Top Honours for Thai Spas and Wellness Resorts

Five Thai spas and wellness retreats won top honours at the 2006 SpaAsia Crystal awards ceremony during the second SpaAsia Wellness Summit organised at this rapidly growing beach resort last week. 

Just under 300 delegates from 30 countries including spa professionals, investors, hoteliers, medical practitioners, brand managers and governmental agencies attended the summit, held in Thailand for the second consecutive year. 

The summit focussed on reviving the “spirit” of the industry under the theme “Themed Enlivening the Spirit: Kindred Hearts to Healing Passions.” Organised by the Singapore-based publishing group Wellness Media, the summit featured a line-up of internationally acclaimed and accredited speakers, comprising academics, doctors, life coaches, healers, trainers and spa operators.

The Thailand SpaAsia Crystal award winners were:

BEST HUMAN RESOURCE PROGRAMME: Six Senses Resorts & Spas
BEST DESTINATION SPA: The Dheva Spa at Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiangmai.
BEST WELLNESS RETREAT: Chiva-Som International Health Resort
BEST COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: Chiva-Som International Health Resort.
PUBLISHER'S CHOICE AWARD: The Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.

The summit was preceded by a professional Study Tour organised by the Spa Association of Thailand to give participants a chance to meet with a premium selection of Thai Spa operators and checkout a display of Thai Spa products.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Mrs Juthamas Siriwan, said, “The promotion of health and wellness tourism is one of our key strategic marketing directions in the year ahead. The summit gave Thailand a wonderful opportunity to take this strategy forward.”

The Thai government is trying to promote traditional health because they focus on prevention rather than cure, use local resources and contribute to the preservation of tropical plants and local heritage. Thai herbs, cuisine and medicine as well as health and beauty products are a part of daily life and used prominently in the more than 700 long stay health care, spa and resorts in Thailand. For those who prefer modern medical treatments, Thailand boasts more than 400 private hospitals.

Wellness and beauty products are estimated to generate annual revenues of billions of baht for the Thai economy.

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