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

excellent capabilities. Despite of these, countries of the regions are not among the most
successful countries in Europe. It is obvious that these countries together would be one of the
market leaders, if they can function properly on the market. To support this, we established a
tourism knowledge center, and an innovative tourism cluster. According to it the current
situation could be changed via the following:
• Understanding world trends, benchmarking, development of strategies and action
plans
• Identifying traditions and capabilities in line with current trends and based on the
results, modern product development through organized innovation
• Coordination of innovative, interested, interdisciplinary market players
In order to realistically comprehend the tendencies we have to interpret the circumstances of
the health tourism and emphasize its importance in the international field. This is not always
easy, there can be misunderstandings even concerning the name of the industry. In the English
terminology the spa and wellness industry is used instead of health tourism. In the near future
for that very reason we have to redefine the term ‘health tourism’ and it will be appropriate to
include ‘medical tourism’ into it also.
The transformation of the term ‘spa’, the suppression of water based service can mean a
reshaped business model. In the case of the world’s most profitable health resorts not the
admission price but the therapy fee makes up the most considerable amount of return and by
all means the most profit comes from the treatments. Apparently this world trend will be
effective in Hungary also, we have to prepare for it or rather this can lead to the extreme
increase in the domestic health tourism return.
The quality and diversity of spa waters is a common strength of Centre Europe. Hungary has a
European quality health service in several professions. It has close connections with the
traditional thermal tourism. In health tourism (spa, wellness and medical tourism),
professional basis is getting more significant, and the most dynamic sector being medical
wellness. So it is obvious to use the traditions – with proper innovation it can be successful
tool on the present spa market.
Relative underdevelopment of these countries can be an advantage in the spa world, as less
industrial environment goes well with naturality, it is more capable and attractive for
bioproducts as well. There is more potential for tourism service development requiring large
sites: golf tourism and horse tourism are appropriate subjects for strategy developments in
these regions.
According to the numbers Hungary is not in the first ten European countries and by all means
it is an illusion that we are a ‘superpower of baths’ or even can be one. In spite of this as a
member of the middle field with our great traditions and the possession of considerable
amount of thermal springs we can be more successful than we are now, even double the
present return and significantly increase the profitability which is still very moderate
nowadays. This means the health tourism would not only be the pride of our country, but it
could also be the main sector of the Hungarian economy.
For Europe the general spa trends of the last decade were threats. There were coming from the
US, and allow developing spas without thermal water. Using our traditions and the trends of
medical wellness together, Europe could remain in strong position, and Centre Europe can
increase its market share.