ESPA Brochure - European Spas Association

EUROPEAN SPAS
ASSOCIATION
HEALTH - QUALITY - INNOVATION
EUROPEAN SPAS
ASSOCIATION
Ladies and gentlemen,
THE COMPETENCES OF THE ESPA
MANAGING BOARD
The European Spas Association (ESPA) was founded in 1995 in Brussels
as an umbrella association for national spa associations in Europe. It has
represented the interests of European spas in Brussels, the continent’s
political nerve centre, ever since.
Martin Plachý
President, Czech Republic - Overview of all agenda
Gunnlaugur K. Jónsson
First Vice-President, Iceland - PR & Communications
of ESPA
Also in the future ESPA will focus on the European dimension of spas and
health resorts as centres for health, rehabilitation and prevention as well as
health tourism destinations. In this context it is essential to emphasis the
importance of quality in terms of facilities and services.
Jurgita Kazlauskienė
Vice-President, Lithuania - Internal and external
communication of ESPA
ESPA will strengthen its position regarding the recognition of local natural
remedies and medical services of spas. Prevention measures are investments
for the future and spas are the ideal partners!
Hans-Jürgen Kütbach
Vice-President, Germany - Alternative sources of ESPA
financing EU-Funds (Cohesion-, Regional-, Structure
Funds), EU-Programmes (Baltic, Danube)
Yours,
Laura Natali
Vice-President, Italy - EU-Tourism policy, relations to
EU-Commissioner and DG Enterprise and Industry
Martin Plachý
ESPA President
Nicu Radulescu
Vice-President, Romania - Networking with World
Tourism Organisation, contacts with other international
associations
Dr. Janka Zálešáková
Vice-President, Slovakia – Medical fundamentals of spas,
medical research in spas, medical qualification, quality,
certification, EU-Health policy, mobility of patients
THE ESPA OFFICE
Wojciech Fulek
Vice-President, Poland - Relations and contacts with the
spa communities and common projects
João Pinto Barbosa
PR & Communications Manager,
jbarbosa@espa-ehv.eu
Thierry Dubois
Treasurer, France - Finances of ESPA
Reinhard Petry
Legal Adviser, petry@espa-ehv.eu
Joachim Lieber
Secretary-General, Germany - Head of Executive
Eva Kiewel
Coordinator, eva.kiewel@espa-ehv.eu
OUR AREA
OF EXPERTISE
The European Spas Association (ESPA) is an
umbrella association of national associations
and members from 19 European countries.
ESPA represents over 1,400 spas and health
resorts as well as facilities for cure, prevention,
rehabilitation and health tourism in Europe.
The related European market contains according
to ESPA approximately 12,000 facilities.
The industry employs directly and indirectly around 750,000 people and
has an annual turnover of approximately 45 billion euros. This means that
the European facilities are not only an essential part of the health services
in their national markets and in Europe, but also an important economic
factor and employee. In addition, many of these jobs are in structurally weak
regions – as is untouched nature and the distance to industrialised regions
an essential feature of many spas and health resorts. Health resorts in Europe
have made an important contribution to public health, in many cases for
centuries. Apart from medical treatment, they also contain a wide range
of cultural amenities and are home to fascinating architecture in a cultivated
environment, in many cases adjacent to unspoilt countryside. Their unique
mineral resources such as thermal springs, mineral springs and peloids
are successfully used for treatment in the areas of preventive medicine,
rehabilitation and health resort medicine. And they include numerous
Kneipp centres and thalasso resorts in Europe, where treatment involves
the sea climate and marine products.
HEALTH
QUALITY
INNOVATION
European health resorts offer a diverse range of services. Nowadays, the
classical methods supervised by spa doctors are accompanied by an array
of techniques for helping patients to maintain their health and convalesce.
They include services, in which traditional and modern natural healing
methods are combined with medical expertise.
ESPA’s paramount job is to support and strengthen its members. Its
objective is to maintain and develop the long-standing health resort culture
in Europe and to align it within today’s national medical systems and the
European Union.
… AND OUR MISSION
Align health resorts within the European
healthcare market
More fairness in competition by quality
Promote a clear distinction between health resort
therapy and recreational services (wellness)
… AND MEMBERS
The European Spas Association is an umbrella organisation representing 20 members from
19 European countries. Following the national members and the details of contact:
OUR
ASSOCIATION
ESPA is a non-profit and non-governmental association based upon
Belgian law (A.I.S.B.L.) Since the beginning, ESPA has built up
a close network of contacts with policymakers as well as leading
representatives of science and business.
This goes to benefit above all our members – only with a strong
association the opportunities offered by Europe can be used to
the full.
Network of and for health resort
and spa experts
Certification of health resorts
and spa facilities (EuropeSpa)
Consultation on legislations and
regulations in the member states
Contacts by communication and
collaboration with members and
operators in Europe and worldwide
Support for research and the
provision of information
Development of health resorts
and spas together with experts
BULGARIA
Bulgarian Balneology and Spa Tourism Union (BUBSPA)
office@bubspa.org
www.bubspa.org
LITHUANIA
National Resort Association of Lithuania
info@kurortuasociacija.lt
www.kurortuasociacija.lt
CZECH REPUBLIC
Czech Spa Association
sekretariat@lecebnelazne.cz
www.lecebne-lazne.cz
LUXEMBURG
Domaine Thermal de Mondorf
domaine@mondorf.lu
www.mondorf.lu
DENMARK
Klovtoft Kurklinik og Barfodspark
wellness@mail.dk
www.wellnessferie.dk
VisitVejle
visitvejle@vejle.dk
www.visitvejle.com
NETHERLANDS
HZ University of Applied Sciences, Scaldis Academy
Contact University Vlissingen
peter.kruizinga@hz.nl
http://hz.nl/en/Pages/Homepage.aspx
ESPA Board member Marlies Sobczak
m.sobczak@sobczak.nl
ESTONIA
Estonian Spas Association (ESPAL)
info@estonianspas.eu
www.estonianspas.eu
POLAND
Stowarzyszenie Gmin Uzdrowiskowych RP
biuro@sgurp.pl
www.sgurp.pl
FRANCE
Conseil National des Exploitants Thermaux (CNETh)
cneth.thermalisme@wanadoo.fr
www.medecinethermale.fr
PORTUGAL
Associação das Termas de Portugal
geral@termasdeportugal.pt
www.termasdeportugal.pt
GERMANY
Deutscher Heilbäderverband (DHV)
info@dhv-berlin.de
www.deutscher-heilbaederverband.de
ROMANIA
Romanian Organisation of Spas (OPTBR)
optbr@bluescreen.ro
www.romanian-spas.ro
HUNGARY
Hungarian Spa and Bath Association
Csilla.Mezosi@gmail.com
www.spasinhungary.com
SLOVAKIA
Association of Slovak Spas
ask@ask.sk
www.slovakspas.eu
ICELAND
The Iceland Spa Association
nlfi@nlfi.is
www.hlsi.is
SPAIN
Asociación Nacional de Balnearios (ANBAL)
anbal@balnearios.org
www.balnearios.org
ITALY
FEDERTERME
segreteria@federterme.it
www.federterme.it
TURKEY
Turkish Association of Spas, Thalasso and Health
Resorts (TURKSPA)
mzkaragulle@turk.net
www.spa-turkey.com
LATVIA
Jûrmala City Council
guntau@jpd.gov.lv
www.latviaresorts.lv
OUR WORK
PROGRAMME
OBJECTIVES
Moving Europe’s spas
and health resorts forward
The ESPA’s aim is it
to develop health strategies for prevention
and rehabilitation for the European citizens;
to promote and improve quality standards
in all spas and health resorts within Europe;
to monitor and analyse the conditions of
the spas and health resorts in the individual
EC member countries;
to stimulate exchange of experience,
best practice and know-how;
to stimulate and resource spa research.
The ESPA’s Work Programme’s basis is built up on the
following pillars in order to fulfil the association’s anchor
points as mentioned above:
MONITORING
LOBBYING AND REPRESENTATION
The monitoring of the actual EU news, EU legislations,
EU project related content, activities in the area of health
politics and healthcare, tourism politics and tourism in general,
other related fields on EU and national level as well as press
and media activities related to ESPA interests, is the key for
activities related to lobbying and representation of an
umbrella association.
Being present in Brussels means a lot in terms of lobbying
and representation in front of the EU institutions. Set lobby
priorities of the European spas and health resorts are the
recognition of local natural remedies, the enhancement of the
awareness of spa and health resorts as qualified prevention
and rehabilitation centres and to emphasise the importance
of quality in terms of facilities, services and education. In this
context we would like to name the activities under ISO WG 2
and the implementation of the EuropeSpa certification
system. ESPA is also working on the acknowledgement of the
significant role of health tourism in the overall tourism market.
This is also linked to our communication tools which are
for example e-Insight News to our members.
To enhance the visibility in the EU context as well as to
show that our activities are linked to the EU 2020 strategy
for health and tourism we are expanding the participation in
Commission’s working groups and platforms. This way ESPA
contributes actively to the overall health and tourism objectives
of the European Commission.
EU-FUNDING POSSIBILITIES
PR & COMMUNICATIONS
The EU provides a broad range of funding possibilities. ESPA
highlights to its members upcoming opportunities, coordinates
expressions of interests for precise calls for proposals and
organises webinars on specific topics in order to support the
MOs members to submit a successful application.
The main purposes of the ESPA PR & Communications
activities are:
At the beginning of April 2014 ESPA received the information
about the successful evaluation of last year’s submitted project
proposal to the European Commission. The project proposal
includes 11 partners from 8 European countries and focuses
on a transnational tourism product based on a common theme.
The project is named “In the footsteps of the Romans” and
brings together European thermal water spas and health resorts
which are from Roman origin. ESPA will carry out this project
as the coordinator.
SPA MEDICINE
A currently carried out concrete action in the field of
spa medicine (balneotherapy) is the digital brochure
“Balneotherapy - part of healthcare. In European medical spa
facilities” for the attention of cross-border healthcare interested
patients across the EU. This brochure provides an overview
of medical spa products, in the ESPA member countries,
as well as provides information whether such care is part of
the healthcare system of the country and to what extent it is
covered from the public funds. ESPA gives a great attention to the support of the evidence
based research in the field of spa medicine, not only in the
treatment of chronic diseases, but also in projects aimed at
primary prevention of lifestyle diseases, improving quality
of life in older age and maintaining working ability of
Europeans. By those activities the ESPA wants to be actively
involved in European and national programmes maintaining
good public health. Wider international cooperation of
spas with specialised research institutions and university
departments is expected.
The database of published relevant scientific papers, in the field
of medical spas, is also in preparation.
Furthermore, the ESPA organises and supports professional
events, conferences and hearings on spa medicine related topics.
• To strengthen the awareness of the ESPA as the official
partner association with the health and tourism decisionmaking bodies of the European Union and with the relevant
spa and health resort stakeholders in Europe and worldwide;
• To promote the European concept of spas and
balneotherapy in Europe and worldwide;
• To promote natural remedies: mineral water, peloids,
climate, sea water, healing gases etc;
• To strengthen the relevance of the role of the European
spas and health resorts in prevention of diseases, health
promotion and rehabilitation;
• To communicate the Unique Value Proposition of the
European spa and resort medicine to deal with specific
health problems of the society, e.g. aging population, obesity,
osteoporosis, supported by concrete answers and results
by the European spa philosophy.
Our main targets are:
• The ESPA members; the spa destinations, spa clinics, spa
hotels, spa facilities, of the ESPA members; EU organs
and institutions; journalists & press; other stakeholders
(municipalities, regions, universities, entrepreneurs,
providers…)
Channels and tools:
• Website www.europeanspas.eu
• Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) europeanspas
• e-Newsletter
• e-Insight News to our members
• Printing materials (brochures, leaflet, displays…)
• Other digital materials (e-brochures)
• PR activities such as press conferences, press releases,
participation in events like congresses, conferences,
seminars, trade fairs organised by international or national
stakeholders and partners
•The ESPA Annual Congress
AND KEY
INITIATIVES
EUROPESPA
ESPA launched the EuropeSpa initiative in order to boost cross-border
transparency and fair competition in the medical spa and wellness market
in Europe. Today it is ESPA’s official quality system for medical spa and
wellness. EuropeSpa provides technically profound orientation and
guidance in the fields of safety, hygiene, infrastructure and service.
The EuropeSpa med certificates are dedicated to the medical spa sector
while the EuropeSpa wellness certificates cover the whole range of wellness
hotels, hotel spas, thermal spas and day spas. EuropeSpa provides to all
certified facilities an international platform bringing them to the attention
of tourists, tour operators and health insurances all over Europe.
www.europespa.eu
ESPA INNOVATION AWARDS
The ESPA Innovation Awards reflect the ESPA aim of “stimulating exchange
of experience, best practice and know-how”. It is made for destinations,
facilities or initiatives that represent “innovation” in the true sense of the
word; that is, the development of a new, more creative or more effective
approach to any aspect of spas and health resorts management, operations
or marketing.
The evaluation criteria that guide the Judges Panel are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Originality of the innovation
Impact of the innovation
Practicality of its application
Measurability of the benefits
Applicability
AWARDS CATEGORIES
C1 INNOVATIVE SPA & HEALTH RESORT DESTINATION
C2 INNOVATIVE MEDICAL SPA
C3 INNOVATIVE THERMAL WATERS SPA
C4 INNOVATIVE SPA HOTEL
C5 INNOVATIVE SPA CONCEPT
C6 INNOVATIVE HEALTH SPA PROGRAMME
ESPA‘S
CONGRESS PLACES
1996–2016
2015
Sopot
POLAND
2016
Vichy
FRANCE
European Spas Association
50, Rue d’Arlon, B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 0032 22820558
e-mail: office@espa-ehv.eu
www.europeanspas.eu
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