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

of the area will also grow by marketing efforts and development facilities. Eventually, the rate
of increase in visitor numbers will decline as the levels of carrying capacity are reached. With
new or improved attractions the rejuvenation may occur, instead of the decline stage with
small interest among vacationers. (Butler, 1980, 6-9.)
TALC has been critiqued and developed (Haywood; 1998, 273-285; Puczkó & Rátz, 2005,
41.). Buhalis (2000, 105) has expanded the life cycle theory by describing typical features in
destination, and economical, social and environmental impacts of tourism on the destination
area at different life cycle stages. He also differentiates the supply and demand curves of the
destination. He suggested a destination life cycle model with five stages: introduction, growth,
maturity, saturation and decline.
Innovations in the product of the spas in Budapest were generated by the international and
Hungarian tourism market and by the inhabitants at the beginning of 2000. Therefore in this
study, the maturity, the saturation and the decline stage is important. Following Buhalis
(2000), the saturation stage is used in this study between the maturity and decline stages. This
approach is helpful when utilising qualitative features like attitudes of locals. In interpreting
the life cycle, it is important to understand that the boundaries of stages are not clear and
different stages can appear partly at the same time. There can also be features typical for
different stages at the same life cycle stage (Berry, 2001.).
In this study, a combination of the product life cycle and the destination life cycle theories is
used and the following stages of the life cycle are applied: product development, introduction,
growth, maturity, saturation and decline or new growth (see Hakulinen, Komppula &
Saraniemi 2007). Thus, a general view of a life cycle of the spas in Budapest product is
generated. The life cycle stages are based on the foregoing literature, particularly the division
by Buhalis (2000). The context of stages applies e.g. features proposed by Buhalis (2000),
Kauppila (1995), Butler (1980) Kotler et al. (1999), Cohen (1972), Plog (1974; 2001), Thurot
(1973, in Pearce, 1995), Strapp (1988), Rogers (1995) and Doxey (1975, in Järviluoma,
1993).
The underlying prerequisite for a successful tourist product development is a continuous
service system development, which involves continual development of the strategy
(Edvardsson et.al 2000). So the “augmented tourist product” (mentioned by e.g. Middleton
and Clarke 2001, see also Kotler et. al 1999, and Lumsdon 1997) in this case is the spa
product in Budapest itself, its reputation and image.
The research methodology
The research has covered the four most important spas in Budapest, namely the Széchenyi
Spa, the Gellért Spa, the Lukács Spa and the Rudas Spa, which belong to the municipality of
Budapest as an owner and to the Budapest Healing Baths and Hot Springs Co. Ltd. (Budapest
Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Zrt.), as a management company, owed by the municipality of
Budapest.
In the study both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in order to illustrate the
product life cycle and the needed fields for innovation and quality improvement.
The data consists interviews with visitors, who are already visited the spas and interviews
with managers of the Budapest Healing Baths and Hot Springs Co. Ltd. (Budapest
Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Zrt.).