Aug 7, 2014
TRAINING PROGRAMME TO DEVELOP LOCAL EXPERTISE IN SPA INDUSTRY
PUTRAJAYA, 7 August 2014 – Spa Tourism is a burgeoning industry in Malaysia, expected to generate as much as RM400 million to the Gross National Income and provide up to 3,500 employment opportunities by 2020.
It has been identified as one of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) of Malaysia’s tourism industry, and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture is dedicated to develop local talent to serve this industry. For this reason, the Ministry has been working with well-established and reputable spa operators to provide skills training and employment for Malaysians interested in making a career in the spa and wellness industry. Organised by the Ministry since 2012, the Spa Therapy Training Programme has already trained 400 candidates and aims to provide training to 250 more this year. The goal is to produce up to 1,500 trained Malaysian spa therapists by 2020.
The training is conducted over a 12-month period at Ministry-approved spa training academies, encompassing three months of theory and nine months of practical/hands-on training. The syllabus covers such topics as how to prepare and manage spa operations, how to promote spa service, and methods of treatments and therapies for face, body, feet and hands.
Upon completion of the training course, participants are certified by the Ministry of Human Resources and guaranteed employment for two years at three- to five-star spa centres that have been registered with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. The next intake of candidates will be trained at the following Centres of Excellence, approved by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture:
| No. | Centre of Excellence | Location |
| 1 | Energy Academy | South City Plaza, Seri Kembangan, Selangor |
| 2 | Stella-In Academy | Seberang Prai, P. Pinang Petaling Jaya, Selangor |
| 3 | Jari-jari Spa Training Academy | Kota Kinabalu, Sabah |
| 4 | Langkawi International Spa Academy (LISA) | Langkawi, Kedah Suria City Hotel, Johor Bharu |
| 5 | Beaubelle Academy | Dataran Prima, Petaling Jaya, Selangor |
The training programme is open for eligible Malaysian candidates to apply. Application can be made at www.motac.gov.my.
ENDS
For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/
MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2013, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM65.4 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner and the sixth highest contributor to its Gross National Income (GNI).
Malaysia is celebrating its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) in 2014 with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The VMY 2014 promotional campaign has started in 2013 with a series of year-long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014. It will contribute to the Government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) 2020.
Press contact:
Media Relations Unit:
Hazrina Azman (Ms), Asst. Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8755
Email: hazrina@tourism.gov.my
Editorial Unit:
Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my
