Review: Swiss Medical Spa & Hospitality Think Tank

The first Swiss Medial Spa & Hospitality Think Tank saw a real boom. Self-care and well-being are becoming more and more important today. This is increasing the demand for medical services in the hospitality and tourism sector.

High growth

According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 7.5 percent through 2022. Wellness accounts for 58 percent of this global health spending, so it's a market that deserves attention. Today's guests expect a balanced package - from preventive approaches in the interest of general health such as nutrition and fitness, life coaching or stress management, to an environment that enables rapid recovery from a specific illness.

"Growth in the global medical spa market is being driven by rising numbers in aesthetic medicine and cosmetic treatment options, as well as growth in wellness trends in developed countries. Another driver is likely to be the increase in medical tourism in growth markets such as India, China and Brazil," said CV Wijeratne, Head of Spa & Wellness Management Major at SSTH.

As the session progressed, several speakers demonstrated that there is a growing demand for hospitality expertise and talent in traditional medical treatments as well. Dr. Peter Yesawich of Brown Legacy Group explained that behind the "Mother Standard®" as practiced at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® is a consistent focus on the hospitality experience, or the patient experience. In keeping with this holistic approach, which seeks to optimize the guest experience at every touchpoint, Lisa Clarke of Destination Medical Center's economic development agency has renovated the infrastructure of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The clinic itself has an excellent reputation, but until now did not have hosts who could provide patients with a safe haven between treatments and an accessible, engaging environment to ease their physical and emotional stress.

Other contributions at the think tank meeting came from renowned experts such as:

• Dr. Radesh Palikurthi, University of Memphis, "Preferred Health and Wellness Tourism Destinations of American Consumers: A trade-off analysis of key decision factors"
• Dr. Ali Poorani, University of Delaware, "Hospitality Associates for Research & Education: Marketing and Sensory Evaluation"
• Dr. Frederick J. De Micco, University of Delaware and CV Wijeratne, SSTH: Presentation of current research findings and expert panel "Bridging Healthcare to Hospitality (H2H)".
  As part of the expert panel, speakers discussed key drivers of change and opportunities in the health, spa and wellness, medical and hospitality sectors, as well as possible elements of a curriculum that is aligned accordingly.

Michael Hartmann, Managing Director of the SSTH, has developed the major option Spa and Wellness Management for the Hôtelière-Restauratrice/Hôtelier-Restaurateur HF course. This focus not only teaches operational management skills, but also specifically strengthens soft skills. "People are looking for experiences and want all their senses to be stimulated. They want us to build on their childhood memories. This is particularly relevant for health and wellness tourism, as guests have very specific expectations and needs. Medicine and hospitality are therefore combining their skills to offer patients and guests an experience that is high quality in all respects." The affective, scientific approach of the SSTH teaching method ensures that students meet these expectations in practice: They practice self-reflection, gain independence, develop confidence and hone empathy as well as professionalism before assuming their role as "directors" in this new hospitality landscape.

About the EHL Group

EHL Group, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, comprises a portfolio of different business units specializing in education and innovation in international hospitality management:

The EHL Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne has been the symbol of Swiss hospitality since it was founded in 1893. It has been a pioneer in its pioneering education for the hotel and hospitality sector to this day. The result is a unique global community of 25,000 hospitality leaders and students from 120 countries.

As a leading hospitality management university, EHL offers Study programs for enthusiastic, talented and ambitious students - on their campuses in Lausanne and Passugg as well as online.

The school is ranked number 1 in the QS and CEO world rankings and its restaurant "Berceau des Sens" is the only training restaurant in the world with a Michelin star.

The EHL Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality (Chur-Passugg) has been one of the leading hotel and hospitality management schools for hotel professionals for 50 years. In a recently renovated 19th-century spa hotel in Passugg, Graubünden, it offers Swiss accredited training at both professional and university level to Swiss and international students from 20 countries.

EHL Advisory Services is the largest Swiss hospitality consulting firm with expertise in the development of educational models, in quality assurance for learning centers, and in strategic and operational consulting for companies, especially in the implementation of a benchmark service culture for companies within and outside the hospitality industry. EHL Advisory Services has offices in Lausanne, Beijing, Shanghai as well as New Delhi and has undertaken mandates in more than 60 countries over the last 40 years.

www.ehl.edu