Spa development in Tourism Industry
Tourism as a tertiary economic activity gives more and more possibilities for countries to compete with each other in various tourist products and destination. New forms of travel, new tourist products and tourist destinations are the new facts of contemporary global tourism industry. Among the attractive tourist destination, spas get great significance and development of spa and wellness tourism is becoming an imperative for many countries that wish to actively participate in the world of tourism. Spas in hotels and resorts are one of the fastest-growing market segments in the hospitality and tourism industry. Development of Spa Industry in Malaysia has made a good economic impact and become one of the largest market demands among all the tourists who came to Malaysia. Spa resorts have continued to develop throughout all over the world, and in recent years, the market has become increasingly competitive. Today, virtually every hotel at the 5-star level has or is developing a spa concept. Spas are no longer something to enjoy on holidays but they have become a private convenient hideaway where people can pamper and nurture themselves on a regular basis. The popularity of wellness holidays and spa stays is growing and increase drastically in tourism sector. People in the world, tourists demand for a better lifestyle. As a marketing strategy, there are quite of numbers of hotel in the world developing a spa concept. It will help the tourism economic sector to grow at the same time encourage tourist to enjoy and have a good treatment at the spa, while on holiday. spa tourism is not a new phenomenon in Malaysia. The increasing popularity of health spas in Malaysia has provided an avenue for lucrative investments in promoting health tourism packages. According to a survey by Intelligent Spas, the number of spas in Malaysia has grown over 200% since 2002 with more than 170 spas currently operating. The industry in