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

evident in Ancient Greece and Rome. Spa culture was highly appreciated in Rome where spas
were the centres of leisure activities and socializing. Spa culture slowly spread to central-
Europe, where spas were mainly used as places to socialise and for cleaning purposes. The
use of mineral water, health and hot springs were known also in other cultures like the Mayas
in South-America, the natives in North-America as well as in the Asian cultures where also a
philosophical point of view played a big role in the practice. In the late 19th century, seaside
holidays became fashionable again as the curative effects of mineral water were rediscovered.
The spas became yet again places of social interaction. Switzerland and the
French Riviera established spas and sanatoriums before the world wars. Thalassotherapy
(based on seawater) has become a major investment in France and also elsewhere in Europe
and the USA the development and re-development of spas is noticeable. Since the beginning
of the 21st century, wellness has become a global phenomenon which will most probably
affect the development of tourism markets and the diversification of health related service
provision, as well as will attract new customer segments.
As a word “wellness” is still relatively young. In 1961 an American physician Dr Halbert
Dunn, developed the term as a combination of the words “wellbeing” and “fitness”. Later the
word was adapted in connection with some health related publications.
Wellness concept and wellness tourism is an old traditions. In many ways, this is one of the
most ancient forms of tourism if one considers the scrupulous attention paid to well-being by
Romans and Ottomans, the quests for spiritual enlightenment of muslim pilgrims, or the
medical seaside and spa tourism of the 18th and 19th century European élite.
Health and wellness tourism is now an international trend set by the health conscious
consumers seeking to enhance their well being through their travel experiences. This type of
consumer seeks to look and feel better, to lose weight, to slow the effects of aging, to relieve
pain or discomfort, to manage stress, or to partake in the use of natural supplements like
vitamins and minerals to improve their health. Resorts and hotels are joining the health spa
development craze, although only some resorts are moving into the scope of services
currently offered by destination spas. Likewise, a growing number of day spas are adding
health and wellness programming options.
Wellness is first and foremost a choice to assume responsibility for the quality of your life. It
begins with a conscious decision to shape a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is a mindset, a
predisposition to adopt a series of key principles in varied life areas that lead to high levels of
well-being and life satisfaction. A distinction is made between the health and the wellness
aspects.