ILaB's participation in the international Thermal Tourism Congress in Budapest

We took part in the prestigious international congress Thermal Tourism Congress, which this year took place on 4–6 June 2025 in Budapest. Director Ing. Alina Huseynli, MBA presented the Institute's activities, key projects and future vision.

We noted strong interest in cooperation from European, American and Japanese partners alike, which we are very pleased about and which motivates us in our further work.

The programme also included a B2B meeting, in which more than 15 European spa destinations presented themselves to international media. We represented the spas of the Karlovy Vary Region and had the opportunity to establish new contacts and present the region in a broader context.

As part of the professional programme, the director spoke as a panellist in a discussion session focused on evidence-based approaches in spa medicine and thermal tourism. The discussion addressed the key question of how to strengthen the sharing and availability of knowledge in spa care across Europe. All panellists agreed that a major obstacle is the fragmentation of data collection methods and the lack of a unified European database. A proposal was made to create a common methodological framework that would unify research approaches across countries and strengthen the credibility of the sector with health authorities and insurance companies.

It was also discussed that the spa sector lacks unified terminology. Terms such as wellness, spa, thermalism and balneology are often used in different contexts or overlap, which complicates international cooperation, strategy development and marketing. The need for standardisation of professional language in the European context was expressed.

A call was also made for the creation of a pan-European certification of spa facilities that would set minimum standards of service quality.

The congress also addressed current trends in spa marketing and promotion, particularly in relation to younger generations of clients. Inspiring examples of personalised communication and the use of digital platforms were presented.

Participation in this conference was inspiring not only in terms of sharing experience, but also in strengthening European ties and cooperation. It confirmed that a shared European approach to data collection, research and certification is a necessary condition for the further development of the sector in the 21st century.

We thank the organisers for a superbly prepared event and all participants for an inspiring exchange of experience. We look forward to further joint projects and the continuation of international cooperation.

More about the congress: thethermalcongress.com