Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Wellness sector to unite
STAKEHOLDERS in Cebu’s health and wellness sector have agreed to establish a coalition to promote growth in the industry.
The creation of a health and wellness coalition was a decision made by private and public stakeholders at the end of the roadmapping workshop and strategic planning session in Cebu City last Friday.
The formation of the coalition will be initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Cebu, said DTI Provincial Director Nelia Navarro.
Navarro said the industry is in need of a coordinating body represented by the “champions” of the sub-sectors in the local health and wellness industry, as well as concerned government agencies, such as the DTI, Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DOF).
She said in an interview that there will also be close coordination between the Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu (Swac) and its counterparts in the government like the DOH and the DOT.
Goal
Navarro said a strong private-public sector partnership, which can be achieved through the creation of the coalition, will ensure Cebu’s goal to be a leading health and wellness destination in the country and in Southeast Asia.
Once the coalition is formed, she said, an action plan will be drafted to prioritize the concerns of the sector.
She said issues — like certification and licensing of spa operators, effective measures to promote Cebu as a medical tourism destination, and the need to address global competition – will be ironed out once the coalition is established.
With the expected growth in the spa sector, Swac president Johnie Lim earlier said the association will ask the Cebu City Council to require new spa and wellness establishments to get a Swac accreditation.
“The accreditation would ensure that spa and wellness centers in Cebu would follow the same standards,” he said. This is in line with Swac’s goal to promote Cebu as a spa and wellness center in the country, he had added.
Support
Lim had said, though, that while he is “very positive” about the local industry, the sector could grow further if government, particularly the tourism department, provides more support.
He called on the government to be supportive rather than critical.
Rudy Caña, DTI brand manager for health and wellness, said Cebu should “immediately strengthen” its potentials in the health and wellness industry. He added that the province’s health and wellness sector has a huge growth potential because of high tourism arrivals in Central Visayas in general.
“What happens now is that the industry is only well-known as part of the leisure tourism, not as a true-blue health and wellness destination,” he said.
Caña said stakeholders must “first lay out the basic fundamentals” in developing the local health and wellness sector before drawing in tourists and marketing the province and the region as a spa hub. (MMM)
