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Baht/$ 33.39/42
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GOLD |
14,950
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First to tap new segment in Samui
CHADAMAS CHINMANEEVONG
Absolute Group, the owner and operator of Absolute Yoga centres, has opened a 250-million-baht wellness resort on Koh Samui. Inaugurated yesterday, the 38-room Absolute Sanctuary provides detoxification programmes, yoga classes, vegetarian foods and medical spa.
Its target customer groups are middle-class Thais and foreign customers, especially those from Asia and Europe. Its customer base is projected to be split equally among the two groups.
Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul, the group's founder and managing director of Absolute Sanctuary, said the four-rai resort should earn 30 million baht in its first year of operation, with an average occupancy of 60-70%.
''Our new resort should perform well despite economic constraints. Today, people will continue to pay for their health care because it is worthwhile,'' she said.
Its soft opening over the past three months drew a warm response from customers, with 30-40% occupancy on average. Bookings for Samui's upcoming low season between October and November represent half of the total.
The health resort market in Samui saw only five players, so Ms Benjaporn is confident of the bright prospect of her new business.
Besides the hotel's prime location, Samui welcomes a million visitors including health-care enthusiasts and generates 15 billion baht in tourism-related income last year.
Most of the travellers are aged between 20 and 50 years old, who are also the target groups for the new resort.
Up until now, Samui was home to premium and general health resorts but not middle-class ones. Absolute Sanctuary was therefore established to pioneer in the segment, with service charges 30% less than those demanded by high-end facilities and 30% higher than what low-cost premises charge.
The prices of detox holiday packages at Absolute Sanctuary range from 33,950 baht for a three-day stay to 58,650 baht for a seven-day stay.
Ms Benjaporn is promoting the new health resort among Absolute Yoga's existing 50,000 Thai customers and 20,000 Singaporean clients. This year's marketing campaigns are running on a 20-million-baht budget.Management will participate in local fairs and stage road shows locally and internationally to promote itself.
''Tour agents will supply 40-50% of customers in the first year. Afterwards, we expect more customers to book their stays online as the resort should become better known already,'' she added.
In three years, the resort should contribute half of the group's total income, alongside yoga classes. It expects to break even in five to seven years.
Absolute Group was established in 2002. It has seven yoga centres nationwide and two studios in Singapore.
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