• 최종편집 2024-03-29(금)
 


Wellness Today has had the great pleasure of interviewing a true leader in the global spa & wellness industry. Ingo Schweder, the Founder and CEO of award-wining GOCO Hospitality was kind enough to share his thoughts on the global wellness industry.

 

 


▲ Mr. Ingo Schweder, CEO of GOCO Hospitality

 

[WT] GOCO Hospitality, a unique name that caught my attention the first time I heard it.  What’s the meaning behind the name?

The company's name, GOCO Hospitality, combines two of the most important elements of the company: the acronym "GO" stands for traveling, movement, and energy, whereas "CO" is based on the word “consultancy”. GOCO’s projects are always authentic, reflect local cultures and traditions and strive to make a social impact in their community. This philosophy allows GOCO Hospitality to cross borders and create new discoveries while being innovative, visionary, and individual.

 

Our vision is to “create, innovate, operate tomorrow’s hospitality concepts”. For us to be able to achieve this we carefully assess the market for each of our projects and ensure that we accurately read lifestyle trends, letting this learning influence our concept development. We like to create concepts that are not only appropriate for today’s guests, but also anticipate and answer the needs and demands of future guests. In all our projects we do not simply follow current trends, but try to continuously establish new ones that will lead the market.


We also make sure to put our personal touch, a “thumbprint”, on all our projects. We put our heart into each concept we create, each hotel or spa we operate, ensuring that each is distinctively unique and is aligned with our and our client’s vision for the project.

 

[WT] GOCO’s tag line, “Wellness Meets Wanderlust”.   My first impression is that GOCO’s adding something new to the wellness industry.  What’s behind the phrase?

“Wellness Meets Wanderlust” is very much an extension of who we are, which is a consultancy and management company that focuses on where wellness and hospitality merge. Many of our team members have extensive experience in the field of hospitality, having worked with multinational hospitality greats including The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, and Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, to name a few. Our team is also highly experienced in the spa and wellness field with credentials such as Ananda in the Himalayas, Six Senses Spas, and SHA Wellness Clinic. Thus, it only seemed natural that GOCO Hospitality’s tagline describe those strengths, where wellness meets the wanderlust of traveling/hospitality.

 

“Wellness meets wanderlust” also describes the interests of our guests and clients, who are an emerging new group of travelers. These travelers are more than the seasoned world-traveler accustomed to five-star hospitality services and facilities. They have grown more and more interested in wellness and seek to experience a combination of the best wellness practices and facilities available today with discovering new destinations while enjoying the luxury of five-star hospitality. Again, this is “wellness meets wanderlust”.

 

[WT] Congratulations on a couple big awards in the past year:

Winner Best Spa Consultant at The Crystal Awards Asia Pacific 2011
Winner Best Spa Consultant Company of the Year from the SpaChina Awards 2011.
 
Quite an achievement in a short period of time.   GOCO’s vision and efforts certainly recognized throughout the industry.

We are extremely proud and delighted to have been recognized as Best Spa Consultant. As a young company, to receive such recognition and trust from our industry peers, partners, clients, and consumers is truly remarkable. For that we express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude.

 

Our success can be attributed to the following qualities that place us apart from the rest:

 

Understanding the East
In a time where major growth is taking place in the emerging markets of China and India, it serves any client well when the consulting company they take on is knowledgeable in these markets. GOCO is a multicultural company based in Bangkok, Thailand, with its team of 30 employees representing 11 different nationalities and holding countless years of experience in the Asia/ Pacific spa and hospitality market. With western knowledge and a heart of eastern values and sensibilities the GOCO team can relate well to clients from all regions of the world.

 

Depth of Practical Experience

Being at the helm of GOCO as CEO and founding partner and with my 25 years experience in tow, I have garnered a large network of hospitality professionals, which is continuously expanding. From this network I seek to form a team with individuals as passionate and driven as I, with expertise in all the arenas of service that GOCO provides.


The GOCO team is comprised of handpicked global spa and hospitality professionals who have worked for leading hospitality companies around the world. This, combined with varied nationalities, education backgrounds, and professional qualifications, results in diverse skill sets and international experience allowing GOCO to offer our clients a high level of competence in a multitude of service areas.

Premier Alliances


At GOCO, we are very proud of the alliances we have made with some of the most talented and respected people and companies in the hospitality and wellness industries. We are proud to work with:

 

Architects:
   ♦ Tadao Andao http://www.andotadao.org 
   ♦ Sandy Pei http://www.peipartnership.com

Interior Designers 
   ♦ George Wong http://www.georgewongdesign.com 
   ♦ Tony Chi http://www.tonychi.com 
   ♦ Calvin Tsao www.tsao-mckown.com 
   ♦ Matteo Thun www.matteothun.com 
   ♦ P Interior & Associates (PIA) www.piainterior.com  

Landscape Artists:
   ♦ Bill Bensley www.bensley.com 
   ♦ P Landscape www.plandscape.com

Artists:
   ♦ Gregory Colbert www.ashesandsnow.org 
   ♦ Vivienne Tam www.viviennetam.com

Without these partners, our work would be far less unique and successful.

 

Build based on Results
GOCO’s work always begins with the end in mind. With the first step of completing detailed Market Research & Feasibility studies GOCO is able to meet the concerns of any investor or owner by forecasting the financial expectations as well as profit and return on investment a project will generate.

Dedicated to Improving Service Levels


GOCO provides training and service support that develops therapist skill levels to those of an international standard. Conducting such training programs supports the long term growth and advancement of the overall hospitality and wellness industry in terms of service level and guest experience.

 

[WT] I’m particularly interested in GOCO’s big project in Ningbo, China - Xiangshan Hot Spring & Wellness Center.  From the pre-release information, it appears to be a trend-setting site.  As the center will open in the second half of 2013, what is your role with the site?

We are very proud to be working on a benchmark property in Xiangshan, the GOCO Hot Spring & Wellness Center, which will introduce a concept new to China—oceanfront mineral springs thermal bathing, as a main feature. Targeted to open in August 2013, the GOCO Hot Spring & Wellness Center will cover an indoor area of 6,000 sq.m. and another 5,000 sq.m. for an outdoor mineral spring bathing area. The GOCO Hot Spring & Wellness Center will feature 24 treatment rooms, two luxury spa suites and one spa villa, as well as single gender and co-ed mineral springs bathing facilities with indoor and outdoor thermal experiences. Unique to the GOCO Hot Spring & Wellness Center will also be the medi-spa & weight management clinic, which will span across two dedicated floors with seven treatment suites for the extensive medi-spa treatments offered.


GOCO Hospitality provided the following services:

 

 ▲ Market Research & Feasibility Studies
 ▲ Concept Development
 ▲ Technical And Pre-opening Services
 ▲ Management

 

GOCO Hospitality is also responsible for the interior design of the spa. Architecture is by WATG, Hawaii Office, a world-renowned leading design consultant for the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries.

 

[WT] Wellness is a recent trend in the Spa industry.  Where do you see the growth markets for Wellness?

The growth of the spa and wellness industry has increased in all regions of the world, but the markets that have shown the greatest growth are undeniably China, India, and the Middle East. These regions enjoy growing economies and a population that has both the disposable income and the desire to invest in taking better care of their health by means other than conventional Western medical science.

 

More and more people are questioning the validity of conventional Western medicine. Thus, the natural inclination for people to apply and utilize more traditional wellness modalities will further expand. This will lead to the development and growth of entire new product requirements, additional market niches will come up, and new supply chains will be established. In sum, this will open up a whole new growth segment for the industry.

 

The spa consumer has become more and more sophisticated and will continue to increase their spa knowledge, defining their preferences and needs. The educated wellness consumer will be demanding services that are directed at the ultimate result they want to achieve. The often unsupported claims by spa and product companies of the supposed results their services and/or products will bring will be replaced by spa services or products which will have been developed from substantial academic and scientific research. The research will be drawn from ancient wellness traditions and new scientific discoveries, leading to services and products demonstrating such.

 

Nations will put increased efforts behind the creation of wellness communities where a wide span of wellness services, hospitality, and real estate combine and celebrate the cultural symbiosis of the respective country. We can also expect to see growth in the number of innovative large-scale residential communities catering to particular lifestyle choices, whether they are created along the lines of preferred activities (wellness, golf, nature, etc.) or even ethnic or cultural nuances.

 

[WT] GOCO is currently working on wellness projects on five continents.  What is the number of different countries you’re currently working in?

GOCO is currently working with hoteliers and developers on 23 wellness projects in 14 countries around the world. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, we are working on projects in the People’s Republic of China, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Australia, and our home base, Thailand. From hotel spas to destination resorts and mixed-use developments, GOCO is involved in some of the most interesting and innovative projects active today. Our clientele range from individual investors to global hospitality brands.

 

The majority of GOCO Hospitality’s business is made up of projects in the North and North East Asia regions, followed by South East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.


GOCO’s main markets for projects are: China forming 30% of the project location total, India with 15% and the Middle East at 15%, with nine countries forming the remaining 40%.

 

[WT] You’ve done some work in South Korea.  Are you able to share information on this wellness project?

I was the Executive Assistant Manager at the Chosun Seoul Hotel from 1989 to 1991. During this time I gained an in-depth understanding of the South Korean market and the South Korean guest, which has proved to be immensely valuable in our work.

GOCO Hospitality did a market research and feasibility study for the Lotte Retreat and Spa on Jeju Island. Designed to be one of the leading spa and wellness facilities in South Korea and immersing into the culture of Jeju, the spa facility at the Lotte Retreat and Spa will deliver the ultimate luxury experience.

 

Spa treatments and activities are designed to enhance well-being and are specifically results-oriented. These include a medi-spa, several thermal experiences, detox programs, healthy cuisine, and a wide variety of exercise options. From well-appointed VIP treatment suites to a state-of-the-art sauna area, the spa facility will provide a truly authentic and unique service platform supported by cutting-edge design, the use and applications of local ingredients, wellness consultations, and tactile experiences combined to immerse spa guests into the ultimate state of wellness.

 

[WT] 
How do you see South Korea in the Wellness Industry?

South Korea is a growing market that presents many great opportunities for the wellness industry. There is great market demand yet the limited number of wellness facilities cannot adequately cater to the needs of the consumer in South Korea. According to Intelligent Spas – Asia Pacific Regional Report 2011, there are 50 registered spa facilities in South Korea, which generates $24 million of industry revenues, and employs about 750 people. Measuring by the industry revenues of seven growing spa markets, South Korea is ranked 3rd, after China ($75 million) and Japan ($50 million).

The South Korean spa market is dominated by mineral or hot springs public bathhouses and saunas. Other facilities in these spas would include Jacuzzis, massage rooms, and relaxation lounges. These bathhouses can be as large as an entire building or occupying a large space in a department store.

 

The popularity of bathhouses has grown with the South Korean consumer. The bathhouse is no longer seen as just a weekend or evening relaxation activity. It has now become a popular choice for couples on their date, for businessmen to entertain clients, even a must-visit place for foreign tourists.

Another popular trend in the South Korean market is day spas and salons. As the awareness of self-appearance grows in the South Korean consumer, so does the number of day spas and salons that offer facial treatments as well as hair and nail services.

South Korea’s fast-developing medical tourism is also a great boon for the country’s wellness industry. South Korea has solid IT infrastructure and revolutionary medical technology as well as skilled and experience medical practitioners. All these are contributing factors that could help improve the services and increase the number of medi-spas in the country.

 

The South Korean consumer now is also more health-conscious, preferring to rely on preventative medicine, traditional medicine, and consuming naturally healthy or organic food.

 

With the South Korean government taking measures to support the growth of the wellness industry as it has, the future looks bright and promising for investors, developers, and consumers alike.

 

[WT] What are the website & contact points for GOCO?

Our contact details are:

GOCO Hospitality
2/4 Nai Lert Tower, Suite 47, 3F,
Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan,
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Tel: +66 2 655 2323
E-mail: GOCO@GOCO.co
URL: www.GOCO.co

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[Interview] Mr. Ingo Schweder, CEO of GOCO Hospitality
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