Management of the Product Life Cycle and Competitiveness on the Tourist Market, pp. 239-246 O. Ban, A. M. Tomescu: STUDY REGARDING THE OPPORTUNITY OF TRANSFORMATION A … OLIMPIA BAN, PhD, Assistant Professor ADA MIRELA TOMESCU, PhD, Associate Professor Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Romania STUDY REGARDING THE OPPORTUNITY OF TRANSFORMATION A SPA CENTER INTO A WELLNESS CENTER Setting–up wellness centers is a new worldwide tendency, but we are wondering if nowadays Romanian spa consumer may consider this approach as necessary, useful and welcomed. We consider that the main difference between a classical spa center and a wellness center is mainly related to the approach. In a wellness center the focus is on both the body and the mind, taking into account the individuality of the consumer, proposing a concoction of old and modern techniques, designed to fit each and every one of us. We completed this study in Felix, the second largest Romanian spa resort. The research was done by directly interviewing consumers accommodated in all types of lodging (from 1 to 3 stars) in Baile Felix. In the end a new question arose referring to the way in which the Romanian spa consumer is different than the spa consumer belonging to other EU countries. This could constitute a new research direction in the future. Key words: spa, transformation, wellness center, opportunity, Romanian consumer profile INTRODUCTION Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. It has been used in the context of alternative medicine since Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. began using the phrase high level wellness in the fifties, based on a series of lectures at a Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. The modern concept of wellness did not, however, become popular until the 1970's 1 . also stated that "wellness is a direction in progress towards an ever-higher potential of functioning". 1 Donald B. Ardell; What Does Wellness Mean? A Schism in the Field Leads to Two Very Different Takes on the Concept! http://www.seekwellness.com/wellness/reports/2004-02-10.htm , Nov. 10, 2007 239