We took part in the prestigious international Thermal Tourism Congress, which took place this year from 4-6 June 2025 in Budapest. Director Ing. Alina Huseynli, MBA presented the Institute's activities, key projects and future visions.
We have seen a great interest in cooperation from European, American and Japanese partners, which makes us very happy and motivates us to continue our work.
The programme also included a B2B meeting where more than 15 European spa destinations presented themselves to the international media. Here we represented the spas of the Karlovy Vary Region and had the opportunity to establish new contacts and present the region in a wider context.
As part of the professional program, the director was a panelist in a discussion block focused on evidence-based approaches in the field of spa and thermal tourism. The discussion focused on the key issue of how to strengthen knowledge sharing and accessibility in the field of spa care across Europe. All panellists agreed that a major obstacle is the fragmentation of data collection methods and the lack of a single European database. There was a suggestion to develop a common methodological framework to unify research approaches across countries and to strengthen the credibility of the field with health authorities and insurers.
There was also a discussion about the lack of uniform terminology in the spa sector. Terms such as wellness, spa, thermalism or balneology are often used in different contexts or overlap, making international cooperation, strategising and marketing difficult. The need for standardisation of professional language in the European context was expressed.
There was also a call for the creation of a pan-European certification of spa facilities, which would set minimum standards for the quality of services.
The congress also focused on current trends in the field of marketing and promotion of the spa industry, especially in relation to the younger generation 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 experiences, but also in terms of strengthening European ties and cooperation. It confirmed that a common European approach to data collection, research and certification is a necessary condition for the further development of the field in the 21st century.
We would like to thank the organizers for a well prepared event and all participants for an inspiring exchange of experiences. We look forward to further joint projects and continued international cooperation.
More about the congress: thethermalcongress.com
