A REVIVED INTEREST AMONG HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS toward balneology, hydrotherapy, mineral water therapy, and the
increased fusion of Eastern and Western medicine and business practices offer opportunities for spas to create a unique spa consumer
experience. Onsen (Japanese word for mineral hot spring which is usually located within a destination boutique hotel called a ryoken)
and sento (public bathhouse that uses municipal water, as an alternative in areas where there is no access to mineral springs) are not
new concepts, but rethinking the old bathhouse model and marketing it as a unique spa experience can help to add brand value to a
spa and in the process, increase its marketability.
June 2012
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PULSE 43