The importance of the qualified staff in the Health T ourism industry

The importance of the qualified staff The importance of the qualified staff in the in the Health THealth Tourism industryourism industry

László ZopcsákDirector

EHFA Standard Council Expert14.03.2010

Moscow Intourmarket

Outline

• Introduction

• The main characteristics of the Health Tourism and

Wellness sector, International trends

• Conclusions of the Health Tourism job-market research

• New innovative programes for wellness hotels

• Innovation of the education in Tourism, Staff

competencies

• Proposal for a joint wellness-education programme

International Wellness Institute’s (IWI) main profiles

• IWI is the largest EHFA accredited Wellness Fitness Training Porvider Centre in Central East Europe.

• EDUCATION – VET, - Hungarian, English

– Wellness & Spa Manager Courses– Fitness – Aerobic – Recreation Courses– Personal Training, yoga, etc.

• PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING – Fitness - Wellness centers, Hotels, Spa’s

• RESEARCH – INNOVATION

– Developing course materilas– PhD Researches – Worksite Wellness

IWI Education Center 2006

IWI IntroductionIn 2008

• In March 2008 IWI participated in an official state delegation in Russia to introduce Wellness education in Moscow's Intourmarket.

• In 23-26th of september 2008 IWI participated at LEISURE-ОТДЫХ conference – Moscow

2008-2009

• We have organised several workshops and study tours and hosted Russian delegations in Hungary

• Presently IWI offers more than 30 programmes including courses in English.

Laszlo Zopcsak with Mr Baranyai (president of wellness section of Hotel Association of

Hungary), in Moscow

Contributors of Health Tourism sector

Wellness/SPA Tourism – refreshment, pampering,

relaxation, preventive fitness, sport, art &design, cuisine, etc…

Medical or Therapy tourism – • Treatments, rehabilitation (Sanatorium)• Medical wellness, anti - aging, plastic surgery, vital spa,

etc…

Main features of the Health Tourism sector

• „High-tech” service sector

• Innovative: new trends

• Wellness - active wellness

• Medical wellness (3-4 years ago)

• Selfness (personal development)

• New fitness trends (functional

training, pilates, Body and mind)

Spa- wellness trends 2020Professional specialisation is the key!

1. Hotels built around a central theme: health/medical spas, sports, art & design, cuisine,

nature, Body and Mind concept

– Guests need attraction and stress reliefe!

2. Hotels focusing a special target group

Seniors, physical wellbeing and health care treatments

Profit centre spa - treatments, beauty products, gifts and accessories are offered for sale

It is a great challenge for the education system - requires complex knowledge:

• New trends, infrastructure, equipments

• Business, personal, professional skills

First-class staff is a basic prerequisite for success!

• Employment of first-class staff is rather an empty promise than common

practice

• Trainings, motivation system – financial, carrier

• Hardly any other area where quality is as decisive as in a spa!

• Guests seek motivation, honest and authentic hospitality and a fast and

professional way of solving possible problems

Enthusiasm is the keyword!

IWI has trained over 3000 wellness/fitness professionals, and we have

feedback from the market!

Method:

• Interview, questionary ≈ 200 hotels, ≈ 50 managers

Summary:

• Theory is well based (college degree), but…

• More practice for the students

• Practical further education workshops, courses

• Communication, customer service skills to be improved

• Language skills to be improved (English, German, Russian)

• Regional training centres 

„ You can not manage a 5* Hotel with 2* qualified staff!”

Conclusions of the Health Tourism job- market research 2009

Hungary is „good at thermal water”

Budapest is called the SPA capital

Hungary is a thermal water „empire”

• 1372 thermal springs

• 207 certified thermal water

• 385 places have thermal / medical water

• 224 certified mineral water

• 50 wellness-hotels

• 40 qualified medicinal spa-hotels

• 35 qualified medicinal spas

• 5 Health - caves

• 5 types of curing–mud

HUNGARY HUNGARIAN NATIONAL TOURIST OFFICE

Thermal – and medical baths in Hungary

MedicalMedical bath of national importance bath of national importance

Medical and tMedical and thermalhermal bath of bath of locallocal importanceimportance

30 000 places for guests in the Wellness and Therapy Hotels

Source: KSH

International and Hungarian standards and criteria for Spa and Wellness Centers

• There is no generally accepted international regulation in Wellness and SPA field, however each country tries to control its own market.

• ISPA – ESPA (European Spa Association)

• TÜV – Medical and Spa wellness certification

• In Hungary – we have state recognized regulations

• Wellness hotel standard / criteria:

– 54/2003. (VIII.29.) GKM regulation and its I/F appendix

– Hungarian Hotel Association – Wellness section– Hungarian Wellness Associaton

§

Employers (services, equipments, class)

It regulates the min. number of qualified wellness professional in the hotel.

State regulation for Hungarian Wellness Hotels

New innovative programmes in wellness hotels - Case study I.

Selfness programme: (guest actively

participates in his/her self development)

1. Guest fills in a selfness questionary on the

internet (nutrition, physical actyv. habits..)

2. Pre-designed program is suggested

3. Wellness coach fits the program to the guest

needs in the hotel

4. Program options: fitness, stress controll,

self-cleaning, alternative movements,

nutrition, spiritual workshops

5. Group and individual programmes - indoor,

outdoor

New innovative programmes in wellness hotels - Case study II.

Corporate wellness programme: (health cautious program)

1. Consultation with the management of the company

2. Pre-designed program is suggested

3. Wellness manager organises the program to the company needs

4. Program options: health promotion trainings,

5. Group and individual programes - indoor, outdoor, team building, etc…

Employees needed for wellness programmes:

• Wellness manager – the leader!

• Wellness receptionist

• Fitness Instructor, (Aqua, aerobics, gym)

• Hotel Animator (sport and recreation)

• Health care professionals – (medical

wellness knowledge)

• Physiotherpist, nutritionist,

• Wellness consultant (Life Coach)

• Massage and beauty therapist, etc.TEAM WORK!

What competencies needed for a wellness manager?

Managing and leading the operations of a Wellness- or Therapy

section, wellness clubs, spa salons, medical wellness facilities

Planning and developing new projects

Developing new service packages

Contribute to financial planning and operation of the wellness

department

Motivation and management of employee

Develop preventive health and fitness programmes

Contribute to marketing development of the service packages

Implement and maintain quality standards within the wellness

department

Knowledge of Wellness trends

Knowledge of Client Management

Knowledge of Health Tourism

Wellness & Spa Management knowledge

Innovation of the education in Tourism - Adult learning system

Cooperation with Russian Tourism Schools:in Wellness & Spa Management Course

Cooperation with Russian Schools:in Fitness Courses

• Fitness instructor

• Aerobic trainer

• ƒPersonal trainer

• Hotel Sport and Recreation Animator

We are looking for:

• Russian partner institutes

• Tour operators, agencies

Prospectus and business card is available after the presentation!

БЛАГОДАРЮ ЗА ВНИМАНИЕ!

László Zopcsák

director

[email protected]