The process of globalization strongly affects hospitality institutions and spa resorts. In particular, it enables them to create extra value for their customers. This effect is achieved in several ways. First of all, modern hotels as well as spa can provide more efficient training to their employees (Dwyerr & Forsyth 2006, p. 470).
Judging from my own service encounters, I can tell that many hotels emphasize the fact that the members of their personnel were trained abroad. These people could learn the best practices adopted in the leading hotel chains throughout the world. Such international cooperation can increase customer’s satisfaction. Therefore, this approach enables to add more value to their services.
Secondly, globalization allows companies to better establish their brands in foreign countries. This is also a part of value creation. For example, there are many brands are recognized internationally, and the customers are ready to pay more to such organizations. In my, opinion in this way, hotels are able to increase the perceived value of their services.
Thirdly, one has to mention the forces of globalization, and especially the development of online technologies enabled companies to better advertise their services to foreign customers. Previously, they were hardly able to do it.
Thus, it is quite possible for me to say that hospitality organizations attempt to add extra value to their services, and they benefit from various aspects of globalization. At this point, it is necessary for me to show how spas attempt to distinguish themselves in this market.
It should be noted that spas already have extra value, because these resorts offer different forms of treatment to the visitors. Nonetheless, nowadays spa resorts have become very widespread. Many hotels offer spa therapy to their clients, and it is extremely difficult for any organization to gain competitive advantage.
This is why spa resorts have to develop new ways of attracting customers. One of them is the promotion of LGBT tourism. Many resorts organize events for such tourists and provide gay infrastructure, for example, restaurants, bars, and so forth (Robinson, Heitmann & Dieke 2011, p. 220).
This approach enables spa resorts and hotels to differentiate themselves among others and attract customers who were previously uninterested in their services. One should bear in mind that LGBT tourism is another manifestation of the globalization process. The thing is that the hotels, which have LGBT infrastructure, are visited by tourists from different countries.
Additionally, one should take into account that such practice is possible in a country in which there is little or no prejudice against LGBT community. Overall, I can say that in the future, the attention toward LGBT tourism will only increase, and more spas or hotels will attend to the needs of this population.
Finally, many spa resorts as well as some hotels attempt to diversify their services. For example, they provide aromatherapy, facials, massage, weight guidance, yoga training, and so forth. Thus, one can argue that such word as spa can hardly be reduced only to water baths. On the whole, I can argue that this variety of services is an essential part of value creation.
On the basis of this discussion, I can single out several strategies which help hotels and spas add extra value, namely, cross-border trading, brand development, and increased online advertisement. Secondly, these organizations try to target new customers, for example, LGBT communities. Finally, they try to widen the range of the services that they offer to the clients.
References
Dwyerr, L. & Forsyth, P. 2006. International handbook on the economics of tourism. London: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Robinson, P. Heitmann S., & Dieke, P. Research themes for tourism. London: CABI, 2011.