Transcript Slide 1

Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism:
Typologies and Trends
Dr Melanie Smith, BKF University of
Applied Sciences, Hungary
Email: [email protected]
Fun?
Relaxation?
Spiritual
Development?
Stress Management?
Beauty?
Healing?
Everyday Wellbeing?
Living in?
Health and Wellness Tourism is.....
• Wellness is a primary motivation for a
trip (a conscious choice)
• An active or pro-active approach to
improving health
• A long-term commitment to one’s health
and wellness
• Visiting a spa purely for wellness or
medical reasons
• Travelling away from home to have
medical treatment
• Visiting a thermal medical spa because it
has special healing waters
• Booking a spa or resort specialising in
sports and fitness
• Choosing a retreat in a rural or natural
landscape
What is NOT Health
and Wellness Tourism!
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Wellness or wellbeing is a by-product of a
holiday (e.g. feeling better during or
afterwards)
A passive approach (e.g. sunbathing or relaxing
in a destination)
A short term desire to improve wellbeing or
happiness
Staying in a spa and wellness hotel but with a
different motivation than health (e.g. business,
culture)
Having medical treatment in a destination
because of illness or an accident
Visiting an historic thermal bath because it has
beautiful architecture and it is nice to sit in
warm waters!
Doing some sports or fitness activities while on
holiday
Going to the countryside on holiday
Definitions
Health tourism: Those forms of tourism which not only contribute to physical
health, but which also improve mental health, reduce stress and increase the
capacity of individuals to function better in their environment and society.
Wellness tourism: Trips aiming at a state of health where the main domains of
wellness are harmonised or balanced (e.g. physical, mental, psychological,
social). There is an emphasis on prevention rather than cure, but some medical
treatments may be used in addition to lifestyle-based therapies.
Medical tourism: involves a trip to a place outside a person’s normal place of
residence for the purpose of receiving medical treatments, interventions or
therapies. The patient and whoever accompanies them also make use of the
destination’s tourist infrastructure, attractions and facilities.
Spa tourism: Tourism where spa activities are the main or primary focus of the
visit, including water-based activities, body and facial treatments, physical
exercise, and/or body-mind-spirit programmes.
(Smith and Puczkó, 2013)
Medical
(therapeutic)
tourism
Leisure spa tourism
Thalasso
Tourism
Medical (surgical)
tourism
Body
Spirit
Holistic Tourism
Occupational
Wellness Tourism
Mind
 Copyright Global Spa Summit 2011
Yoga and
Meditation
tourism
Spiritual Tourism
Ageing
population
Work/life
balance
Social
Trends
More
singles
Digital
dependency
Eating
disorders
Stress
Cosmetic
surgery
Natural
medicines
Growing Connections between
Wellness, Lifestyle and Leisure
• Preventative rather than curative
approaches to health
• Many consumers seeking nontraditional medical practices (e.g.
CAM)
• Influence of media and popular
psychology
• Development of more active lifestyles
• Desire for healthier nutrition
Mind
• Impacts of technology and social
media (positive and negative)
• People living longer and wanting to age
better (‘active’, ‘fit’ or ‘happy’ ageing)
Body
Spirit
http://www.bartholomewmaps.com/population_65.html
Push and Pull Factors
for Health Tourism
• Mental and physical exhaustion
• Stress because of work and a busy life
• Lack of trust in traditional medical
services
• Loss of a sense of community and
loneliness
• Obsession with self and celebrities
• Loss of religion and the desire for
spirituality
• Addiction to technology and the
inability to switch off (literally!)
• Not enough time spent outside or in
nature
• The wish to be healthier
• The wish to be happier
• The desire for active ageing and
longevity
• The need to build self-esteem and
a positive self-image
• The longing to be slimmer, more
beautiful and to look younger
• The need for rehabilitation
because of addictions
• The desire to lead a simpler life
and slow down
• The desire for self-development
ISPA (2013) list of Ten Things You
Can Do to Live Well
• Get eight hours of sleep
• Eat and drink healthy - organic
fruits and veggies and water
• Exercise - Yoga, Tai Chi, Walking
• Meditate / Breathe
• Enjoy nature and beautiful things
• Nurture your body with a spa visit
- massage, facials, body wraps
• Learn or teach someone else
• Volunteer - give back to your
community and your Earth
• Avoid negativity - from yourself
or from others
• Love - yourself and others around
you
Water-Based Health Tourism
Spas, Hot Springs, Seasides
Spa Tourism
Tourism which focuses on the
relaxation, healing or beautifying of the •
body in spas using preventative wellness
and/or curative medical techniques
(It may not be entirely accurate to refer
to ‘spa tourism’, especially as many
tourists stay in spa or wellness hotels, •
but their primary motivation for the trip
may be a very different activity (i.e.
business, culture, sightseeing, shopping,
etc).
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GSS (2011) shows that around 67% of
respondents from the spa industry feel
that spas play an important or very
important role in wellness tourism,
whereas only 24% thought the same for
medical tourism (globally, this did not
vary much either)
About 85% of spa respondents were
planning to make investments to pursue
wellness tourism opportunities in the
future, whereas only 54% were planning
to do the same for medical tourism.
97% of respondents believed that spas
should increase their role in wellness
tourism and about 66% said the same for
medical tourism.
Spas used by Tourists (ISPA, 2013)
• Destination Spa
The primary purpose of guiding individual spagoers to develop healthy habits through spa
services, physical fitness activities, wellness
education, healthful cuisine, etc
• Medical Spa
Operates under the supervision of a licensed
medical doctor who provides medical and
wellness care in an environment with spa
services.
(SpaFinder (2013) differentiates between a
Medical Spa (Cosmetic) and Medical Spa
(Wellness).
• Mineral Springs Spa
A spa offering an on-site source of natural
mineral, thermal or seawater used in
hydrotherapy treatments.
• Resort/Hotel Spa
A spa located within a resort or hotel
providing professionally administered spa
services, fitness and wellness components.
Spa Finder (2013) adds two more relevant
categories:
• Airport Spa
Pre- or post-flight pampering, and spa
treatments, e.g. chair massages and express
facials
• Cruise Ship Spa
• Spas on cruise ships with salons, fullservice fitness facilities, and extensive
menus, with treatments. Some offer
special wellness programming.
Top 10 Weird Spa Treatments
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Snake massage in Israel
Cryotherapy in Finland (Haikko spa in Porvoo, Finland has a super-cold chamber of-110C)
Beer bathing in the Czech Republic (dark beer is mixed with mineral water at the Chodovar
Brewery in Chodová Planá and is said to have medicinal effects)
Orgasm Hotel, Sweden (Venusgarden is a "love hotel" in Scania owned by an orgasm coach.
Chocolate facial, Pennsylvania (Hershey’s hotel and spa offers an edible facial treatment)
Sake Spa, Japan (The Hakone Kowakien Yunessun hot springs amusement park and spa
resort has pools for bathing in sake, green tea, wine and coffee – and occasionally even
ramen noodle soup!)
Solitary retreat, Egypt (Sinai desert retreat where visitors trek across the desert, sleep under
the stars, wash with a Bedouin herbal treatment and spend a few days alone in selfreflection)
Sound Bath, California ("an acoustically perfect machine sited on a powerful geomagnetic
vortex in the magical Mojave desert". Visitors can have "sound baths", relaxing yet
energising 30-minute sonic sessions which are said to align with their chakras or energy
centres)
Fire cupping, Beijing (Cupping is an extreme massage technique involving suction. Fire
cupping is similar, but with added flames)
Waterfall massage, Canada (the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Hotel in Banff Springs
has three indoor waterfalls used for reviving tired muscles after a day's skiing in the Rockies.
(Dixon, 2012)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lrz3UvBHE)
Snake
massage
Northern Israel
Relaxing massage
Cure various
diseases
Stifness, fatigue,
cramp
Non-venomous
snakes
Beauty
Medicine
(fish
manicure)
(dermatology)
Thermal and Hot Spring Tourism
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New Zealand has numerous hot springs in
its vicinity because of its volcanic
landscape (used by Maori for centuries).
The Japanese have bathed in Onsen for
centuries.
The Romans built a significant number of
thermal baths throughout Europe.
Central and Eastern Europe has many
thermal healing waters (e.g. Hungary,
Slovenia, Czech Republic) which are used
by older people with health problems.
They are generally funded by the
government for social tourism.
South Africa has hot springs which are
used more for leisure but are now being
tested for healing properties.
Thermal spa waters in Europe
The Roman Bath Experience
• Ideally undertake sports or a workout.
• Enter a tepidarium (lukewarm room of
35C) and treatment begins.
• Receive an oil massage to soften the skin
and then relax for a while.
• Enter the laconium (a hot, dry room of
80C like a sauna) to initiate the
detoxifying process.
• Receive a body scrub to remove dead
skin in preparation for a vigorous
massage.
• Enter the caldarium (a warm, damp room
like a steam bath) and relax.
• Plunge into a cold pool to close the pores
of the skin and invigorate the body.
• Rest and read in a library or quiet room.
Case Study: Spa in Belgium
• The town of Spa is one of the oldest and most famous thermal resorts in the
world.
• In the 16th century the English language started to use the word ‘spa’ to
refer to other thermal resorts.
• The first private spa institute was founded in 1764 and the first public one in
1820.
• Spa’s heyday came in 18thC when it was referred to as the ’Café of
Europe’(Groote, 2008).
• ‘Les Thermes de Spa’ constructed in 1868, encouraged by King Leopold II
• After World War I, Spa started to lose its former grandeur
• Although there was a growth in the number of spa visitors from 1950 to
1970, this was mainly due to the social security system.
• Visitation declined again from 1987 when the social security system no
longer funded thermal treatments
• A new spa complex was built in 2001
• The nineteenth century ‘Thermes de Spa’ were therefore no longer used.
Budapest Spas
(http://www.spasbudapest.com/)
Thermal Waters
in Hungary
• Hungary has some of the richest
geothermal water resources in the
world.
• Thermal or medical waters can be
• Bathing culture is nearly 2000 years
found in over 80% of Hungary.
old, going back to pre-Roman Celtic
• Nearly 300 thermal springs are used
times including the Turkish occupation
for bathing and in 385 settlements all
in the 16th century, which left a legacy
over Hungary there are baths/spas
of (Turkish) baths especially in
with healing water.
Budapest.
• About 130 mineral and medicinal
• The National Health Tourism
springs are located in the capital,
Development Strategy in 2007
Budapest.
identified 17 baths of international
significance, 60 baths of regional, and
• There are 13 Hungarian settlements
a further 110 baths of local
with „health resort” qualification
significance.
http://www.heviz.hu/en/photos/videogallery/heviz_the_fountain_of_life
• Most famous thermal lake is Heviz
 Copyright Global Spa Summit 2011
Case Study: Hot Springs in Uganda
(Tukamusaba, 2013)
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Kitagata springs are around 350km west of the Ugandan capital Kampala. The patients use
the water from Kitagata twice a day to drink and to bathe. The official schedule is four hours
in the morning and up to 7 hours in the evening. It is as busy as a hospital. Kabasekye says
that they get around 800 visitors (patients) every week, people of all ages and from all
corners of the country. Many illnesses which the medical people have failed to treat can be
cured by the Kitagata hot springs.
The Sempaya hot springs at Semliki National Park in Bundibugyo are capable of boiling eggs
and are too hot for some. The tribesmen and women, in the past, believing that the springs
had healing powers, would carry goats and sacrifice them to be cured. Others would bathe
in the salty waters to achieve health.
The Ihimba hot springs are muddy but pleasant pools on the side of the highway. They are
well known by local residents for their healing properties. Many of the Bakiga of Kigezi and
the people of Rwanda, suffering from rheumatism, backache and other ailments use the
healing properties of the Ihimba hot springs.
Amoropii hot spring is found in northern Uganda and it is believed to do miracles for its
visitors. It is believed to have divine powers. Before visiting these hot springs, one must first
get permission from the Prime Minister.
Rwagimba Hot Springs is where people, cows, sheep and goats go for healing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y3Cy9iE1VI
Case Study of Pamukkale, Turkey:
Mismanagement of Natural Resources
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Ancient city of Hierapolis built on the site
of rich mineral waters which created
enormous circular basins in the earth as
they flowed down the mountainside,
resulting in dazzling white calcareous
rock.
For thousands of years visitors, including
pilgrims, have enjoyed the healing powers
of Pamukkale's calcium-rich hot springs
and bathed in the white terraced pools, as
well as swimming in the Sacred Pool.
In the 1970s and 80s visitors could take a
cheap room, walk to the springs and enjoy
the pool.
However, larger hotels built to service
increasing numbers of tourists &
irresponsible tourism caused the spring to
almost stop producing water, & the white
pools started to turn grey.
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Visitors walked with their shoes on
and even bathed using soaps and
shampoos.
Locals rode motor bikes up and
down the slopes causing destruction.
UNESCO gave Pamukkale World
Heritage Site status in 1988 to
protect it.
Hotels that diverted the spring water
were torn down.
Bathing in the pools was no longer
allowed.
The basins have returned to their
original whiteness as a result.
The Use of Water in Health Tourism
in Northern Europe
• Lake Wellness in Finland
• Thermal hydrotherapy and
the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
• Cold water bathing after
sauna (ice swimming)
• Medical thermal spas for
rehabilitation
• Baltic sea bathing
(thalassotherapy)
Thalasso Tourism
Thalassotherapy comes from
the Greek word for ‘sea’, and
refers to a variety of
treatments that use seawater
and seaweed to revitalise the
body and skin, to tone,
moisturise, and improve
circulation.
• Algae, mud, sea salt and sand are also
used in various treatments such as
wraps and exfoliation scrubs.
• Medical benefits, such as boosting the
immune system, helping with circulatory
problems, respiratory conditions, posttraumatic disorders, or chronic
inflammations.
• Around 70 Thalasso Centres along the
French coast, mostly but not only on the
Atlantic.
• Other popular destinations include
Spain, North Africa, Ireland, Middle East
Thalassotherapy in Europe:
A Tradition Based on the Four Elements?
 FIRE
 e.g. sunshine for Vitamin
D, mood enhancement
 EARTH
 e.g. mud, sand, seaweed
for skin
 AIR
 e.g. salty, seaside air
good for lungs
 WATER
 e.g. healing elements of
sea water, relaxation
The Changing Use of the Beach
The Dead Sea
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The different minerals in the Dead Sea Water
help repair skin damage, enhance skin
metabolism, relax the muscles and facilitate
breathing
Dead Sea Mud helps in clarifying, nourishing &
retaining moisture in the skin
Dead Sea water helps eliminate toxins from the
body & balances PH levels
UVA & UVB radiation in the Dead Sea region
makes it one of the safest places in the world
to sunbathe.
The Dead Sea are under threat as the sea is
losing around half a metre of its water level
annually due to many factors such as: little
water is flowing in. Israel has diverted many
sources of the River Jordan north of Tiberias
Lake to the Negev District; high evaporation
rates and the mining industries extracting
minerals on the southern edge of the sea
Conclusions
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Water is still the main focus of health and
wellness tourism in many countries
(especially spas)
This can include hot springs, thermal water
and sea water, but also lakes, rivers, etc
(e.g. Lake Wellness in Finland)
Hot springs can be used for both leisure
and medical purposes, sometimes
simultaneously (e.g. New Zealand, South
Africa)
Thermal medical spas in many countries
(e.g. CEE) need upgrading and modernising
for new or younger markets
Beaches have multiple uses throughout the
world but there is a revival of the ‘healthy
seaside’ concept
Thalassotherapy is expensive and not used
by so many people but public beaches
offer free wellbeing!
Contact:
– www.thetourismobservatory.org
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[email protected] or [email protected]
www.xellum.hu
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