper, the aspects of wellness vacation industry within the Middle East and Asia are reviewed with a skew towards the fact that the two markets have different trends and packages to offer. In the Middle East, most of the spas and the resorts offering these services tend to focus on the beauty and the physical appearance as most of the customers in the market demand (Plessier, 2015). In Asia, however, there is a different trend, where spas and resorts offering services tailored towards the mind and the rejuvenation of the body other than beauty and physical appearance.
The wellness vacation industry
In the recent past, the word vacation and wellness have been used together and interchangeably as the industry leaders shape out an edge within the hospitality industry and market (Plessier, 2015). This is an industry that has seen a lot of growth; with major players across the globe taking the expectations a lot higher from the initial wellness tourism and expanding it to aspects such as holistic cruises, healthy hotels, weight loss clinics, spiritual and creative retreats as well as medical tourism (Plessier, 2015). All these are divergent trends of the wellness vacation industry and depict the level of growth that is expected in the industry, as more players streamline their services(Levine, 2014).
When the first global wellness tourism congress was held back in October the year 2013, the study report indicated that there was at least accounting for more than 14% of revenues coming from the tourism industry and that it was gaining a foothold relative to the fact that it was now a half a trillion dollar market and rising fast (Chen, 2015). While the industry is diversifying fast, the central business model comes back to the elements of intensive fitness, mind-body programming and healthy foods to keep the clients health in anall-round package. People have less time to go for long vacations and thus tend to appreciate the short and comprehensive packages offered in the wellness industry (Bdb.co.uk, 2014). At the same time the industry is witnessing the increased growth relative to the fact that the current population is becoming highly aware of their health and well-being (Plessier, 2015). As such, the people trying to live a healthy life are most likely to show up at the resorts and at the spas as they look for remedies. As such other than the economic rate of recovery experienced in most areas across the globe, health concerns and awareness are also contributing to the growing trends. With aspects such the failing health care systems and the rising costs of managing health nationally and at the family level, most of the people are choosing to change their lifestyles and adapt to the healthier living standards (Bdb.co.uk, 2014). The development of the lifestyle diseases such as cancer have also pushed the need to look into people’s eating habits, as some of the lifestyle habits that were seen to be exquisite and a show of one’s status, have turned out to be the leading cases of chronic disease. Living a healthy live nowadays is not a choice anymore, as most people are forced to redefine their ways (Plessier, 2015). Environmental awareness has also had a part to play, as most of the people become more aware of their impact to the surroundings and consider their coming generation. As such, wellness vacations and the related activities can be said to be an indication of the society redefining its values, taking note and appreciating some of the indigenous yet subtle practices that can make more bearable now and in the future (Chesters, 2015).
Despite the fact that the industry is looking at expanding the coverage and the reception of the services, there are diverse adaptations of the services by different markets. In the Asian countries most of the customers are after mind wellness and rejuvenation (Chen, 2015). This is mostly due to the fact that, most of Asian people adhere to the culture that advocates for a level of balance between the physical body, mind and the soul for one to be whole and healthy (Chesters, 2015). The Middle East market on the other hand is skewed towards services that are bound to improve the clients’ beauty and the physical appearance (The Middle East Magazine Online, 2014).
Growth of wellness in the Middle East
The wellness tourism trend in the Middle East is estimated to be the fastest growing in the world. According to data that was released by The Global Wellness Tourism Congress in 2014, the Middle East wellness market has been growing at an average of 16% every year (Chen, 2015). The CEO and President Global Spa And Wellness Summit and the president to the SpaFinder Wellness all estimated that the wellness market in the world is approximately worth half billion US dollars and it is expected to rise through the market value to an estimated $678 billion dollars, by the year 2017(Chen, 2015). This is a growth rate that is much faster than the overall tourism sector, with a rating of about 50% every year. The Middle East market on the other hand is estimated to be at $5.3 billion dollars (Chen, 2015). One of the major drivers of the industry is associated with the fact that indigenous practices that were historically carried out in light of wellness have also come back up. These include the baths and the hammams. It is estimated that more than 4.8 million tourists every year head to the Middle East in search of the spas and the resorts where they can be offered wellness services and products. The spas take the form of organic restaurants, yoga, fitness, lifestyle retreats, health hotels and the natural reserves among others(Chen, 2015).
Wellness Industry Trends
One of the most interesting aspects about the Middle East and the wellness industry is the fact that, there is some form of bias towards most clients going for services that bring about improvement in the physical being and their beauty (Chen, 2015). This is an aspect that underlined at a subtle level by the major event called the Beautyworld Middle East. In the 2015 venture, the event will host many players in the industry with most products and services offered geared towards beauty and the appearance of the clients in the market. More than 1300 exhibitors graced the previous year’s event and products such fragrances, hair, wellness and beauty products took the event. Most of the exhibitors brought to the event some of the trending beauty products and expected services going forward in the future. A closer look at the Beautyworld Middle East, website will reveal a specific trend towards the aspects of beauty and the physical appearance (Beautyworldme.com, 2015). In the highlights sections dedicated to the 2015 event, there are three main sections. One of the sections is the fragrances, where the main fragrances brought to the market are shown. The second section shows Beautyworld Middle East Boutique,...