European Spas in brief

Every year, European health resorts and spas generate turnover of some €20 billion. Employing over 500,000 people and supporting an additional 1.2 million jobs in related fields, the sector is one of the biggest employers in the EU in both healthcare and tourism – especially in regions where there is little industry.

Their unique mineral resources such as thermal springs, mineral springs and peloids as well as the healthy climate in low and in high mountains are successfully used for treatment in the areas of preventive medicine, rehabilitation and health resort medicine.  They also include numerous Kneipp centres and thalasso resorts, where treatment involves the sea climate and marine products.

European health resorts offer a diverse range of services. Nowadays, the classical methods supervised by spa doctors are accompanied by an array of techniques for helping patients to maintain their health.

They include medical wellness services, in which traditional and modern natural healing methods are combined with medical expertise. ESPA’s paramount job is to support and strengthen its members. Its objective is to maintain and develop the long-standing health resort culture in Europe and to align it within today's national medical systems and the EU.

Diary

• 09.11.2009 ESPA board meeting in Sandanski, Bulgaria
• 04. - 06.03.2010 Anfas Hetex, Antalya, Turkey, 2nd Health, Spa&Wellness, Thalasso, Thermal and Medical Tourism Exhibition
• 22.03.2010 World Water Day of the United Nations (UN)
• 05. - 08.05.2010 15th ESPA congress in Baile Felix, Romania
• 18. - 20.05.2010 21st Serbian Spa congress in Vrnjacka Spa, Serbia     
• 23. - 26.06.2010 37th congress of the ISMH, Paris, France