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ATM 2017 to
return with dedicated Wellness & Spa Lounge as global spa market set to top
US$104 billion by 2020 according to Global Wellness Institute report
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MENA
market research highlights the UAE as the region’s top performer with spa market
value expected to top AED1.85 billion by 2020
The
global wellness industry grew 10.6% to become a US$3.72 trillion market in 2015,
with the spa market a key driver according to new research from the Global
Wellness Institute (GWI). The research mirrored the growth in the MENA region
of the tourism-related industry with the UAE at the forefront of growth.
The burgeoning sector will be showcased once
again at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) as the dedicated Wellness
& Spa Lounge returns for 2017. Over 35 exhibitors representing some of the
world’s most recognised health and wellness hospitality destinations will
attend, an increase of 40% on last year’s numbers.
According to
research from Colliers Experiential Travel Series: Wellness, Spa and Medical
Travel 2017, the UAE spa industry is estimated to be valued at AED1.7 billion,
accounting for 14% of the MENA spa market, and expected to surpass AED1.85 billion
by 2020.
Dubai currently
has more than 200 spas in operation, with 25 new hotel spas expected to open
this year. Furthermore, the Dubai hotel spa market continues to experience
increasing demand according to the Colliers report with a 9% increase in the
average number of treatments sold per day in H1 2016 compared to the same
period in 2015.
“The global
wellness industry has witnessed incredible growth in recent years as more and
more people incorporate healthy habits into holidays and corporate travel, with
an increasing trend of travelers willing to commit their time and money to
wellness proving to be a major driving force when making vacation decisions,”
said Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market.
“The surge of
interest in this specialist tourism industry vertical has resulted in a 40%
increase of exhibitors and dedicated wellness and spa buyers from the Middle
East,” he added.
A number of
wellness and travel trends are expected in 2017 including a move towards healthy
holidays such as eat well, detox holidays and get-fit boot camps resulting in
an increased number of wellness packages offered at spas. The exclusivity of
spa and wellness is also set to become less apparent as it becomes more
mainstream.
Other trends set
to benefit the region in 2017 are an expected increase in demand to embrace
local culture, heritage and sights.
“Safari
holidays in Africa for example, are increasingly including yoga, spa and
meditation as part of the itinerary. In Dubai, the Desert Yoga and Meditation
camp took place in March 2016 for the fourth year in a row, clearly there’s an
opportunity for the many desert resorts in the region to benefit from this
trend and showcase the Middle Eastern landscapes and incredible sights,” said
Press.
Medical tourism
will be another key theme of the Spa & Wellness Lounge. According to Dubai
Health Authority (DHA), Dubai attracted 630,831, medical tourists during 2015
out of which 298,359 (47%) were international and 332,472 (53%) were domestic.
Designed as a
hub for wellness and spa professionals, the lounge will host two days of up to
35 pre-scheduled appointment with high calibre Middle Eastern buyers and up to
35 international wellness suppliers.
Exhibitors
already confirmed include L’Albereta, Swiss Diamond Hotel and Velaa Private
Island Maldives who will be joined by first-time exhibitor Radisson Blu Hotel
1835 & Thalasso.
“At this time
of year everyone is thinking about their New Year resolutions, US-based digital
marketing agency, iQuanti, revealed through data from google, ‘get healthy’ was
the number one search term associated with resolutions, searched 62,776,640, a
13.77 percent increase of over 2015. There’s clearly an appetite for health and
wellbeing and therefore a great opportunity for the tourism industry here to
capitalise,” added Press.
The spa and
wellness theme is only a part of a packed agenda being developed for ATM 2017.
The main theme is experiential travel, but other highlights include, technology,
halal tourism, business travel, responsible tourism, shopping, aviation,
culture and heritage, and adventure travel.
ATM
- considered by many industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East
and North Africa tourism sector, witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance increase
of 8% to over 39,800 in 2016, with 2,520 exhibiting companies signing business
deals worth more than US$ 2.5 billion over four days.
For
more information on Arabian Travel Market 2017, please log on to: www.arabiantravelmarket.com
