Spas and wellness centers that provide products and services under Islamic law are often referred to as “Muslim Friendly” spas. With the emergence of a large number of Muslim-friendly spas in certain countries such as Malaysia, it has become increasingly popular
Muslim Friendly Spa is one of the spas that offers professional spa services in accordance with Islamic or Shariah Law in terms of services, management and products (Halim & Mohd Hatta, 2017). This spa is not limited to providing halal products and isolation services between men and women, and the operation of the entire spa needs to be managed according to Islamic teachings and values. The tangible and intangible elements of the Muslim friendly spa must follow Islamic teachings, including facilities and equipment, products and services, personnel, finances, and design and decoration.
Hamman (public bath) or Islamic spa is not new in Islamic civilization where it is a place for performing deep cleansing and purification of body. However, the usage of hammam has been debated among Muslim scholars where the major concern among them is the openness of aurah which is in the worst case could incite the indecent thought and behavior Nevertheless, since hot baths have healing benefits, later Muslim women are allowed to go to the Hamman for treating illnesses and after giving childbirth
The Muslim Friendly Spa is an innovative product that eliminates bad ideas and enhances positive reviews of the industry. Therefore, with the increase of the global Muslim population and the rise of Muslim friendly tourism and destinations around the world, it is important to seize this market and develop such niche spa products. This market is significant.
The Muslim-friendly spa concept has also evolved into one of the business practices that compete with traditional spas and distinguish them from the Balinese or Thai spa concept, as these concepts have monopolized the spa industry in Malaysia. Since the implementation of the Islamic-religious element, the “Muslim Friendly” label has made the spa more viable to appeal to Muslim spa enthusiasts. The use of halal products, gender segregation in treatment and procedures, treatments and procedures in accordance with Islamic law and body structure elements are elements of a “Muslim friendly” spa.
With the development of the global halal industry, Muslim-friendly tourism is becoming one of the important and profitable tourism products. The increasing number of Muslim tourists and the demand for tourism in the Muslim friendly service industry have contributed to the development of the industry. Therefore, the concept of a “Muslim friendly” spa is more specific than an ordinary spa and can meet the unique needs of Muslim consumers. Taking care of the body and maintaining health while observing Islamic teachings is the goal of achieving Islamic teaching in health care and beautification.
Muslim Friendly Spa Rating
Crescent Rating grants Muslim-friendly levels to such Islamic spas, indicating that they meet the specific needs of Muslims. Crescent Rating is the world's first online hotel reference tool for Muslim travelers. The spa rating includes two levels which are 'A' and 'AA'. The spa rated “A” when this spa meets Islamic requirements and provides a satisfying spa experience for Muslim guests, while the spa 'AA' indicates that they are specifically targeted at Muslims and do their best to provide Muslims with guests. Come to the ultimate sensory experience.
Many aspects of research have been conducted before giving the spa a certain degree of Muslim friendship. The level of privacy that spas provide for male and female guests is one of the most important factors in determining whether they are suitable for a Muslim spa. All Crescent Rated Spas offer separate areas for men and women. The “AA” class spa offers a fixed, separate area, and the “A” class spa provides a separate schedule for men and women.
All Crescent Rated Spas also require all employees to be professionally qualified. The women in the spa are only women, while the men in the spa are only men. The Crescent Rated Spas does not allow customers under the age of 18 to enter and requires the spa to register with the local authorities and must obtain permission from the competent authority to operate the spa. Other decisive factors include the products used in the spa and whether halal food is provided (if food is provided). The spa rated 'AA' uses only halal-certified products and organic products and provides halal food in the premises without alcohol. In addition, staff members of the Crescent Rated Spa are required to wear Islamic-compliant clothing.
Spas industry in Malaysia
As Muslims are the majority populations in Malaysia, a spa and wellness center with Muslim friendly concept is becoming one of the new spa products that bring a huge potential to tap on this lucrative market. In Malaysia, the spa industry has been gaining its popularity since 2002 with the growth over 200% since 2002 as reported in the Intelligent Spa (Yaman et al., 2012). However, research has limited focus on the Muslim friendly spa since spa and wellness is a new field to be segmented in Muslim Friendly Tourism hospitality and services. Increasing understanding of Islamic teachings and preference of Islamic-based products are the key factors in the emergence of this type of spa (Halim & Mohd Hatta, 2017; Othman, Halim, Hashim, Baharuddin, & Mahamod, 2015; Yaman et al., 2012).
Spa and wellness in Malaysia increased by 10 per cent in 2014, the government plans to develop the spa industry to attract more tourists. Global Wellness Institute data shows health tourists spent $ 1639 per trip in 2013, 59 percent higher than average travelers. Malaysia is also targeting 3540 job opportunities with gross national income of RM374.1 million by 2020, as part of its plan to develop the industry as one of the major economies of the tourism industry (Oxford Business Group 2016). Statistics on the classification of spas in Malaysia indicate that 30 spa centers have been recognized as five-star spas by September 2014 (Rashidi Othman et al. 2015).
In addition, industry spas in Malaysia are also seen as giving good results. A study by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia proves that the recent increase in spa business has been able to provide a return on income lucrative and quite exciting through the health tourism package. The government too focusing on empowering the spa industry as a potential destination competitive tourism. It is also seen to generate a lot of talent for work professionally by developing the hometown spa industry. (Adila Hashim 2015)