Guiedlines for Potential Development of Spa Business Focus on Expectation of Foreign Tourists in Huahin District, Prachuapkirikhan Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study levels of marketing strategies for foreign tourists affecting customer expectation on spa business in Hua Hin District, Prachuapkirikhan Province, and to investigate spa business potential for resort and spa in aforementioned area. Mixed method approach was employed to analyze collected data quantitatively and qualitatively. In order to analyze quantitative data, 400 foreign tourists who came to spend a day spa treatment was selected as a sample group.  While qualitative analysis of data is performed, a set of questionnaires and structured interview were employed through sample group, consisting of 5 people from 5 different resort-and-spa entrepreneurs. The results revealed that informants were female, those aged ranged between 25 - 35 years old, holding bachelor’s degree, coming from European countries, earning monthly income between    

50,001 - 65,000, working as employees in private companies, spending their first holidays in Prachuapkirikhan Province, having a spa service plan during their stay in the province, and selected informant enjoying an authentic Thai massage, spending for spa service between 500 - 800 Baht, those booking or making spa reservation through the Internet. Factors affecting customers’ expectation for spa service, in overall, were found at a high level in 4 aspects. In terms of spa business potentials for resort and spa, the Mckinsey7S was used to define strategic plans used in spa business management as follows; 1) Strategy - found that the strategy used in operating the business were products, design and decoration service place, price, and male therapists; 2) Structure - found that there was a clear work division; 3) System - found that there were only some places that brought in Enterprise Resource Planning Software to control the working procedures; 4) Staff - found that all the spa places must recruit therapists that passed the certified training from the institution following the standard required by the Ministry of Public Health; 5) Skill - found that there were only some places that the spa staff in all areas can work as substitutes for one another due to on job work training in all areas, so this resulted in well potential development in employees’ work; 6) Style - found that there were only a few places that used the evaluation standard for operation performance in various tasks (KPI); 7) Shared value - found that spa places that have shared value will result in employees to be more passionate for their organization.