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

Introduction
Arguments for the need for quality criteria for spa and wellness hotels
Development of spa industry is founded on the interest people have had since the earliest
times in mineral springs that differed from ordinary springs in their appearance, taste and
temperature. The essential framework of spa industry is based mainly on the use of natural
resources and healthy climate with an important contribution from medical care and a
comprehensive approach to therapeutic stays. More recently, increasing popularity of the
wellness concept has acted to stimulate leisure-based health concept and health tourism. At
the heart of the wellness concept lies the WHO definition of health as “a state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
The concept of spa and wellness hotels and notions of health tourism have been in the
forefront of this process, with the development of gyms, saunas, fun pools and wellness
centres following. But also contradictionary trends have been highlighted. On the other hand,
a growing global leisure-based health orientation has become incorporated into a selfconscious
fitness lifestyle. But at the same time in a number of countries there has been a
reduction of social financial support for rehabilitation and treatments in medical spas, as a
result of which traditional European health resorts such as spas and sanatoriums faced a crisis
in the later 1990s (Hall, Brown, 2006; Nahrstedt, 2004).
Over the past years the health tourism, spa and wellness sector has experienced enormous
growth. More and more individuals opt for the unconventional treatments and the popularity
of health and wellness products promises to increase even further. Theories abound as to the
reasons for this exponential growth, many of which cite the anomie of western, capitalist
societies, the breakdown of traditional religions, and the fragmentation of communities.
Concomitant progress in science and medicine has led to better preservation of the body and
increasing absence of disease, yet mental, psychological and emotional problems are often left
untreated. The scarce research available suggests that those who avail themselves of the
plethora of experiences available appear to be not only on a touristic journey of physical
movement, but also on a journey towards greater self-awareness and contentment (Smith,
Puczko 2009). Thousands of new spa and wellness products and services have come to
market, and Pilzer (2007) calls it The New Wellness Revolution, explaining that the majority
of opportunities in wellness still await the individual entrepreneur or health professional.
Today spa visits, health tourism, wellness, beauty and fitness programmes, regenerative,
reconditioning and relaxation stays, are all dynamically growing products and tourist product
packages which, combined with all-inclusive accommodation, catering, entertainment,
sporting and other activities, are responding to the most challenging demands of individual
tourists. The type of client at spas ranges from guests in search of a rest all the way to the
truly ill, including all forms of prevention up to rehabilitation and the treatment of chronic
diseases. Spas are a frequent tourist destination of young and old, singles, families with
children, and recently also a favourite venue for putting on congresses and conferences
(European Spa Industry…; Spas – a further... 2007). Goebel et al (2007) vividly describe the
current situation as follows: The consequence of this significant increase was and still is the
establishment and opening of a myriad of businesses, products and services. Unfortunately,
the lack of standards and uniform criteria is not only limited to non-traditional service
suppliers but concerns almost all aspects of health, spa and wellness tourism. The
consequence of missing quality schemes coupled with outstanding demand led to a
mushrooming of ‘want-to-be’ and ‘try-to-be’ health and wellness providers since set up costs
and entry barriers are low.