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

• The examined wellness hotels were strongly influenced by the economic crises started
in 2008.
Quantitative demand indicators
Quantitative demand indicators are commonly used in market analysis. The main indicators
are the following: number of visitors (in thermal bath/aqua park), number of tourist arrivals at
accommodation (in hotels), number of tourist nights (in hotels). These indicators with the
actual prices directly influence the operational revenue and the occupancy rate of hotels. In
the case of thermal bath and aqua park we use the number of visitors, in the case of hotels the
best volume indicator is the number of tourist nights.
Below we explain the key volume demand indicators of the examined units.
The 2004 research study finding may be summarized as follows:
• The number of visitors of the examined 11 projects in the first full operational year
was higher with 60% (+ 2,16M HUF) compare to the base year (2001).
• The market share of domestic visitors out of total number of visitors were 70%
• The new health tourism developments reduced the seasonal fluctuations of tourism
demand.
• The thermal baths and aqua parks are very popular attractions among the locals.
80% of the examined cities’ population had already visited the new health tourism
units and 50% of the local visitors regularly attend the thermal bath. Most of the
primary and secondary schools’ students have their gymnastic class in the
swimming pool of the thermal bath.
• The health tourism developments of Széchenyi Program resulted 10 million extra
domestic visitor numbers yearly.
We present the findings of 2009 research study:
• Debrecen Aquaticum has shown the greatest volume and the most dynamic
increase since their opening. This unit provides 60% of the total visitor numbers of
the examined 4 thermal bath/aqua parks. It caused by the size of tourism
development and its attractiveness.
• The examined 4 new wellness hotels with conference facilities (618 room of total
room capacity) provided 60,000 tourist nights in the first full operation year. The
room occupancy rate was relatively high between 32-40% on yearly.
• MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Event) market segment provides the major
demand driver with 40% of total tourist nights generated, while the market share of
foreign tourists was relatively low (between 10-30%).
Taxation
As with all enterprises, health tourism enterprises pay various direct and indirect taxes. The
direct tourism taxes paid are local operational tax (if the enterprise has an operating profit),
property tax, and other taxes, etc. Indirect taxes paid to the central budget excl. VAT are
mainly payroll related expenses: income tax, social insurance, employee tax, employer tax,
etc.)
There are three important taxes paid by hotels: operational tax which is a few percent of the
net revenue, real estate tax, and the most important, the tourism tax which amounts to 0.9 –
1.3 Euro (250-350 HUF) per night /tourist. The latter is to be paid by tourists, however, due to
the price competition between hotels often undertaken by the hotel.