Nonetheless, according to Arora, the UAE is not a country that comes to mind when you think about wellness tourism. Through the combined efforts of Dubai Health Authority and DTCM, however, Dubai is slowly entering this niche market and starting to promote medical and wellness tourism, with a number of offerings, including dedicated hotels and resorts, and health and wellness initiatives.
Staff recruitment is also important when it comes to the success of a particular wellness outlet. According to Brown, to be successful, a wellness resort needs a whole range of experts, depending on which areas or specialisms the specific property is focusing on.
“For example, here at Fairmont The Palm we specialise in medi-spa treatments, so we got an aesthetic doctor from London, Dr Rita Rakus, to design the treatment menu and train the team on all of the specialist treatments,” she said. “We also have two experts in wellbeing, who provide a range of meditative spa experiences combined with guided relaxation and sound healing.”
For Fairmont, having all these experts on board helps ensure that its offering stays ahead of industry trends and manages to meet the guests’ expectations.
Hotel design plays a significant role in success of a wellness experience, according to Arora.
“Different factors are to be considered in terms of design including the colour scheme, furniture design, lighting, and so on. At the Retreat Palm Dubai, we incorporated Feng Shui elements and chose earth colours for the overall design aesthetic, to give a feeling of calm and peace,” he added.
For Brown, it is essential that wellness offerings reflect the tradition or culture of the area in which a property is located.
“For example, if you are at a health retreat in Switzerland, you would expect traditional Swiss treatments or the use of ingredients or elements that are original to that place, such as water bottled at source in the Swiss Alps,” Brown added.
Natural design elements are also incorporated in the Willow Stream Spa facilities, which boast features such as a water wall and authentic Arabic architectural touches. Experiential showers that feature tiles made from pearl reflect the history of Dubai and the emirate’s pearl diving culture.
During a design roundtable hosted by Hotelier Middle East and sister publication, Commercial Interior Design, Euromonitor International research analyst, Rabia Yasmeen, highlighted the importance of design when it comes to wellness offerings.”
She continued; “UAE hotels report that 60% of total spa visitors are people who are not otherwise staying at the property,” she noted. “Hotels are now leasing spaces for more spa-related services as the demand increases.
“The trend towards health and wellness and medical tourism in this region is expanding. Health-focused tourists usually spend 130% of the expenditure of regular travellers, as they seek such experiences as part of their wider search for leisure activities.”
“There is now greater demand for experiences, ranging from two- to seven-night health and wellness programmes, to meditation, or cosmetic treatments,” she concluded.
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