During the APSWC Round Table 2024, Salil Hotel Riverside, Bangkok, Thailand, the Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition presented the APSWC Awards 2024 in a glittering night of celebration, in the presence of Dr. Pakpilai Thavisin, First Lady of Thailand. Also attending the event were Federation of Thai industry representatives, senior Thai government officials and industry professionals from as far afield as Maldives, India, Japan and the Philippines.
The Asia Pacific region is known for its unique spa and wellness offering and while the industry’s governance is still playing catchup post pandemic, the industry is moving forward at a rapid pace as the element of wellness becomes all encompassing.
The Awards are primarily voted for by a panel of 22 spa, fitness, wellness, and tourism specialists from 15 countries spanning the region from Pakistan to New Zealand. The Operator and Product categories also include a public vote element, weighted at 60% & 50% respectively, in an effort to award the most deserving rather than the most popular.
The winners were presented with a customised trophy made exclusively for the APSWC by ChopValue Singapore. Each trophy is meticulously fashioned from recycled chopsticks, in consideration of the APSWC’s commitment to sustainability.
The APSWC Awards were first presented in 2023 and have evolved quickly with more categories added to encompass the rapidly changing face of our industry. In 2024 a total of 25 trophies were presented in 23 categories to recipients from 11 countries (Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam), with Vietnam taking home the most trophies (five) and The Retreat Spa at Okada Manilla, The Philippines be most awarded operator, taking home four trophies.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Natural Product Line of the Year | Biossentials Sdn Bhd, Malaysia |
| Product Innovation of the Year | Energy Lounger LLC, New Zealand |
| Product Partner of the Year | IplusQ Co., Thailand |
| Equipment Partner of the Year | SpaTX by Xin Performance, Hong Kong |
| Consultant of the Year | Lumina Wellbeing, Vietnam |
| Trainer of the Year (tied vote) | Alyssa Lim, Inner Peace Spa Consultancy & Academy, Malaysia Cesar Tejedor, Massage Around The World, Spain |
| Independent Service Provider | Vietnam Detox, Hue, Vietnam |
| Best Newcomer of the Year | Panpuri Wellness Harbor, Pattaya, Thailand |
| Rising Star Personality of the Year | Emilie Chanon, Lumina Wellbeing, Vietnam |
| Industry Personality of the Year | Michelle Ford, Lumina Wellbeing, Vietnam |
| Management Company of the Year | Martha Tilaar SPA, Indonesia |
| Corporate Wellness Program of the Year | The American Club, Singapore |
| Employer of the Year | The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines |
| Wellness Business Innovation of the Year | Ayana Spa, Bali, Indonesia |
| Community Service Achievement | Inner Peace Spa Consultancy & Academy, Malaysia |
| Sustainability Champion | The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines |
| Association of the Year (tied vote) | Association of Malaysian Spas (AMSPA), Malaysia Okinawa Esthetic Spa Cooperative (OESC), Japan |
| Day/Club Spa of the Year | Let’s Relax, Thailand |
| Hotel Spa of the Year | The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines |
| Resort Spa of the Year | V-Senses Wellness & Spa, Furama Resort, Danang, Vietnam |
| Wellness Resort of the Year | Kairali – The Ayurvedic Health Resort, Kerala, India |
| Wellness Menu of the Year | The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines |
| Lifetime Achievement | Dr. BRA Mooryati Soedibyo, Indonesia |
This year’s recipient of the APSWC Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Mooryati Soedibyo has devoted her life to preserving ancestral traditions. A CIDESCO graduate and educator, she founded Mustika Ratu, a cosmetics and herbal product company, established the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa franchise, and is the founder of the Indonesian Spa Association (Asosiasi Spa Indonesia Wellness, ASPI) amongst other achievements. The Board of the APSWC recognized her Royal Highest Princess Mooryati Soedibyo of Surakarta Sunanate for her contribution to the industry and invited Dr. Pakpilai Thavisin, First Lady of Thailand to present the accolade to Dr. Mooryati’s representative Mr. Bingar Egidus Situumorang, CEO Mustika Ratu.
The First Lady of Thailand, Dr.Pakpilai Thavisin (centre) with APSWC Awards 2024 winners
Mr. Bingar Egidus Situumorang, CEO Mustika Ratu, accepting Dr. Mooryati Soedibyo’s Lifetime Achievement Award from Dr. Pakpilai Thavisin on her behalf.
About the APSWC:
The Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition was officially registered as a not-for-profit trade association in Singapore in July 2007, with a mission to act as a bridging mechanism between countries to promote, protect, educate, and develop the spa & wellness industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
Since its launch, the Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition (APSWC) has grown in both size and reputation. It is a regional body which links the national spa associations and key industry players from the Asia-Pacific nations and seeks to address the challenges presented by the evolution and growth of the Asian Pacific spa industry through education, protection, promotion and development of the industry in the region. As of March 2024, the APSWC Board of dedicated industry professionals live in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore & Thailand, and work on a 100% voluntary basis to represent a membership base of over 1,300 spa and wellness operators and related businesses across Asia Pacific and beyond.
The APSWC also holds an annual Round Table event, bringing together key industry players from across the region to discuss problems and solutions which is then presented to the industry, regional governments, media, and relevant third parties via a White Paper to help give guidance to both the industry and those responsible for its governance.
For more information contact chairman@apswc.org or info@apswc.org
