18(b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Prototypical answer:

As the world becomes more health conscious, the spa community is seeing rapid growth for its products and services. The global spa industry has grown to a multi-billionaire dollar industry. Spa facilities and services are a given in luxury hotels around the world and spa-centric travel have become increasingly popular. An increased consumer interest and focus on personal health and wellbeing have generated a surge in online searches for information regarding spa services and products so having an online presence is vital. More consumers are now looking for spa packages at home or when traveling abroad, and many are seeking information about spas online.

According to the Online Gaming Association (http:⁄⁄www.onlinegaming association.com⁄statistics) the online gaming market is worth more than $15 billion in 2011. A growing sector per the 2012 report by SpaFinder, is online wellness games. “Wellness gaming is projected to generate $2 billion in revenues by 2015⁄6 and the challenge for the spa and wellness industries will be to create truly engaging games (whether online or off) that creatively connect their clients to the spa’s programming, experts and special community, whether they use⁄customize third- party gaming platforms or unleash their own.”

These are both trends to support the importance of the .spa TLD as a dedicated namespace for the spa community, and its benefits to Internet users.

1) Goals of the TLD

The .spa TLD aspires to be the domain of choice for the global spa community. For the spa industry much of the novelty and value will be in the name itself. It is well understood that words evoke feelings and emotions. This technique and knowledge is popularized in advertising and branding. Looking at the existing TLDs, it is hard to imagine any of them being able to evoke the types of feeling necessary for a successful spa. The area of specialty for the Registry is in the spa community and to provide a namespace based on a name that evokes feelings of relaxation, traquillity,rejuvenation that are complementary to spas around the world.

With the full support of ARI as the registry back-end services provider, the TLD aims to operate at world class service levels delivering registry services to its registrars, registrants as well as general internet users a high capacity and high availability platform.

The Registry, through the support from its Registry Front-End Services Provider, Namesphere, which is a spin-off of the DotAsia Organisation, sets a noble goal in building itself as a reputable initiative that is economically viable, sensitive to the cultural aspects of the community it serves, and one which participates in the global community as a responsible netizen, upholding a high level of integrity and respecting the rights of others.

2) Differentiation and Innovation

The Registry believes that a name makes a difference. An important point of differentiation of the .spa TLD is the TLD itself, what the word “spa” means to most people and the types of emotions evoked by the word “spa” (especially as compared with the other existing TLDs).

As a gTLD, the Registry believes in providing a secure and stable platform from which innovations can be built by registrants. The Registry will focus its efforts on innovations that improve the security, stability and user experience of Internet users by providing high availability and seamless advancement of technologies. The Registry will be supportive of the innovations from the spa community, for example, in the developing interest in online wellness games.

3) Improving User Experience

The user experience is enhanced by the use of the .spa TLD itself. As explained above, names and words evoke meaning and emotions. The spa experience begins with the moment the user enters the .spa domain name through the keyboard.

As a TLD targeted for the spa and wellness industry, providing a complementary user experience is at the core vision of the Registry. Besides the name value itself, the Registry is dedicated to maintaining a secure and stable infrastructure both in terms of the technical resolution of .spa domain names as well as the prevention against abusive registrations.

4) Registration Policies Supporting the Goals to Drive User Benefits

Special Sunrise provisions will be developed (in addition to the standard Sunrise and TMCH processes as required by Specification 7 of the new gTLD Registry Agreement) to provide priority registration opportunity for licensed spa and wellness centers around the world. This ensures that existing spas have the best opportunity to utilize their brand name on a .spa domain.

Upon Go Live of the registry, the TLD will be an open registry accepting registrations from individuals and organizations around the world who identify with the spirit of the spa community. To uphold its reputation as a socially responsible TLD, beyond the basic ICANN requirements, the Registry is committed to put in place a comprehensive Sunrise and Startup process (Q29) as well as effective Abuse Prevention (Q28) and Rights Protection Mechanisms (Q29) to strengthen the orderly and stable introduction of the TLD. Furthermore, special considerations are being made for the reservation of relevant geographical and other related names. Further explanation in #18c, #20e, #22 and #29.

5) Privacy and Confidentiality Protection

Measures to protect the privacy and any confidential information of registrants will be consistent with other existing broad generic gTLDs. This ensures a sense of coherence from users and registrants and reinforce the goals of making IDN not an alternative but a given.

To address registrant privacy, the Registry is administered with compliance to a Privacy Policy which requires that identifying information received by the Registry Operator in connection with registrations will not be disclosed to third parties, except as required to combat any abusive registrations and comply with our contractual obligations to ICANN and investigations conducted by law enforcement agencies.

The .spa TLD will be based out of Hong Kong and will be governed by the Privacy Ordinance, while the registry systems will be mainly based in Australia, governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), both of which sets down specific terms and conditions for collecting, storing and using the personal information of others. A Privacy Policy has been developed which is compliant with relevant legislation and ensures that a high level of privacy and information security surrounds all collected data.

6) Alignment of Mission of the Asia Spa & Wellness Promotion Council

As the applicant of the .spa TLD, the Asia Spa & Wellness Promotion Council (ASWPC) is itself very much involved in the positive development of the spa and wellness community. As such, the organization is also dedicated to promoting the benefits of end-users at large as well as the broader promotion of maintaining socially responsible operations.

ASWPC is the regional coordinating body for the promotion of spa and wellness centres. We assist national and regional organisations in promoting spa and wellness centres both inter- and intra-regionally to an audience of wellness tourists, health practitioners and other stakeholders.

As a promotion council, ASWPC aims to bring together the top spa and wellness centres of today and tomorrow to uphold the growth and professionalism of the spa and wellness industry through the positive power of collective and co-operative marketing.

ASWPC is closely connected to the spa and wellness centres’ networks. We work hand in hand with our partners to provide educational, marketing, branding and networking opportunities to stakeholders of the spa and wellness industry. The connections are made possible through the ASWPC network that will benefit individuals and communities around the world while fostering an environment for personal and professional development among the participants.

ASWPC embraces a multi-stakeholder approach in its work by connecting stakeholders from different spectrums:
- Governments: tourism, trade promotions, health and SME development agencies
- Industry Associations: spa and wellness associations, export and SME associations, health and tourism associations, hotel and travel associations
- Spas & Wellness Centers: spas and wellness centers, investors, owners, operators and managers
- Practitioners: spa and wellness enthusiasts, therapists and practitioners
- Media: spa, wellness, tourism, hospitality, business and lifestyle media -- broadcast, print and digital
- Thought Leaders: industry thought leaders, subject experts and academicians

The core objectives of ASWPC are delivered through a series of programs that address the three key pillars of the organization:
1. Capacity Building
2. Sustaining Awareness: Collective and Co-operative Marketing
3. Creating Value: Industry Standards and Feedback Mechanism

In upholding the credos of ASWPC:
- Uphold the professionalism of the spa and wellness industry
- Promote sustainability and respect for the environment
- Treat all practitioners and stakeholders equitably

ASWPC members pledge to:
- Promote and encourage the highest level of ethics within the spa and wellness industry while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct;
- Strive for excellence in all aspects of the spa and wellness industry by performing consistently at or above acceptable industry standards;
- Protect the public against fraud and unfair practices, and promote all practices that bring credit and respect to the industry;
- Provide truthful and accurate information;
- Treat all stakeholders fairly regardless of race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin;
- Accept responsibility in making decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;
- Seek, accept, and offer honest criticism to acknowledge and correct the errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others;
- Accept responsibility in helping one another. Avoid negative competition and real⁄perceived conflicts of interest;
- Adhere to all national and local laws & regulations; and not engage in unlawful activity in any country.

7) Spa & Wellness Community Organisations

The ASWPC is not alone in the spa and wellness community. The community is well organized and have many associations whose activities and principles also have users at large in mind.

The following are some of these organisations:

Asia Spa & Wellness Promotion Council, Asia (http:⁄⁄www.aswpc.org⁄)
Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition, Asia (http:⁄⁄www.apswc.org⁄)
Spa Association of Africa (SAA), Africa (http:⁄⁄www.spaassociationofafrica.com⁄)
Argentina Spa Association, Argentina (http:⁄⁄www.asociacionspa.org)
Australasian Spa Association (ASPA), Australia (http:⁄⁄www.aspaassociation.com.au)
Bali Spa and Wellness Association (BSWA), Bali (http:⁄⁄www.balispawellness-association.org⁄)
European Spa Association, Belgium (http:⁄⁄www.espa-ehv.com⁄)
Brazilian Spas Association (ABC-Spas), Brazil (http:⁄⁄www.abcspas.com.br)
Bulgarian Union for Balneology and Spa Tourism (BUBSPA), Bulgaria (http:⁄⁄www.bubspa.org⁄)
Leading Spas of Canada, Canada (http:⁄⁄www.leadingspasofcanada.com⁄web⁄)
Ontarioʹs Finest Spas, Canada (http:⁄⁄www.ontariosfinestspas.com⁄)
Premier Spas of Ontario, Canada (http:⁄⁄www.ontariospremierspas.com⁄)
Spas Relais Santé, Canada (http:⁄⁄www.spasrelaissante.com)
China National Spa Association, China (http:⁄⁄www.chinaspaassociation.com⁄)
Cyprus Spa Association, Cyprus (http:⁄⁄www.cyprusspaassociation.com⁄)
Association of the Spa Places of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic (http:⁄⁄www.spas.cz⁄osdruzenien.htm)
Estonian Spa Association, Estonia (http:⁄⁄www.estonianspas.com⁄en)
European Spas Association (ESPA), Europe (http:⁄⁄www.espa-ehv.com)
French Spa Association (SPA-A), France (http:⁄⁄www.spa-a.com⁄)
International Spa & Wellness Association (ISWA), Germany (http:⁄⁄www.iswa.de⁄)
German Spas Association, Germany (http:⁄⁄www.deutscher-heilbaederverband.de⁄)
International SPA & Wellness Association (ISWA), Germany (http:⁄⁄www.iswa.de)
Hellenic Association of Municipalities and Communities with Curative Springs and Spas, Greece (http:⁄⁄www.thermalsprings.gr)
Day Spa Association, Asian Chapter, Hong Kong
Hungarian Spa Tourism Association, Hungary
Hungarian Baths Association, Hungary (http:⁄⁄www.furdoszovetseg.hu⁄en⁄)
The Iceland Spa Association, Iceland (http:⁄⁄www.visiteuropeanspas.com⁄iceland⁄)
Indian Spa & Wellness Association (ISWA), India (http:⁄⁄www.iswa.in⁄)
Spa and Wellness Association of India (SWAI), India (http:⁄⁄www.spaandwellnessassociation.com⁄)
Spa Association of India, India (http:⁄⁄spaassociationofindia.in⁄)
Leading Leisure in Ireland - Spa and Wellness Skillnet, Ireland (http:⁄⁄ilam.ie⁄)
Japan Spa Association, Japan (http:⁄⁄www.j-spa.jp⁄)
Nippon Spa Association (NPO), Japan (http:⁄⁄www.n-spa.org⁄)
International Spa Association, Korea
Nacionalin kurort asociacija (Lithuanian Health Resorts Association), Lithuania
Association of Malaysian Spas (AMSPA), Malaysia (http:⁄⁄www.amspa.org.my⁄)
Spa & Wellness Association of Malaysia, Malaysia (http:⁄⁄www.mawspa.org⁄)
Mongolian Spa Sauna Association, Mongolia
Spa & Wellness Association of Nepal, Nepal
Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu (SWAC), Philippines (http:⁄⁄www.ngkhai.net⁄cebu⁄?tag=spa-and-wellness-association-of-cebu-swac)
Spa Association of the Philippines, Philippines (http:⁄⁄www.spaassociation.com.ph⁄)
Association of Polish Spa Communities, Poland (http:⁄⁄www.sgurp.pl⁄index1.htm)
Portuguese Spas Association, Portugal (http:⁄⁄www.termasdeportugal.pt)
Organizatia Patronala a Turismului Balnear din Romania (OPTBR ⁄ Romanian Spa Organization), Romania (http:⁄⁄www.romanian-spas.ro⁄)
National Guild of Spa Experts, Russia (http:⁄⁄eng.russiaspas.ru⁄en⁄guild.phtml)
Spa and Wellness International Council (SWIC), Russia (http:⁄⁄www.wellness-t.lact.ru⁄)
Serbian Spas and Resorts Association, Serbia (http:⁄⁄www.udruzenjebanja.co.rs⁄index.htm)
Spa & Wellness Association Singapore, Singapore (http:⁄⁄www.spaandwellness.org⁄)
Spa Association, Singapore, Singapore (http:⁄⁄www.spaassociation.org.sg⁄members.htm)
Asociácia slovenských kúpeov (Association of Slovakian Spas and Minerals Springs), Slovakia (http:⁄⁄www.balneotherma.sk⁄)
Slovenian Spa Association, Slovenia (http:⁄⁄en.slovenia-terme.si⁄)
South Africa Spa Association, South Africa (http:⁄⁄www.saspaassociation.co.za⁄)
Asociacion Nacional de Balnearios (ANBAL⁄Spanish National Spa Association), Spain (http:⁄⁄www.balnearios.org)
Gran Canaria Spa and Wellness Association, Spain (http:⁄⁄www.grancanariawellness.com)
Sweden SpaHotel Association, Sweden (http:⁄⁄www.svenskaspahotell.se)
L’Association des Espaces Thermaux Suisses (Swiss Thermal Spas Association), Switzerland
Taiwan Spa Association, Taiwan (http:⁄⁄www.tspa.tw⁄index-a00.html)
Samui Spa Association, Thailand (http:⁄⁄www.samuispaassociation.com)
Thai Lanna Spa Association, Thailand (http:⁄⁄www.lannaspa.net)
Phuket Spa Association, Thailand (http:⁄⁄www.spaphuket.org)
Thai Spa Association (TSA), Thailand (http:⁄⁄www.thaispaassociation.com⁄)
Turkish Spa Association, Turkey (http:⁄⁄www.spa-turkey.com⁄eng⁄default.asp)
Ukrainian SPA Association, Ukraine (http:⁄⁄www.spaua.org)
Middle East Spa Business Group, United Arab Emirates (http:⁄⁄r5.ek.aero⁄mespa⁄)
British International Spa Association (BISA), United Kingdom (http:⁄⁄www.spaassociation.org.uk⁄⁄)
Global Hydrothermal Spa Standards Association, United Kingdom
Spa Business Association, United Kingdom (http:⁄⁄www.spabusinessassociation.co.uk⁄)
Dallas Spa Association, United States
Day Spa Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.dayspaassociation.com⁄)
Destination Spa Group, United States (http:⁄⁄www.destinationspavacations.com)
Green Spa Network, United States (http:⁄⁄greenspanetwork.org)
Hawaii Spa Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.hi-spa.com)
Hydrothermal Spa Forum, United States (http:⁄⁄www.hydrothermal-spa-forum.com⁄)
International Medical Spa Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.medicalspaassociation.org⁄)
International SPA Association (ISPA), United States (http:⁄⁄www.experienceispa.com⁄)
Las Vegas Spa Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.lvspas.com⁄)
New England Spa Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.newenglandspaassociation.com)
New Mexico Spa Association, United States
San Diego Spa Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.sdspaassociation.org)
Sedona Spa Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.sedonaspaassociation.com⁄)
Southern California Spa Directors Association, United States (http:⁄⁄www.thespaconnect.com⁄)
The Spa Association (SPAA), United States (http:⁄⁄www.thespaassociation.com⁄)
Washington Spa Alliance (WSPA), United States (http:⁄⁄www.washingtonspaalliance.com⁄)

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