The Malaysian government is looking to train 1,500 new spa therapists over the next five years to support the country’s ever-growing spa industry, which is expected to contribute RM400m (US$125m, €93.4m, £74.5m) to gross national income by 2020.

Malaysia’s Tourism and Culture ministry (MOTAC) operates a spa therapy training programme, in conjunction with spa academy Beaubelle Aesthetics Academy, which is aiming to reduce dependence on spa therapists coming from abroad, with a new edict effective from 1 January 2017 to stop the hiring of foreign spa therapists altogether.

“A total of 302 spa therapists have been commissioned via the spa therapy training programme introduced since 2012, while another 93 trainees are undergoing training at government-recognised Centres of Excellence (COE) up to April this year,” said a statement from MOTAC.

The 12-month training scheme assures graduates a job placement for two years at a three-to-five star spa, in addition to a level three Malaysian Skills Certifications from the country’s Skills Development Department of the human Resources Ministry.

Malaysia is also seeking to overtake its neighbours Singapore and Thailand as the prime destination for medical and wellness tourism, with spa and wellness playing a role in cornering the separate medical market.