MARKETING AND BRANDING CHALLENGES OF WELLNESS TOURISM FOR SRI LANKA

1. MARKETING AND BRANDING
CHALLENGES OF WELLNESS TOURISM
FOR SRI LANKA
Professor Pathirage Kamal Perera
Faculty of Indigenous Medicine
University of Colombo
Wellness tourism
orcid.org/0000-0003-0337-1336
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Contact: drkamalperera@yahoo.com

2. Covered Today
A brief outline
Local and International Markets
Quality Standard
What to brand or market?
Branding & Marketing Challenges
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3. Since 1947, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated : “ Health
is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
However, the perception of health generally has disease/infirmity at its core.
Healthcare is currently disease-oriented : prevention, control and treatment.
This emphasis on the absence of sickness is negative and unsuitable for a
dynamic programme to improve wellness
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4. “The sum total of the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs
and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in
the maintenance of health, as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or
treatment of physical and mental illnesses” (WHO)
Traditional Medicine
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5. What Is Health Tourism?
Health Tourism refers to the rapidly growing practice of travelling across international
borders to obtain healthcare.
As healthcare costs and time spent on waiting lists continue to increase, more and
more people are now looking to Medical Tourism as a solution. With savings of
between 25% and 75%, patients can not only receive high quality and timely
treatment, they can also recuperate in a unique location.
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6. Health Tourism -
Travelling across international
borders to obtain healthcare
Health Tourism
Medical tourism
Medicine/
Surgery
Cosmetics
Wellness tourism
Relaxation/
Rejuvenation
Spiritual
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7. Health tourism
Health tourism covers types of tourism which have as a
primary motivation, the contribution to physical, mental
and/or spiritual health through medical and wellness-based
activities which increase the capacity of individuals to satisfy
their own needs and function better as individuals in their
environment and society.
Medical tourism
Type of tourism activity which
involves the use of evidence-based
medical healing resources and
services (both invasive and non-
invasive). This may include diagnosis,
treatment, cure, prevention and
rehabilitation.
Wellness tourism
Type of tourism activity which aims to improve
and balance all of the main domains of human
life including physical, mental, emotional,
occupational, intellectual and spiritual. The
primary motivation for the wellness tourist is to
engage in preventive, proactive, lifestyle
enhancing activities such as fitness, healthy
eating, relaxation, pampering and healing
treatments.

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9. Longevity
Deergayu
Quality of
life
Sukayu
Rich culture –
Ayurveda and
traditional medicine
(More than 3000
years)
Outcomes
Peaceful
co-
existence
with society
and Nature
Hithayu
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10. Paradigm Shift in Health care
• Current: ‘Medical Model’ (later in life)
Medical Management with or without wellness practices and dietary
advices of Chronic Disorders/Diseases
Future: ‘Preventive Model’ (early in life)
Wide introduction and use of wellness practices and dietary advices for
Prevention of Chronic Disorders/Diseases
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11. Blood
Cholesterol
Level
(mmol/L)
(drug therapy)
(current)
(future if F&N)
(~50% eligible for drug
therapy)
(~ 40% have CVD)
(< 10% eligible for
drug therapy)
(<5% have CVD)
Ages
‘Medical Model’ and ‘Preventive Model’
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*CVD - cardiovascular disease

12. Sri Lanka as a case..
Sri Lanka has natural and traditional
endowments that are used to foster a
sustainable wellness tourism value chain that is
deeply rooted in local communities and
traditions. The growing number of activities,
better accessibility, rise of new hotels and
wellness tourism key reasons was one of the
main reasons for Sri Lanka to be chosen for the
top spot in the annual ‘Best in Travel 2019’
publication by Lonely Planet.
The concept of wellness tourism dramatically
broadens the appeal of medical tourism. Sri Lanka
has been receiving medical tourists from Maldives,
Seychelles, South Asian and African regions for its
cost-effective treatments. There are two segments,
global travelers who come there for cheaper medical
service and other travelers from higher development
index countries who seek preventive treatments to
develop their personal wellbeing.
The traditional Ayurveda healing methods
and exercises vary from Ayurvedic steam
baths and saunas to meditation,
acupuncture, energy medicine and yoga.
Based on herbs and diet, it was the regions
only treatment method until the
introduction of western medication.
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13. Wellness Market
Valued at USD 1,500,000,000,000
According to McKinsey, global wellness
market is estimated to be worth USD 1.5
Trillion and growing between 5% -10% YoY
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14. •Personal care and
beauty: $1.083 trillion
•Healthy eating, nutrition
and weight loss: $702.1
billion
•Wellness tourism: $639.4
billion
•Fitness / mind-
body: $595.4 billion
•Preventive and personalized
medicine and public health:
$574.8 billion
•Traditional and
complementary
medicine: $359.7 billion
•Wellness real
estate: $134.3 billion
•Spa economy: $118.8 billion
•Thermal / mineral
springs: $56.2 billion
•Workplace
wellness: $47.5 billion
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15. Ayurvedic Market
As of 2016, valued at USD
4,500,000,000
Ayurvedic market is expected to reach USD
14.5 Billion by 2026 and regarded as one of
the most popular alternative and
complementary medicines along with other
methods such as acupunture, chinese
medicine etc,.
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16. Do we have sufficient
standards to conquer the
world?
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
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17. COMPANY A
ISO 14001:2015 | ISO 9001:2005 | GMP POLICY 143 (FOOD HYGIENE) |
OHSAS 18001 | HACCP:SLS (Standard Global Services)| ISO22000:2018 |
FDA | Pharmazentral nummer (PZN) :GERMANY
COMPANY B
ISO 9001:2015 | GMP:NMRA (National Medicines Regulatory
Authority)
COMPANY C
ISO 9001:2008 | GMP:NMRA | HACCP:SGS | HALAL
OHSAS 18001, Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (officially BS OHSAS 18001),
was a British Standard for occupational health and safety management systems. Compliance
with it enabled organizations to demonstrate that they had a system in place for occupational
health and safety.
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18. Standard Global Services
Testing
Reduce the risks, shorten
the time to market and test
the quality, safety and
performance of your
product against relevant
health, safety and
regulatory standards
Inspection
Controll quantity and
quality, and meet the all
regulatory requirements
across different regions and
markets
Certification
Ensure that your products,
processes systems or
services meet national and
international standards and
regulations

19. ARE THESE SUFFICIENT TO
PENETRATE THE MARKET?
LESGISLATION
Globally different markets
requires different
standards. However there
are common standards
such as GMP
FEASIBILITY
Despite standards being
met market standard of
each country interms of
content to packaging has
to be met
PRACTICALITY
With the scale of
production and raw
material availabilty is it
viable to spend to
implement standards.
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20. What to Brand or
market?
Which pen are we going to sell.
In marketing "Sell me this pen" is a famous
quote to identify the unique selling point
(USPs) or Unique Selling Points of a product.
Accordingly, We have to focus on our USPs
and brand wellness from Sri Lanka through
those USPs.
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21. Traditional and
complimentary medicine
Sri Lanka has been a hub of various
medicines and has the competitive
advantage to be the world's
medicinal hub.
Preventive and
personalized medicine
public health
Preventive medicine has been part
and parcel of Sri Lankan medicinal
system and life style which can be
taken to the world.
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22. Mental wellness
As a country which preserves the
teaching of the world's first
psycholigist, Gautam Buddha, Sri
Lanka has a special selling point in
this segment via meditation and
practical theories on life.
Healthy eating, nutrition
and weight loss
Exotic country with still a majority of
the population engaged in
agriculture has a unique ability to
deliver in this segment
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23. Workplace wellness
Apart from the tangible products we
can offer Sri Lanka boasts a capable
set of IT professionals which can cater
to workplace wellness segment. For
example meditation apps along is
expected to reach USD 10 Billion by
2025.
Wellness Real Estate
A range of boutique villas and hotels
located around the country has
enabled Sri Lanka to e the No.1
destination in the world to visit over
the years
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24. Wellness tourism
Globally, people are travelling to find
better alternatives and no place like
Sri Lanka to try out all possible
alternatives.
Thermal/Mineral Springs
Both thermal and mineral springs are
found all across Sri Lanka. However
commercial viability of these springs
as having healing/spiritual
propoerties is not utilized yet.
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25. Physical activity
Though not originally from Sri Lanka
practises such as Yoga is
synonynmous with South Asia and
therefore credibiliy expandable to
other parts of the world
Traditional medicine wellness
center Economy
Various wellness centers has been taking
shape around the world. Though Sri Lanka
as brand was not yet established in the
industry, Sri Lankan products have been
able to penetrate into this segment.
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26. Personal Care & Beauty
Raw material availability to low cost of
production is viable solutions for Sri
Lanka to provide authentic products.
Spiritual Wellness
Sri Lanka being a mutli religious
country which consists many popular
religions could create spiritual
wellness brands in collaboration with
spiritual leaders
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27. EXAMPLES OF
FEW GLOBAL
BRANDS &
MARKETING
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28. CHALLENGES
IN BRANDING
& MARKETING
INCONSISTENT
CREDIBILITY
Wellness market requires
credibility. All stakeholders
has to be align with the
quality standards.
SATURATED
POPULAR
MEDICINES
Sri Lanka is yet to
highlight the a unique
selling point (USPs) of its'
own medicine system
LACK OF MARKET
ACCESIBILITY
Due to the high cost of
standardization
manufacturers would
overlook certain markets
RED TAPES IN
BUSINESS
Starting from simple
money transaction
problems due to
unavailability of paypal etc
to bureaucratic decisions
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29. SUGGESTIONS
TO
OVERCOME
CHALLENGES
CREATE STABLE
SUPPLY CHAIN
Create standardized
supply chains with
scalable supplies
CREATE USPS
AND CREDIBILITY
Encourage entrprenuers
to innovate and increase
credibility by having e-
conference forums etc,.
ACCESS MARKET
VIA WEB
Many markets allow
personal orders for
personal usage even for
products without
registration
HAVE A GLOBAL
PRESENCE
Local companies to
collaborate beyong
borders directly and
indrectly via social media
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30. SWOT
analysis
Strengths
Opportunities
Weakness
Threats
External
factors
Positive
Negative
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31. THANK YOU
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