The Caribbean is an American region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands, and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north and west of South America.
Sustainable Tourism Conference took place at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa in Grand Cayman. The experts, who were present, reached a conclusion that it was necessary for the Caribbean region to take advantage of the growing demand for health and wellness tourism. The experts think that local facilities need to offer a real Caribbean experience to the tourists. The fact is that many of the local spas offer the same services as spas in Europe and North America. A big issue is that spa products available in the Caribbean such as soaps, shampoos and essential oils are not produced within the region. Another example is the fact that local spas also offer a Swedish rather than a Caribbean massage. "Why leave Europe and come to the Caribbean for a European experience?" said Caribbean Spa and Wellness Association board member Steve Andrews. "Most people in the world have a fantasy about the Caribbean but when they come to a wellness spa they don"t see a lot of the Caribbean. Our biggest challenge is that we need to fully embrace our indigenous culture and people of the Caribbean."
According to Mr. Andrews, the Caribbean spa industry needs to use its natural resources that make its wellness services unique. The Caribbean has a lot to offer as there are mountains, hot springs, rivers, waterfalls, animal and marine life as well as traditional herbal medicines. The regional spa and wellness industry also needs standardization that along with other measure could create the “Caribbean brand”. If everything that was proposed goes well, the region could become the wellness spa of the world.
