BHW industry players bullish to offset crisis-related decline

Despite the global economic crisis, Cebu’s health and wellness industry is still optimistic to offset a possible decline of their services through staging the 4th Beauty, Health and Wellness Show (BHW) which opened recently at the Ayala Center Cebu.

Organizers view BHW as their avenue to showcase new trends and the wide range of products and services that are provided by this broadly-linked industry.

Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu (SWAC) president Johnie Lim said that BHW also aims to widen the awareness of Cebuanos and tourists alike that Cebu has a great potential as a world-class lifestyle destination.

Lim said that spa goers have lied low in going to spas and they have developed a “lukewarm” attitude in availing of the services they were used to.

He said that usually the month of October is their industry’s peak season but their revenues were not as high as last year.

Players are also conservative with their projections and are maintaining a “wait and see attitude” in their businesses as most have withhold of their expansion plans, said Lim.

As far as competition is concerned, new players are now having a hard time establishing their presence in the market because most consumers prefer the more known spa chains, he added.

Lim said that around 30 percent of spa players have closed their operations because they are unable to cope with the operation cost and the stiff competition.

However he stressed that compared to other areas such as Manila, Cebu’s wellness industry is performing far better.

“We don’t get high growth rates but there are no drastic declines as well. Most spa operators have been getting flat sales and this is because psychologically consumers feel the gravity of the crises,” said Lim.

With about 40 exhibitors, the Beauty, Health and Wellness 2008 Show feature more than just spas because it exhibited all major players engaged in the lifestyle business such as health and wellness products, beauty salons and parlors, beauty clinics, fitness studios and gyms, restaurants and healthy food supplements as well as wellness gears.

Under the theme: “Experience Life,” the exhibit at the activity area of the Ayala Center Cebu will run until November 16 and its highlights include: free massages, consultations and make-overs, product service and demos, seminars and forums as well as prizes and promos.

Meanwhile over-all BHW 2008 chairman Jay Yuvallos said that through the synergy of several organizations which include the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philexport Cebu, Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu Health and Wellness Coalition and their sponsors, BHW has been taken a notch higher with its new re-branding.

 He said that the show now highlights Cebu’s potential as a world-class total lifestyle destination showcasing its wide products and services.

“With the kind of environment that we have, there is a big opportunity for Cebu to prosper in the beauty, health and wellness sector, which is considered as a multi-billion dollar industry. In this activity, profit is not an issue because we want to invest on the future of this industry per se,” said Yuvallos.

He said that BHW will create a platform for branding and promotion not only of Cebu as a lifestyle destination but also the practice of a healthy lifestyle.