Italian entrepreneur and spa consultant Vanessa Gallinaro has launched a new training and assessment service for the spa industry that aims to improve both the individual skills of therapists as well as increasing the profitability of a spa.

Gallinaro said the service, called 12 Months Training Program, will look to improve all areas of spa operations and will be open to any spa looking to enhance its performance.

She said: "As we know, unfortunately most spas do not provide the service that customers desire. Our guests expect to have an expert massage or a tailored treatment according to their needs, but usually end up with an inexperienced or poorly skilled therapist.

"This lack of a proper training can result in the business losing its existing customers while failing to acquire new ones."

The 12 Months Training Program highlights the importance of motivating staff and has been divided into stages, with the first one providing a complete in-house staff assessment and a review of operational performance.

Based on this assessment, a tailored training programme will then be drawn up, depending on the needs of the therapists and spa.