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

separated and I don't like being stared at”. Although the bathing rules are not particularly
complex, being naked among strangers make many Western tourists uncomfortable,
especially as they tend to stand out in a predominantly Japanese crowd. “It can be awkward
when the Japanese stare at a foreigner in an onsen. I know my mother (when she visited as a
tourist for two weeks) was very uncomfortable about this and not keen to do this again.”
In addition, there are also many behavioural rules and little flexibility in traditional onsen
accommodation; for example, it is rather unusual for Japanese onsen ryokan to accept guests
travelling alone, which, from an international visitor’s point of view, this is slightly in contrast
with the separate bathing principle, and again, does not make the overall experience easier for
foreigners. However, recently there has been some gradual change in terms of rules and
flexibility among ryokan owners, partly as a concession to international visitors, but mostly to
accommodate a younger, well-travelled Japanese clientele (Altman 2008).
Discussion and conclusions
Spa and health tourism development has a long history both in Japan and in Hungary,
although as opposed to the national character of the Japanese development, Hungary’s spa
heritage is based on a multicultural tradition including Roman, Turkish, and Austrian customs
and practices. Spa towns are among the most popular domestic tourist destinations in both
countries, but spa and health resources and facilities are also featured in the countries’
international tourism marketing communication, although to a different extent (health and
wellness tourism is marketed by the Hungarian National Tourist Office as a priority product
of key importance, while the role of hot springs seems to be secondary compared to the
country’s cultural heritage in Japanese international marketing). Although Hungarian and
Japanese spas are equally able to offer both wellness and health benefits, the majority of
customers are motivated by the leisure and relaxation aspects of the product (Aquaprofit
2007, IBS 2007).
However, the medical orientation of spas is traditionally much stronger in Hungary than in
Japan, despite the scientific acknowledgement of the medical benefits of the Japanese onsen.
Similarly to other Central European health tourism destinations, Hungarian spas offer a wide
range of therapeutic treatments, although the several weeks long, physician-prescribed cures
that were so typical throughout the 19 th -20 th centuries, and particularly in the socialist period,
are slowly disappearing, mainly due to the financial transformation of the healthcare system.
In the last decade, spa and health tourism trends in Hungary have included the growing
popularity of wellness facilities and treatments, and extensive construction of wellness hotels
and spa centres around the country, even at locations with spectacular natural attractions (such
as e.g. the natural thermal lake of Hévíz or the travertine mound of Egerszalók). This
construction-oriented development is in contrast with the main Japanese trends where the aim
is to create an onsen experience that is as natural as possible. (Although a parallel type of
development, the creation of so-called “super spas, the best example of which is the Oedo-
Onsen Monogatari hot spring theme park in Tokyo, is also present in Japan as well)
(Talmadge 2006).
The Japanese incoming tourist market is a relatively small segment in Hungarian tourism, but
with exceptionally high potential. Product effectiveness and efficiency in Hungarian tourism
targeting the Japanese market depend on understanding the exact needs and wants of the
target customers, and satisfying these needs by offering products that are distinctive in nature
(and, consequently, are able to stimulate demand to travel to a new destination) and familiar
in quality. The socio-cultural background of potential visitors defines both perceptions of