Promoting the Spa Tourism Industry: Focus on Coastal Resorts in Kenya

The connection between health and tourism is not a new phenomenon since people began to travel to spa towns in the 1800s and has grown substantially worldwide. Health retreats and spas are a rapidly growing sector of the tourism industry where there has been new interest in "new age" remedies and traditional remedial therapies. There is a distinct lack of published research on spa tourism issues in Kenya. Hence, the focus of such research could help identify the potential of spa tourism among domestic and international travellers, who visit Kenya and in particular Mombasa as a tourism destination. This paper aims to provide a profile of the spa resort sector in Kenya based on an in-depth analysis of promotional materials produced by each of the resorts within the population and discussions with managers of the spa resorts. The research aimed at providing a starting point for understanding the Kenyan spa resort market by establishing a preliminary profile and categorisation of the sector, particularly from a supply perspective. This research also seeks to provide some guidance for managing the prospective growth of the spa resort market and guide the marketing endeavours of existing spa resorts. Qualitative research was used to undertake an analysis of promotional materials produced by Kenyan spa resorts as well as in-depth interviews with the spa managers and direct observation. This was with the aim to establish reliable industry benchmarks for key infrastructure and generate greater awareness of the spa industry in Kenya to promote growth in visitation numbers. Keywords: Health, Kenya, Mombasa, Resorts, Spa, Tourism