Spa management firm Deep Nature has appointed Magali Marco as director of commercial development for Turkey.

Marco has more than 12 years' spa industry experience. She spent nearly a decade working in Clarins’ international spa division – in marketing, communications and business development roles – and more recently she was in charge of spa development for L’Occitane within Europe and the Middle East.

“In this new role, I will be using my local network of contacts to pursue an aggressive business approach towards making hotels more focused on profitability,” Marco told Spa Opportunities exclusively. “I am excited to have the chance to work on a wide range of activities, including feasibility studies, business plans, design and space zoning, treatment creation, plus operational management.”

“My wish is not only to take on an interesting professional challenge, but to simply be part of an adventure within a small expert team, helping to capture new international markets while capitalising on Deep Nature’s strong presence and success in France,” Marco continued.

Ghislain Waeyaert, managing director of Deep Nature, told Spa Opportunities at SpaMeeting Europe in Dubrovnik, Croatia, that Turkey is one of the company’s targeted regions for development. “We have many projects under development in Turkey. Magali has a deep knowledge of spa development, thanks to her marketing background. She will have a key role in our development, based in Istanbul,” said Waeyaert.

Marco outlined Deep Nature’s reasons for expanding into Turkey: “The market here is very dynamic and is experiencing strong economic growth. In particular, there are large expansions of hotels and spas taking place, with a good mix of urban locations like Istanbul, in addition to seaside locations such as Antalya and Bodrum,” said Marco. “Turkey is still appealing and quite affordable for European people, while local people show their concern for wellness by continuing the tradition of Turkish hammam bathing.”

“There is demand from hotel professionals, in Turkey, to be guided through their spa conception and management,” added Marco. “That is where we come in.”

One challenge Marco faces, as she embarks on her path, is conducting business negotiations in the face of the country’s current political situation. She explained that even if Turkey is a safe and secure nation, political tension is building in neighbouring nations such as Syria and Iraq. “We need to keep an eye on what will be happening in the upcoming months,” said Marco.

In terms of looking after the spa business, Marco predicts staff qualification and retention will be difficult initially – as will specific labour legislation.

“It is also very much of a cultural challenge for me,” said Marco. “I will be trying to create greater awareness of a France-based company in a country with various competing influences from Europe and Asia.”