Massage centres and spas aching for relief - The Star Online

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PETALING JAYA: Wellness, body massage and spa centres have been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and these businesses are asking the government to extend the economic stimulus package to them.

Malaysian Association of Wellness and Spa (Mawspa) executive director Philma Navarro said business had declined by between 70% and 95% since February.

Mawspa has some 500 members and many of them are located in hotels, commercial centres and tourist places.

“People have been avoiding us and we hope the government can help mitigate the impact of this pandemic, ” she said.

Navarro, who has over 15 years of experience and was part of the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s officer team for spa rating in Malaysia, said incentives and relief such as temporary non-payment of bank loans, rental deferment and tax relief would be helpful.

“We still need to pay workers’ salaries and other statutory deductions. So any type of monetary incentive or financial relief will help us, ” she said.

Dr Baskaran Kosthi, who owned several spa and wellness centres in Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Tioman, Pulau Lang Tengah, Pulau Besar and a few other islands in Malaysia, said his business had been affected by up to 95% at some locations.

“I offered special packages with free treatments to instil consumer confidence, ” he said.

“As a precautionary measure, staff members undergo temperature checks daily.

“Guests seeking our services also have their temperature checked. Anyone who is found feverish would be told to go straight to hospital.”

They also clean their premises before and after each spa session.

“We also disinfect all utensils and encourage the staff to take a shower after each treatment, ” he added.

He said it was a priority to observe hygiene protocols to prevent the virus from spreading.

Meanwhile, Thai Odyssey’s founder and managing director Leon Chuah said their business in Johor dropped by 60% while those in the Klang Valley was down as much as 40%.

Thai Odyssey is one of the biggest outlets for spa and body massage in the country. It has 70 outlets, including 10 in Johor and 55 in the Klang Valley.

“People are worried they could contract the disease if they visit us, ” he said.

Chuah assured customers that masseurs’ body temperature was checked daily and all of them must wear masks at work.

As a precautionary measure, their premises are sanitised and cleaned daily, while workers sanitise their hands after attending to customers.