Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

occasions that potential clients are informed of the time needed for each treatment. Almost all
termas differentiate their prices following one or more of the following criteria: (i) the longer
the stay and/or the more treatments acquired, the cheaper the unit price; (ii) prices vary
according to whether the visit is made in the low, middle or high season; (iii) returning
customers receive discounts; (iv) group bookings pay less; (v) in spa hotels, prices change
according to whether the treatment is bought with or without accommodation.
None of the termas created a subpage with general tips on healthy lifestyle, although some do
mention that they have a staff nutritionist and it is in this context that certain advice is given.
None of the termas elaborated a code of ethics, but São Jorge does mention a small list of
commitments regarding the quality of the services offered. None of the termas explicitly
mentions its concern for the principles of sustainability and local development. Implicitly,
some display pro-nature values, describing the spa’s healthy surroundings in their
introductory texts or including “green” pictures on the opening page of the site or in the site’s
photo gallery. Only on the São Pedro do Sul site is there a subpage entitled “quality and
environment” that includes a manual of environmental good practices («Boas práticas
ambientais»).
The way the termas address their public is still very general. However, there are exceptions to
the rule. The São Jorge, São Pedro do Sul, Felgueira and Monchique units let us know in a
more or less obvious way that they welcome children: Felgueira provides them with a junior
passport and has created the mascot Felgui, following the example of the São Pedro do Sul
termas that uses the frog Afonsinho and the squirrel Amelinha. Monchique has a Kids’ Club.
Monfortinho to some degree focuses on clients in the area for the hunting, while Monchique
does something similar to attract the sailing community and Vimeiro targets horse riders and
golf players. Águas do Gerês hopes to conquer nature tourists, mentioning its unique
localization in the Peneda-Gerês National Park.
Only the Caldas de Aregos site had the Web Access Symbol for people with disabilities (a
blue globe, marked with a grid, tilted at an angle with a yellow keyhole in the middle) at the
bottom of its main page. There is no guarantee that a site using this symbol will be 100%
accessible, or was even designed according to the guidelines: it is the responsibility of website
users to “let the webmasters know when a site is or is not accessible to the disabled, and to
offer suggestions for greater accessibility. Those who use the symbol should do so at their
own discretion, understanding the goals of the growing group of people dedicated to making
the Web useful for all” (Web Access Symbol, [S.d.]).
Two-thirds of the websites consulted try to retain the loyalty of their clients by offering them
the possibility of subscribing to their newsletter. It should be noted that, in most cases,
prospective clients will not receive a real newsletter, but be notified of all the promotion
actions of the enterprise. Eight websites used the main page of their website as an alternative
way of announcing these kinds of special promotional campaigns.
São Pedro do Sul is the only termas that can afford the luxury of investing in a year round
programme of events and activities for its guests. The monthly programme can be
downloaded from the internet. Smaller units like Chaves, São Jorge and Monchique only
produce this kind of programme in the high season. In most cases though, future clients are
not informed or are only informed in a very brief and vague way about complementary tourist
activities in the surrounding area. São Pedro do Sul and Chaves, owned by the municipality,
limit themselves to inserting links to other organisations patronised by the municipality. No