The Muslim-friendly branding benefits the spa industry in many ways
The success of Islamic tourism is driven by the cooperation of many components, including the spa industry’s introduction of Muslim-friendly spas. Aside from improving the excellent image of the spa industry, which is often associated with shady businesses, Muslim-friendly spas also offer job opportunities to youth, especially male spa therapists.
According to Liz Othman, the owner of Teratak Spa and the President of the Malaysia Association of Wellness Trainers, the 3rd World Islamic Tourism Conference (WITC) was an eye-opener for all tourism operators to explore the opportunities in the Muslim-friendly tourism sector.
“There are many opportunities for us to explore, especially after the pandemic. We need to rebrand and restructure our businesses. To me, I look at Muslim-friendly tourism as a new approach for us to adopt.”
Benefits of adopting Muslim-friendly branding for the spa industry
She opined that the needs and wants of Muslim travellers had changed after the pandemic. The travellers now focus more on spiritual and health needs. Therefore, Liz believes the Muslim-friendly spa is an untapped market, and spa operators must grab this opportunity to rebound their businesses.
“There are many benefits of adopting Muslim-friendly branding. First, it can clean the negative perception of the spa industry. Second, with this new business model, you can attract new clients. It elevates your business to the next level. Practising the Muslim-friendly spa standards Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) developed can boost the client’s confidence in your spa treatments.
“The concept of Muslim-friendly spas also attracts and retains local spa therapists. It attracts new talents to this industry without them having to worry about doing a massage to the opposite gender. I see this as a job opportunity for male spa therapists to enter the industry.”
