New York, NY - May 30, 2007 – A shortage of high-quality, trained labor – including spa managers and directors, aestheticians, and therapists – is the major challenge facing the global spa industry today, according to a survey of more than 160 world spa and wellness industry leaders who attended the first-ever Global Spa Summit 
earlier this week in New York.
The three day, invitation-only gathering, held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel , brought together leaders from the global spa, real estate, investment, travel, spa education, beauty, and wellness sectors to chart the future of the booming $40 billion plus spa industry, which has seen double digit growth for the past 20 years.
According to the survey, 29 percent of delegates cited labor shortages as the top issue facing the industry, while 22 percent said the main challenge was the lack of industry-wide standards for defining spa categories and best practices. Environmental sustainability was cited by 12 percent of the delegates as another top concern.
In terms of opportunities for the industry, delegates placed the greatest emphasis on enhancing clients' health (29 percent), educating consumers that spas are about wellness (26 percent), and promoting preventative medicine (20 percent).
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Media Contact: Fernando Lopez: Phone: 201-215-6314 Fax: 201-215-6354 e-mail:
flopez@cortiva.com 
