Medical and health tourism. Development, types, features of medical and health tourism. Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Climatic resorts of Russia

Europe exhibits a wide variety of health resorts, the effectiveness of which is generally recognized to be unusually high.

France

France offers thermal and seaside resorts, water and mud therapy, thalassotherapy and even wine therapy are used here. The number one resort in France and Europe is considered to be the Thermes Marins thalassotherapy center in Biarritz, offering a variety of wellness and treatment programs, most of which last a week. Accommodation at the Biarritz 4* hotel will cost from 80 euros per day per person.

There is a thalassotherapy center on the Normandy coast Algotherm, recommended for general health improvement and treatment for the “consequences of civilization” - stress and overwork. Similar courses are held at other French resorts - Pornic, La Paule, Monte Carlo. They added a large spa center in Monaco at the Larvotto Hotel.

Most in demand on Russian market famous resort Vichy with drinking mineral waters, the healing properties of which are highly valued by specialists around the world. A six-day health course here costs 992 euros. Mineral spa resort Evian unites two hotels with a health and wellness and balneological center.

Switzerland

The mineral waters and thermal springs of Switzerland are deservedly popular. So, the healing waters of the resort Leukerbad brought this health resort greater fame than the ski slopes. small town Bad Ragaz in the German part of Switzerland, at the Grand Hof Ragaz 4* hotel, it has its own thermal spring with Roman-Irish baths. Massages (21 varieties) and energy massage with warm stones are widely practiced. The highlight of the spa center is the aroma grotto, where herbs recommended for insomnia and stress are used.

At the resort Gstaad 90 km from Bern, the Vitalita health center at the Gstaad Palace 5* hotel successfully uses programs for stress therapy, rejuvenation, and anti-aging changes. At one of the most prestigious summer resorts in Europe Montreux, which is called the pearl of the Swiss Riviera, specialists of the wellness center based at the Grand Excelsior 4* hotel have achieved success in treating stress, depression, overwork, chronic fatigue, and memory problems.

Famous resort Crane Montana is open to those wishing to undergo spa treatment at the herbal medicine center at the Crane-Ambassador 5* hotel. The main goal of treatment is to remove toxins from the body, rejuvenate and improve health. nervous system. The cost of the most effective program recommended by doctors, lasting 10 days, starts from 1,400 euros. At the resort Cademario At the Wellness Hotel Kurhaus, the wellness center specializes in the “Stop Stress” program.

Germany

Germany occupies one of the leading places in the world in terms of medical care. There are more than 50 climatic resorts in the country. The resort is in greatest demand among Russian tourists Baden Baden. Here is the most modern thermal center in Europe - Caracalla Baths and the hottest spring Helkwelle ("Hell's Spring") with water temperatures up to 69°C. The Friedrichsbad Thermal Baths are famous for their original treatment method, combining thalassotherapy with thermal baths.

Bavarian resort Bad Kissingen- one of the most visited in the south of Germany - has three thermal complexes based on mineral springs, in which salt and mud treatments are successfully carried out. Many hotels in Bad Kissingen offer additional wellness programs, such as the Anti-Stress program and rehabilitation after illness. Located at the foot of the Black Forest between the Black Forest mountains and the Rhine Valley Badenweiler known for its thermal springs since the times Ancient Rome. Thermal baths and healing hot springs brought him wide fame.

The officially recognized Maharishi Ayurveda clinic at the resort is very popular Bad Ems. The priority areas of Ayurveda include prevention and elimination of autonomic disorders (insomnia, anxiety, decreased performance, so-called “managers’ diseases”). The course of treatment is determined individually for each patient.

Austria

Behind Lately a steady demand for “therapeutic” Austria has formed. This is largely due to the fact that the country has many thermal springs. The most famous resort Bad Hull offers diagnostics and spa treatment on the basis of the respectable hotel "Duke Tassilo", which cooperates with Medical center Paracelsus. The “New Breath” program, the anti-stress program “Life in Harmony,” and various rejuvenation and weight correction programs are in great demand.

At the resorts Gastein speleotherapy is carried out - treatment in radon adits, resort Baden near Vienna is famous for its city baths, Bad Ischl uses the beneficial properties of salt solutions. An interesting option for combining relaxation and wellness programs at an Alpine thermal resort Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia is offered by the tour operator "Europe".

Italy

It was the ancient Romans who discovered the possibility of healing with the help of thermal waters. And now the baths are one of Italy’s many national treasures. Not a single region of the country is deprived of life-giving springs. The most famous Italian resort of world importance is located on the island Ischia. Mineral water is not drunk at resorts, but used, like mud, for special baths. In addition to hospitals, there are balneological complexes, so-called thermal gardens, where you can undergo massage, inhalation, and mud beauty treatments. The resort is considered the most popular among Europeans Abano Terme near Padua. Resort Chianciano in Tuscany offers complexes of physical and psychological rehabilitation. Thermal Baths Salsomaggiore(from the word "salso" - salt) in Lombardy turned into a famous European resort. Other thermal resorts include: Baths of San Giuliano, Baths of Montegratto, Baths of Montecatini.

Czech

The Czech Republic is home to many world famous spas. Karlovy Vary is considered a real health mecca of the Czech Republic, which attracts up to 80% of the Russian tourist flow. The resort is the second largest in terms of sales. Marianske Lazne with its 40 springs of "living water". The SCM-Travel company, a leading player in the Czech sector, recommends these resorts for the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. musculoskeletal system(osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spinal column, pain syndromes of the spine and joints, osteoarthrosis and arthrosis of large joints).

Two large resorts Teplice And Jáchymov specialize in the treatment of “supports” in diseases of inflammatory origin, rheumatoid arthritis, spondylosis, deformational arthrosis, conditions after injuries and orthopedic operations, diseases of the back and joints. Most Czech resorts conduct treatment programs on the basis of hotels that have their own balneological centers.

The healing properties of peat mud and the methods of modern medicine are valued by patients with musculoskeletal disorders in the Trebon resort and small mud resorts Bekhine, Belograd, Kundratice, Toushen, Velikhovki and others offering regeneration and rehabilitation programs.

Hungary

Hungary ranks second in the world in terms of discovered reserves of thermal waters. Mineral springs are located in all regions of the country, operate year-round and are distinguished by unique medicinal properties. Altus, a leading operator in Hungary, offers a wide range of packages for the treatment of health problems. Most thermal hotels Budapest is part of the Danubius Hotel Group hotel chain, the brand of which is designed for those who strive for a healthy lifestyle. The most famous hydropathic center "Gellert" and Danubius Termal Hotel Helia in Budapest specialize in the treatment of the musculoskeletal system.

At the resort Heviz successfully treat osteochondrosis, diseases of the joints and spine, abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system, rheumatism, and perform post-traumatic rehabilitation. It is the leader in sales on the Russian market among Hungarian resorts. Another "Russian" resort in Hungary of international importance - Hajduszoboszlo. Other popular health resorts that literally put patients back on their feet are resorts Eger, Debrecen, Gyula, Miskolctapolca, Kharkan, Bükfürde.

Poland

In recent years, Polish resorts have undergone a thorough modernization, which has allowed them to achieve European standards of service. Resort Krynica bears the title of “the pearl of Polish resorts”. The treatment is based on natural resources - climate, mineral waters and healing mud. Diseases of the circulatory system, cardiovascular system, kidneys, diabetes, and women's diseases are treated here. The Duszniki Zdrój resort consists of numerous healing springs, known back in the 15th century. The resort also actively uses mud therapy. Specialization Duszniki Zdroj- gastrology, pulmonology, gynecology, treatment of osteoporosis, diseases musculoskeletal system. At the resort's clinic Polanica Zdroj open salt caves with microelements that help treat diseases respiratory tract, heart, skin diseases, rheumatism and stress relief. Staying in such a cave for 30 minutes is equivalent to three days of relaxation at sea. It is also worth noting the resorts Kudrowa Zdroj, Ciechocinek, Dzwizno, Lądek Zdroj and, of course, a unique underground sanatorium in Wieliczka, enjoying worldwide fame. The microclimate of the mine is characterized by bacteriological purity; it is saturated with salt and iodine aerosols, which do not contain any allergens. The Wieliczka resort is recommended for those who have problems with the respiratory system.

Bulgaria

In terms of the uniqueness and abundance of thalassotherapy and other health resources, Bulgaria occupies one of the leading places in Europe. Climatic and hydromineral resort located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains Sandanski popular for treatment pulmonary diseases. Not far from the famous Valley of Roses there is a modern balneological resort Hisarya, and in the Rhodope Mountains - a resort Velingrad, its balneocenter offers rehabilitation and treatment programs.

On the Black Sea coast near Burgas, a resort operates on the basis of healing estuary mud Pomorie. It is recommended for the treatment of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory tract, and skin diseases. Near the sea capital of Bulgaria, the city of Varna, there is a resort St. Constantine And Elena. At this unique resort, several climatic and balneotherapy centers offer treatment with sea and mineral water and a variety of natural products. People in Russia are well acquainted with resorts Golden Sands, Albena, sunny day. Their balneotherapy capabilities are widely known.

Romania

Therapeutic tours to Romania, offered by such companies as "Living Keys", "Strop" and others, have already received recognition in the Russian market. A seaside holiday here can be combined with unique treatment programs (healing mud, salt and thermal lakes, rejuvenation courses) and original excursions. Treatment here is cheaper than in the Czech Republic or Hungary.

The most popular Romanian resort Eforie located between the seashore and the salt lake Tekirgel south of the capital of Romania. The water in the lake is extremely saturated with salt - six times more than in the sea; sapropel mud is formed in it, which helps with rheumatic, skin, and metabolic ailments.

Among the local health resorts, it stands out Slanic-Moldova, on whose territory over 20 springs gush, the resort is famous in the Southern Carpathians Baile Olanesti, famous for its mineral waters. The Covasna resort specializes in cardiovascular diseases. Worth mentioning are the local resorts Beile Tusnad, Cachulata, Sovata. On the coast between Constanta and Mangulia there is a chain of small resorts; they are considered the most elegant on the Romanian coastline.

Slovakia

This small country has world-class resorts, the most famous of which are mud baths Piestany, Smrdaky and spa resort Bardejovskie Fonts. The first specializes in the treatment of the musculoskeletal system (the symbol of the resort is a sculpture of a man breaking a crutch after healing). Smrdaky is the best place to treat skin diseases. Bardejovskie Baths are famous for their natural healing waters. Climatic resorts in the High Tatras are considered Strebsko Pleso And Novi Smokovec. Thermal spas are called "teplice" in Slovakia. Suffice it to note Turcianske Teplice, Sklene Teplice.

The SKM-Travel company plans to expand the resort area of ​​Slovakia for Russian tourists. The UTEM company included the Slovak resorts Bardejovske Kupel and Trencianske Teplice in its offerings.

Slovenia

According to experts, Slovenia, the “land of living water,” has good prospects for the development of the resort sector. Officially, 15 medical resorts are registered here, offering a wide range of medical services. The most famous of them is the hydrotherapy resort Rogaska Slatina- one of the most beautiful tourist centers in Europe. Thanks to the unique natural water Donat Mg, the human body is completely cleansed of toxins, while treatment and prevention are carried out various diseases.

Other major resorts in Slovenia: Terme Čatež(profile - rehabilitation of diseases of the musculoskeletal system), Strunyan(prevention of diseases of the pulmonary system) and climatic resort Portorož(therapeutic mud, thermal mineral waters). For those who want to combine treatment with a cultural program, an excursion to Venice and other routes are offered.

Health is the main wealth of a person. And more and more people are thinking about how to maintain their health. Therefore, they choose medical tourism, that is, combining relaxation with treatment.

But we are not always able to deal with it in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, leaving visits to doctors and all sorts of procedures for later.
In such situation ideal solution There will be a sanatorium holiday: an opportunity to have a pleasant vacation and take care of your health.
In this material we will look at the 5 best, from our point of view, destinations for a sanatorium holiday in Russia.

Kashin is a small quiet town, where a calm life, clean air and natural beauty invite you to relax. And that’s not the only reason you can improve your health here.

Thanks to its mineral springs, Kashin became one of the first balneological resorts in Russia. In addition to taking water inside and taking baths, peat mud treatment began in 1912.

The Kashin sanatorium has one of the largest hydromineral and mud bases among the resorts of central Russia. Mineral waters of various chemical compositions (sodium-magnesium-calcium sulfate, magnesium-calcium chloride-sulfate) are used for baths, irrigation and drinking treatment.

Sodium chloride brines (mineralization about 200 g/l), containing bromine (530 mg/l), are used in diluted form for baths. Peat therapeutic mud is used for baths, applications and other procedures.

The main natural healing factors in the Lipetsk region are the excellent climate, mineral water and healing mud. The springs, which are used by all sanatoriums in the Lipetsk region, contain a huge amount of useful components for the body: sodium salts, iron, calcium and magnesium.

The water of Lipetsk mineral springs is characterized as low-mineralized sodium chloride-sulfate, weakly purified. Water helps to improve the functioning of the digestive system and stimulate its motor and secretory functions. This water is also often used for healing baths and other procedures.

Sanatoriums in the Lipetsk region offer recreation for both adults and children.

Here you can not only strengthen your immune system, but also cure many ailments and diseases, such as hepatitis, gastritis, peptic ulcers, colitis, cholecystitis and any metabolic disorders in the body.

Caucasian Mineral Waters

The Caucasian Mineral Waters resorts are located in the Caucasus, in the Stavropol Territory and unite four resort cities: Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk.

These healing places have been famous for a long time. Even in the time of A.S. Pushkin, nobles came to the waters - to spend time in decent society, also vacationers, and to relax with health benefits and improve their health.

Excellent opportunities to improve your health are provided by the sanatoriums of Pyatigorsk, which offer comprehensive treatment with mineral waters, medical procedures and beautiful foothill air, filled with the aromas of coniferous forests and foothill meadows.

Both adults and children's sanatorium-resort institutions in Pyatigorsk have won a high trust rating and a lot of excellent reviews from vacationers. The main diseases that can be treated at the resorts of Pyatigorsk are associated with childhood diseases, women's diseases, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and others.

The main advantages of sanatorium-resort treatment are a complete change of environment, complete rest and therapeutic effects with full control from experienced doctors.

The wonderful sanatoriums of Kislovodsk treat with natural factors and an abundance of various mineral waters, which have a wonderful effect on internal organs person.

Zheleznovodsk sanatoriums, of which there are more than two dozen, provide excellent treatment opportunities. Zheleznovodsk itself is part of the Kavminvod group of resort towns and receives several thousand vacationers a year. It is the smallest of the group of resort towns, but also the cleanest and tidiest.

The main specialization of Zheleznovodsk sanatoriums is the treatment of kidney and urinary tract disorders and diseases digestive organs and metabolic disorders. The city has a unique ecological situation, since all enterprises are located outside the city limits and do not pollute the surrounding air.

Even in the last century, the Essentuki sanatoriums gained fame as the most popular balneological and drinking resorts in the Caucasian Mineral Waters region. Natural mineral waters, the sources of which do not dry out, are known throughout the world.

It is enough to mention the Essentuki-17 mineral water, which is prescribed to all those suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

In Essentuki, all those who suffer from diseases of the digestive system seek treatment, and what mineral water does to the digestive tract is difficult to describe. Many leave with practically healthy organs.

The sanatoriums of the Volga region of Russia will provide excellent relaxation on the picturesque banks of rivers and lakes. In addition, most resorts offer special treatment programs for most serious chronic diseases.

In the sanatoriums of the Volga region you can not only have a wonderful rest, but at the same time improve your health. All institutions are equipped with high-quality equipment necessary for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of various organs and systems of the human body.

Sulfide waters are widespread in all regions of the Volga region.

Volzhskaya Matsesta - strong sulfide waters - is the main healing factor of the Chuvashia sanatorium, Cheboksary, Chuvashia. IN Saratov region springs of sulfide mineral waters are located near the city of Engels.

Deposits of sulfide waters in the Saratov region are described in all pre-revolutionary publications on balneology as Stolypin waters (now the Chapaev resort).

Sodium chloride brines (salt waters) with mineralization from 35 to 150 g/l were discovered in various regions of the Volga region at depths from 400 to 1500 m: Udmurt sanatoriums “Varzi-Yatchi” and “Metallurg”, “Mokasha” in Mordovia, “Tinaki” in the Astrakhan region. These waters are often characterized by a fairly high bromine content (100–130 mg/l).

Sodium bromide chloride brines are common in the Nizhny Novgorod region in the area of ​​the resort village Green City.

Bromide brines with high bromine content – ​​Prikamsky deposit in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan (Br up to 700 mg/l) and deposits in the area of ​​Serdobsk, Penza region(sanatorium "Polesie" Br 500-600 mg/l), - in terms of bromine content they can compete with waters of the Dead seas.

Sanatoriums in Crimea have a long history. Even 200 years ago, Russian scientists laid the foundations of sanatorium and resort treatment in Crimea. During this time, new sanatoriums were built, the comfortable buildings of which fit perfectly into the local landscape.

Magnificent nature, the gentle warm Black Sea, the lush greenery of the most beautiful parks - all this favors a long holiday season, which ends in late autumn. That is why holidays in Crimea are wonderful not only in the hot summer, but also in the soft warmth of autumn.

Holidays in Crimea are not just relaxation, but also treatment: in addition to the healing climate, there is the healing mud of Evpatoria and the salt caves of the health resorts of the South Coast.

Crimean sanatoriums have their own specialization. For example, the sanatoriums of Evpatoria and Sak are known as medical children's health resorts, sanatoriums and boarding houses on the southern coast of Crimea specialize in the treatment of bronchopulmonary diseases. Crimean mineral waters are used in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Health tourism, as a means of preserving and restoring health, was popular in ancient times - for example, among the Greeks and Romans, who loved to relax “on the waters”, to be treated with massage, aromatherapy and gymnastics.


In Europe, the active development of the spa industry began in the 17th century, and 300 years later the network of medical resorts covered almost the entire world. There are many types of resorts: climatic, mud, balneological, wellness, SPA, etc.

Resorts offering comprehensive therapeutic and health benefits are more popular and meet most of the needs of vacationers. These are natural areas, developed, but clean and protected, with the opportunity to make the most of the healing properties of nature in the conditions of modern infrastructure. European resorts, due to their “promotion”, are considered more prestigious. But in Russia there are now quite enough places where you can relax and recuperate: you just need to pay attention to them.

Health resorts in Russia

Treatment at any resort will be useful if you approach it correctly. However, visiting some resorts is contraindicated for certain diseases, so you should consult your doctor.

The best health resorts of the Black Sea

The Black Sea resorts are considered the best in Russia– in Crimea and Krasnodar region; in the Stavropol Territory; in the Baltic; in Karelia; in the Far East, including Kamchatka.

Both adults and children love to go to the sea, and the Black Sea has been loved and revered among us for hundreds of years. Marine and Mountain air, saturated with negative ions and many microelements, and no less rich in useful substances sea ​​water healing for people with chronic diseases of the skin, respiratory and nervous systems; disorders of blood circulation and functioning of the musculoskeletal system.


Sochi, Tuapse, Gelendzhik and Anapa are famous both in Russia and abroad.

The resorts of Sochi are easy to reach, and there are always a lot of tourists there: the clean sea, healing waters and mud, wonders of nature and architecture, historical sights, excursions, entertainment “for every taste” are attractive, and for children - amusement parks, dolphinariums and water parks. Treatment here is indicated for diseases of the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine and gastrointestinal systems; immune disorders; women's and skin problems; diseases of joints and muscles, etc.

Gelendzhik is a beautiful city in a beautiful bay, with developed infrastructure, wonderful views and comfortable beaches: there are pebble and sandy ones, with a flat bottom - convenient for small children. The resort is considered environmentally friendly; Lots of entertainment, from yachting to jeep rides along forested mountain slopes.

Tuapse is not so clean in terms of ecology - it is an industrial zone, but the beaches are well-maintained, with a large range of water activities. But prices are lower than in Sochi and Gelendzhik, and there are fewer vacationers.


Anapa, with a mild Mediterranean climate, is considered a children's resort. The beaches are also flat and comfortable, there are many summer camps and health centers for children, and in the city itself there is entertainment, from zoos to aquariums. From mid-July to early November in Anapa, many patients are treated with grapes - this is called ampelotherapy.

All of these resorts are suitable for treatment of the diseases mentioned above, as well as chronic intoxication, diseases of the ear, throat, nose, respiratory tract, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and genitourinary system.

The best health resorts in Stavropol region

The resorts of Stavropol are, first of all, Caucasian Mineral Waters (KVM) - a unique region with beautiful nature, significant for the whole country.


Photo: Russian health resorts

The most famous resorts are Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk, described by classics in novels, as well as Zheleznovodsk, Essentuki and Mineralnye Vody. Kislovodsk alone includes more than 1/3 of all local health resorts: in the Russian Federation it is considered the second most important after Sochi.



Photo: Russian health resorts

The water in local sources is classified as medicinal and medicinal table: it has different composition and works differently. “Narzan” and “Essentuki” are known not only here, but there are others, no less useful and healing. They are used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, liver and kidneys both internally and externally, endocrine problems: It is difficult to find a disease for which the mineral waters of the Caucasus would not help. In addition to modern medical procedures, climatotherapy is used: air and sunbathing, sea and land trips, excursions, etc. By the way, just excursions and walks around the KMS region improve your health: in the summer you can admire the waterfalls and beauties of the Blue Lake in Kabardino-Balkaria, go down into the mountain gorges and explore ancient temples, and in the winter you can ride on the slopes of Elbrus and the Dombay Mountains. The infrastructure is well developed: cafes, restaurants and bars, dance halls, cinemas, entertainment centers and children's complexes, nightclubs and museums - your vacation will not be boring.


Photo: Russian health resorts

Health resorts in the Baltic

Russian resorts in the Baltic are the Kaliningrad region: Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk. In Svetlogorsk there are mineral waters, peat mud, seaweed, water and air saturated with forest phytoncides, iodine and salts of other minerals: in autumn their concentration is especially high. The beaches are sandy and pebble, the water is clean and clear. The main diseases for which treatment is indicated: endocrine, nervous, osteoarticular and respiratory systems s, blood vessels and blood circulation.


In Zelenogradsk, patients with hypertension are also successfully treated, gynecological problems, conduct rehabilitation courses after a heart attack. Nearby is the Curonian Spit National Park, with unique relief and landscapes. Here, sand dunes and forests, meadows, swamps and lakes are closely adjacent. The variety of flora is amazing: trees grow nearby different breeds and species - broad-leaved and coniferous, southern and northern.

Karelia

In Karelia one of the best sanatoriums– White Keys: patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels, kidneys, genitourinary area, lungs, joints and muscles, diabetes. Water, mud, physiotherapy and physiotherapy, therapeutic nutrition and massage, but balneotherapy remains the main type of healing: therapeutic baths, showers, etc. The second most important method is treatment with the mud of Lake Gabozero. Sulfide-silt mud, which does not dry or irritate the skin, but contains substances similar in structure to human hormones; have general health-improving, analgesic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and absorbable effects.


The Far East also has healing mud and mineral waters, as well as a moderate monsoon climate, which allows you to have a wonderful rest and improve your health. Kamchatka resorts are considered almost “places of power”: untouched nature is the most important component of the healing effect of this region. Thermal springs are the main “trump card”, although other, including the most modern methods of healing, are also used in parallel. Living conditions are not yet as comfortable as in the western and southern resorts of the country, but are improving every year. Kamchatka is included in the list of ecological regions of world importance: for this reason alone it is worth coming here at least once in your life.

Medical and health tourism, in terms of importance, can be called the main type of tourism, since it is based on concern for human health as the main value of life. Medical tourism has a rich history. In the 20th century, a whole resort industry emerged in the world, covering almost all countries and continents. On the basis of traditional climatic, balneological, and mud resorts, new forms of healing have appeared - SPA, wellness, fitness. The list of services provided by modern resort and sanatorium establishments often includes check-up programs.

European centers of medical and health tourism are widely known throughout the world.

The Czech Republic tops the list of European countries leading in the number of tourist arrivals for resort and sanatorium treatment. Every year it is visited by 50,000 people from more than 70 countries. The largest and most famous Czech health resort is. It is located in the west of the country. There are 12 springs in Karlovy Vary. The most powerful is Vrzhidlo. Diseases are mainly treated in Karlovy Vary digestive tract and metabolism. The resort of Frantiskovy Lazne is located in the western part of the Czech Republic. It is one of the oldest and largest resorts in the country and is of global importance. Diseases of the circulatory system, heart defects and diseases of the musculoskeletal system are treated at this resort. 20 km north of Karlovy Vary at an altitude of 650 m above sea level is the resort of Jáchymov. It can be considered one of the largest resorts of world importance. Thermal radioactive springs, whose water temperature reaches 28°C, have healing properties. Such sources are very rare in the world. Jáchymov is the world's first radon spa resort. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and some diseases of the nervous system are treated here.

There are more than 300 resorts in Germany, which welcome over 1 million people from Europe, the USA and Canada. The most famous resort is Baden Baden, located in the Black Forest. In Baden-Baden, they focus on restorative procedures for rehabilitation, cleansing the body, and treating diseases of the blood, respiratory tract and nervous system.

The mountain and balneological resorts of Austria and Switzerland are also the main European destinations for health tourism. Located near Vienna, the resort of Baden is famous for its sulfurous water springs, and is also considered a favorite holiday destination for the world's creative intelligentsia. Natural sulfur springs of Baden are a panacea for many diseases. They are home to the city's thermal baths, which have recently turned into a huge health complex. During long baths, sulfur penetrates the body and has a healing and healing effect, improving metabolism.

Many world famous resorts and centers are located in France.

Italy has a number of excellent balneological resorts.

Medical and health tourism is developing rapidly in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria. Romania and Croatia also offer health programs at seaside and balneological resorts. Balneotherapeutic resort Naftalan, located 30 km south of Zagreb, in the small town of Ivanic Grad. It gained worldwide fame at the end of the 20th century, when rare sources of naphthalan were discovered while drilling an oil well. The healing properties of naphthalan have been known for more than 600 years. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. ointment made from naphthalan oil by the German engineer E.I. Eger and named “Naftalan” found wide application in Western European countries, America, Japan and partly in Russia. It was used primarily to treat skin diseases.

Slovakia is rich in resort areas that are world famous. Such resorts include Piestany, a balneological resort in Southwestern Slovakia. It has healing thermal springs that help cure rheumatic and nervous diseases, and it is also a balneotherapy center for children over three years of age.

Spain, Portugal and Greece attract tourists as seaside resorts.

Israel remains a traditional destination for health tourism for residents of the CIS countries (resorts Dead Sea), Egypt and Türkiye with their sea climatic resorts.

Over the past 10 years, at a rapid pace, taking into account the growing needs of vacationers and the latest trends in the development of global health tourism, this area has been developing in India and other countries South-East Asia(Singapore, Thailand, China, Malaysia). As a rule, wellness in newly built luxury SPA hotels and wellness centers also includes methods of oriental medicine, which are increasingly in demand among supporters of a healthy lifestyle.

China is famous for its health and healing capabilities. Thanks to sea water, mild climate, gentle sun, traditional Chinese medicine and mineral springs (there are about 2 thousand springs in total). Acupuncture, aromatherapy, mud therapy, inhalations, therapeutic baths and wraps, balneotherapy, etc. are widely used in Chinese sanatoriums. Thanks to radon springs, sciatica and rheumatism are cured, and potassium-sodium sources are used to prevent and treat diseases of the nervous system, skin and respiratory organs. Hot springs attract thousands of people seeking to improve their health and recharge with positive energy.

On the American continent, the leader in health tourism is the United States. Most North American resorts are balneological, but they are visited mainly by Americans themselves. There are also climatic resorts, but US residents prefer to receive treatment and relax in the resorts of Cuba, the Bahamas and Central America.

Cuban climate therapy has a healing effect on the body through the central nervous system, skin and respiratory tract. The country's maritime climate helps increase metabolism and treats respiratory diseases. The high mountain climate will cure tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, nervous disorders and diseases of the cardiovascular system. You can also undergo a course of treatment and prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular and endocrine systems, digestive tract and orthopedic diseases. Thalassotherapy and SPA treatments can be offered at the Thalassotherapy Center in the province of Cayo Coco. Thalassotherapy has a beneficial effect on rheumatism, hypertension, arthrosis, and effectively combats stress and fatigue. Cuba's mineral and thermal springs are excellent for treating skin diseases and arthritis.

Australia has all the natural resources for health tourism, but due to the remoteness of the Green Continent, its resort hotels, like in the USA, are focused on receiving “domestic” tourists.

In Africa, health tourism began to actively develop not only due to an increase in the number of tourists in already known recreation and health areas (for example, in Egypt) but also in Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa.

A fairly developed resort infrastructure is also available in the CIS countries. The resorts of Crimea and Truskavets (Ukraine), Jurmala (Latvia) are also widely known in neighboring countries. However, due to the discrepancy between the level of service and high international standards, most of these resorts attract only residents of these countries.

Currently, there are about 5.5 thousand health resorts in Russia, capable of simultaneously receiving 810 thousand vacationers. No other country in the world has a resort system of this scale. Russian resorts have almost all types of medicinal mineral waters, medicinal mud and other natural medicinal factors known in the world, including those that have no analogues in the world. The sanatorium-resort network covers almost the entire country, with the exception of certain sparsely populated regions of the North and Siberia.

Russian resorts have a real opportunity to compete not only in the domestic but also in the international tourism market. There are the following prerequisites for this:

The price of services is much lower than in Western resorts;
- the Russian school of balneology is more advanced than the Western one;
- the level of service is gradually approaching Western standards;
- excursion programs offered by our resorts are of higher standards.

Table 1

The most popular health resorts in the world

A country Resort Specialization
Czech Diseases of the digestive system, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic disorders, obesity; diseases of the musculoskeletal system; stress and disease of the nervous system, arthrosis, rehabilitation treatment, gynecological, skin diseases, hypertonic disease, diseases of the cardiovascular system
Frantiskovy Lazne Diseases of the cardiovascular system, gynecological diseases, hypertension, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, metabolic disorders and endocrine glands
Austria Baden Rheumatic diseases, degenerative diseases of the spine and joints, arthrosis, rehabilitation treatment, general recovery, health training
Bad Ischl Diseases of the respiratory tract, musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, diseases urinary tract and digestion
Germany Baden Baden Restorative procedures for rehabilitation, cleansing the body, treatment of diseases of the blood, respiratory tract and nervous system
Slovakia Piestany Arthritis, rheumatism, Bechterov's disease, arthrosis, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, restorative procedures for the rehabilitation of the body, obesity
Hungary Szechenyi Baths Rheumatic, gynecological, skin diseases, as well as problems of the musculoskeletal system
Italy Montecatini Terme Dysfunction of the stomach, liver, kidneys and intestines, metabolic diseases, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, diseases of the upper respiratory tract
China Weihai Osteochondrosis and joint diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, diabetes mellitus, skin and gynecological diseases
Cuba Santiago de Cuba Rheumatism, allergies, skin diseases, respiratory tract treatment
Tunisia Tabarka Lung diseases, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, diseases of the oral mucosa and tongue, rheumatological diseases, stress
Monastir Cardiovascular diseases, treatment of rheumatism, treatment of arthrosis, pain (back, neck, joints, etc.), overweight, treatment of stress and depression
Greece Loutraki Liver diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, skin diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, paralysis, recovery from injuries, chronic pyelonephritis and cystitis
Thessaloniki Diseases of the musculoskeletal system, diseases of the respiratory tract, diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the joints and bones, rheumatism, sciatica, radiculitis, gynecological diseases, hepatitis and cholecystitis, excess weight and cellulite
India Kerala Ridding the body of toxins, detoxification, strengthening the immune system, prevention various kinds diseases

The resorts reviewed cover a wide range of diseases. The specialization of resorts depends on their location. For example, many resorts are located near mineral springs, which help with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and diseases of the kidneys and bladder. Some resorts specialize in the use of therapeutic mud, which helps to cope with many skin diseases.

In each country, medical and health tourism developed taking into account the availability of natural resources and socio-economic conditions. At the same time, there is a trend in the world towards realizing the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Caring for health and increasing vital activity has become an integral part of the modern value system. There is a growing number of people striving to maintain good physical fitness along with spiritual enrichment.

Medical and health tourism

Medical and health tourism, as a type of ecological tourism, is a type of sanatorium-resort treatment and considers the organization of public health from the point of view of travel technology. This is achieved through the formation of a tourism product, which is based on a therapeutic or health-improving technology that improves the quality of life by fully satisfying the need for recreation, recovery and treatment using various components of the natural complex (landscape, comfortable climate, healthy regime, change of scenery, etc.) and - such methods of influencing the human body as balneo-, peloid-, landscape-, thalasso- and climatotherapy.

Medical and health tourism has a number of distinctive features. Firstly, your stay at the resort, regardless of the type of illness or illness, must be long, at least three weeks. Only in this case the desired healing effect is achieved. Secondly, treatment at resorts is expensive. Although relatively cheap tours have recently begun to be developed, this type of tourism is designed mainly for wealthy clients who are increasingly focused not on standard set medical services, but to an individual treatment program. Another feature is that older people go to resorts. age group when chronic diseases worsen or the weakening body is unable to cope with everyday stress at work and at home. Accordingly, these tourists choose between resorts that specialize in the treatment of a specific disease, and mixed-type resorts that have a general strengthening effect on the body and help restore strength.


History of the development of medical and health tourism

Traveling for medicinal purposes has a long history. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans used healing springs and places with a favorable climate in order to improve their health. Not only sick people, but also healthy people who wanted to relax and had sufficient funds for this, arrived at the resorts. In Greece Epidaurus and Kos were famous, and in Rome the secular seaside resort of Baiae was famous.

Times have changed, but the motivation for traveling remains the same. The healing properties of natural factors, as before, attract patients to resort areas. The flows of tourists for medicinal purposes are not yet as numerous as the masses of those wishing to relax and have fun, but they are growing rapidly and their geography is expanding.

Back in the 18th century, Peter I, returning from treatment at foreign resorts, ordered the court doctors to “look for spring waters in our state that can be used for various diseases.”

The development of the resort business in Russia was greatly facilitated by the activities of the Russian Balneological Society on the Caucasian Mineral Waters, founded in 1863 by the famous doctor S.A. Smirnov. F.A. did a lot of work on the Caucasian mineral waters. Batalin, who summed up the previous study of mineral springs and offered a comprehensive description of their condition and development prospects. In the second half of the 19th century, medicinal climatic areas in Siberia were examined - Yamarovka and Darasun. Gradually, the geography of the study of mineral waters is expanding and moving through the Urals to Siberia. In 1868, researcher Afanasy Bushuev discovered mineral springs in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Along with the healing properties of mineral waters and mud, a beneficial effect of climate on patients on the southern coast of Crimea was discovered. The healing properties of kumiss were also revealed. The network of health resorts using natural healing resources gradually expanded. But scientific work The study of natural healing factors was carried out mainly by enthusiasts (F.P. Gaaz, F.A. Batalin, A.P. Nelyubin, etc.).

Specifics of medical and health tourism

The contingent of vacationers at resorts is specific. There is a very large proportion of elderly people and people who are physically weak and sick. Therefore, most resorts are characterized by increased comfort. Treatment involves undergoing a certain course of procedures, the total duration of which is from 10 to 30 days. Therefore, the duration of stay at the resort is much higher than the average in tourism. This, as well as the fact that the cost of staying at the resort includes payment for medical procedures, medical supervision, as well as increased comfort, makes resort tourism one of the most expensive types.

Recently, the health tourism market has been undergoing changes. Traditional resorts are becoming increasingly multifunctional health centers designed for wide circle consumers. There is a growing number of people in the world who want to maintain good physical shape and need restorative anti-stress programs. These are mostly middle-aged people who are no strangers to active physical recreation. In addition, the reorientation of resorts to a new market segment is associated with a reduction in financial support from municipalities and the state.


There are different types of resort and medical institutions. In Russia, the main type of medical and preventive institution at resorts is a sanatorium (from the Latin Sano - I treat, heal). Small resort institutions are hospitals (water and mud baths), health resorts, and boarding houses. Required condition of any resort establishment is the presence medical personnel, treatment and health monitoring.

It is desirable that in each region there is a group of resorts with a variety of therapeutic areas intended for the local population, since for vacationers at resorts, especially the elderly and people with poor health, staying in other natural areas or time zones requires long acclimatization in new conditions, and also upon return. This may lead to low effectiveness of treatment at a distance from permanent place accommodation at the resort.

The science of balneology

Medical and health tourism involves the movement of residents and non-residents within state borders and beyond state borders for a period of at least 20 hours and no more than 6 months. for health purposes, for the prevention of various diseases of the human body. Medical and health tourism is based on balneology.

Resortology is the science of natural healing factors, their effects on the body and methods of use for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.

Main sections of balneology:

Balneology is a branch of balneology that studies medicinal mineral waters, their origin, physicochemical characteristics, the effect on the body in various diseases, developing indications for their use in resorts and in non-resort conditions.

Balneotherapy - methods of treatment, prevention and restoration of impaired body functions using natural and artificially prepared mineral waters in resorts and in non-resort conditions.

Mud therapy is a method of treatment and prevention of body diseases using peloids, i.e. therapeutic mud of various origins, at resorts and in non-resort conditions.

Climatotherapy is a set of methods for treating and preventing diseases of the body using dosed exposure to climatic and weather factors and special climatic procedures on the human body.

Resortography - description of location and natural conditions resorts and resort areas with characteristics of their therapeutic factors, balneotherapeutic, climatotherapeutic and other conditions for treatment and recreation.

Resorts and their typology

A resort is a territory that has natural healing factors and the necessary conditions for their use for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.

Resort is an area that has valuable natural properties suitable for treatment with mineral waters, therapeutic mud or special climatic conditions (seas, lakes, mountain landscapes, forest areas, steppes, etc.).

The following requirements apply to resorts:

1) the presence of natural healing factors that ensure the normal functioning of the resort;

2) the necessary technical devices and buildings for the rational use of resort factors (swimming pools, mud baths, beaches, etc.);

3) specially adapted premises for treatment and housing (sanatoriums, rest homes);

4) the presence of medical and preventive institutions providing medical care for patients and vacationers;

5) availability health institutions, sports facilities and grounds;

6) the presence of public institutions, institutions Catering, trade and consumer services, cultural and educational institutions;

7) convenient entrances and means of communication;

8) landscaped territory, engineering and technical structures providing electricity and water supply, sewerage.

The specialization of any resort is determined by resort factors - natural healing factors used for the purposes of prevention, therapy and medical rehabilitation sick at resorts.

Main resort factors:

Landscape and climatic conditions;

healing mud;

mineral water.

All resorts can be divided into 6 types:

1. Balneological mud resort - a type of resort where mineral waters and therapeutic mud dominate as the main healing factors.

2. Balneoclimatic resort - a type of resort where climate and mineral waters are the main healing factors.

3. Balneological resort - a type of resort where mineral waters are used as the main healing factors (for internal and external use).

4. Mud resort - a type of resort where therapeutic mud acts as the main healing factors.

5. Climatokumys-therapeutic resort - a type of resort where the steppe and forest-steppe climate and kumys - a fermented milk drink made from mare's milk - are used as the main therapeutic factors.

6. Climatic resort:

seaside climatic resort;

mountain climatic resort.

At the balneological resort, natural mineral waters are used as the main healing factor. They are recommended for external use (baths) and internal (inhalation, drinking, etc.) consumption. Mineral waters help cure many ailments. Among the patients coming to balneological resorts are mainly people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and nervous systems, respiratory tract and musculoskeletal system. Treatment at these resorts gives results comparable to the effects of conventional medications, but it eliminates the side effects that are inevitable when taking medications, lengthens the period of remission, and reduces the likelihood of subsequent exacerbations and their intensity.

Mud resorts are tied to deposits of healing mud (peloids). Mud therapy is indicated mainly for pathologies of the joints, nervous system of traumatic origin, as well as for gynecological and some other diseases.

Climatic resorts are as varied as the climate itself. In the structure of climatic resorts in the world, forest (plain) resorts account for approximately 11.3%, mountain resorts - 24.2%, and climatic-kumys-therapeutic resorts - about 4.2%. Each of them has a unique combination of climatic and weather factors (temperature, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation, etc.), which are used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. The profile of the resort depends on the combination of these factors. If forest resorts with a continental climate are indicated for people suffering from diseases of the upper respiratory tract, asthma, and nervous system disorders, then staying in mountain resorts is recommended for initial forms of tuberculosis and anemia. The most common and popular type of climatic resort is seaside. These resorts make up 60.3% of the structure of climatic resorts in the world. All larger number tourists are discovering opportunities to combine a seaside holiday with effective treatment. The maritime climate has a beneficial effect on people with diseases of the blood, bone tissue, and lymph glands.

Along with the three main types of resorts - balneological, mud and climatic - transitional types are distinguished. They use several natural healing factors at once, for example, mineral waters and mud or climate and mineral waters. Transitional resorts are widespread in Europe and are increasingly attracting tourists from different countries. In recent years, spa resorts have become widespread. Such resorts are organized not only in recreational areas, but also in large cities, even in hotels intended for business tourism.

According to forecasts, demand will continue to grow, because a healthy body and healthy mind- this is not just a tribute to fashion. An individual program developed by spa center specialists not only makes a person healthier, but also contributes to a more positive perception of life. Recently, hotels with spa complexes at balneological resorts have been very popular, as well as special spa hotels, where the goals of healing and relaxation using a variety of water procedures and other means come first. Five-star city hotels are sure to provide their guests with the services of fitness or spa centers.

There are several versions of the origin of this term. The most common belief is that it is an abbreviation of the Latin saying sanus per aqua - "health through water." Perhaps it came from the name of the Belgian town of Spa with mineral springs, where the first balneological resort was organized (from the Latin balneum - “bath”).

Healing with mineral water and medicinal mud has been known for a long time. Even the ancient Greeks used baths with permanent ingredients to improve their health. The famous Roman baths - therms - appeared shortly before our era. With the spread of Christianity in medieval Europe They forgot the bathhouse culture. Only at the end of the 17th century, when it was proven that water procedures have a healing effect on the human body, they again became in demand, although in the East this tradition was not interrupted (remember, for example, the Turkish hammam bath, which has existed for many centuries).

Nowadays, spa hotels and hotels with spa complexes (usually high-category accommodation facilities), as a rule, are located at balneological resorts next to thermal mineral springs, which makes it possible to use water of a certain chemical composition and temperature for various medicinal, health and cosmetic purposes.

In the spa complex of a large expensive hotel, in addition to the usual set (sauna, swimming pool, massage), clients are offered daily water therapy, which implies the presence of a variety of physiotherapeutic equipment and licensed specialists - doctors and cosmetologists. It provides rooms for hydrotherapy, cosmetic care for the face and body, a sauna (mini pool, spa bar, rooms for group/individual fitness classes or other types of physical exercise (yoga, water aerobics, etc.), relaxation area, locker room. Such hotels can be located both within the city and beyond, even at ski resorts, where increasingly spa programs are offered as an additional service.For example, conference or exhibition participants can take an intensive course for relaxation, stress relief or weight loss.

Spa sanatorium-type hotels are located in the resort area and have a full range of physiotherapy programs. Before going there, it is advisable to consult a doctor. They also offer wellness programs - general health, relaxation and beauty, which are suitable for a completely healthy person.

In sanatorium-type hotels, individual accommodation is provided in a room with a shower; the client is provided with bathrobes, slippers and towels. Here you can get a complete diagnosis of your physical condition, and after completing a course of full treatment (21 - 24 days), achieve long-term remission (absence of manifestations of the disease). Traditional spa services are complemented special diets and physical exercise: walking and cycling, tennis, golf. Such hotels must have a landscaped area with a park and flower beds, indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Separately, we can note hotels with thalassotherapy centers (sea treatment) at seaside resorts, where sea water and sea products (algae, sea salt, medicinal mud), as well as products from well-known cosmetic lines, are used during procedures, mainly general health and cosmetic ones. Swimming in the sea, sunbathing, walking along the shore have a healing effect on the body and mood of a person, which together refreshes and renews the skin, calms the nerves, strengthens muscles, and improves not only the body, but also the soul. Therefore, staying in the now very fashionable hotels with thalassotherapy centers is not so much treatment as relaxation and a pleasant pastime with health benefits. French cosmetologists have found that the effect of a weekly course lasts six to eight months.

There are such centers in many countries of the world that have a sea coast, because sea water should be stored in tanks for no more than 48 hours and never reused. In Europe, there are especially many of them in France, Cyprus, Italy and Spain, in Southeast Asia - on the islands of Koh Samui (Thailand) and Bali (Indonesia).

You can plunge into the atmosphere of luxury and pampering by staying in a large four-five-star spa hotel, where life is subordinated to one task: every client should improve their health and relax, relieve stress and disconnect from everyday worries. They usually have so many treatments to offer that it is worth getting information about them in advance.

Some spa hotels book rooms only if the client immediately orders spa treatments, while in others the “spa menu” can be compiled upon arrival at the place. The cult of a healthy lifestyle reigns here. The uniform is sports, the use of mobile phones and perfume is kept to a minimum. Restaurants offer balanced and healthy dishes. With the help of a variety of water procedures of the so-called spa menu, offered in each specific center, you can increase muscle tone, relax, get rid of diseases and stress, lose weight and look younger. It is advisable that all procedures be agreed upon with a doctor, as many of them have contraindications.

Hydrotherapy includes many various techniques: showers, baths (general, local, sedentary), steam inhalations, rubbing, compresses (hot and cold), wraps and much more. On average, the procedure lasts 15 - 20 minutes, some - three to four minutes (for example, irrigation of the nasal cavity). The most popular are showers and baths. The shower gently envelops the body or, conversely, massages (tones) it. Moreover, water flows should be directed from peripheral organs to the heart. Showers vary in temperature: cold (+8...+18°C), indifferent (+33...+35°C), warm (+36...+38°C), hot (from +40°C); according to the shape and direction of the jets: rain, needle, dust, circular, jet (Charcot and Scottish showers), fan, ascending; according to the degree of water pressure: low (up to 1 atm), medium (1.5 - 2 atm), high (2.5 - 4 atm); by localization of impact: general or local. Eg, underwater shower The massage is performed in a special bath with a compact stream of water, as a result of which the patient’s blood circulation and lymph flow improves and has a tonic effect on the body. Among the technically complex ones, we can note the Snail shower complex shower installation, which combines seven types of shower (circular, rain, dust, tropical, needle, fan and Scottish) and affects the senses: touch (body massage with jets of various shapes, temperatures and pressures ), smell (aromatherapy), vision (special lighting). Various baths are divided into general, local and half-baths. In spa centers, baths with mineral water (carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, radon, nitrogen, chloride, sodium) of varying degrees of mineralization and temperature are widely used. Many ladies prefer pearl baths, when bubbling air bubbles provide a kind of “tactile massage.” Ozone molecules penetrate the skin and activate the antioxidant system in superficial tissues. In sitz baths for the thighs, both cold and hot water are used (according to indications), as well as for local baths (for the legs or arms). Expensive spa hotels often offer a “Cleopatra bath,” designed for water treatments combined with aromatherapy. Sea water or salt, seaweed, wine, milk, honey, rose petals, green tea, infusions of herbs and flowers, as well as medicines. It is used for hardening, prevention and treatment of various diseases, and stress relief. Rubdowns are used in medicinal and for hygienic purposes, as well as for hardening. They can be general or local, with the addition of salts or essential oils to enhance the irritant effect on the skin. Wraps can be full or partial, wet or dry. Local wet wraps are widely used. Cold compresses cause spasm of superficial blood vessels, hot compresses increase local blood flow and metabolism, and reduce muscle tone. Spa centers also use applications with therapeutic mud, clay or herbal decoctions. Active hydrotherapeutic procedures include cold rubbing and dousing with water of varying temperatures.

Modern spa hotels have up to six or more different baths, reflecting the centuries-old traditions of different countries. Some of the oldest are Greek and Roman baths with rooms for dry and wet baths, rest and undressing, washing and a swimming pool. In Turkish baths, the floor is warmed by hot air, and hot water spilled on the floor creates abundant steam. Finnish saunas and Roman-Irish baths are very popular. These are air baths with a moderate temperature of 50 - 60°C. Hot air passes under the floor and along the walls of the preparation room and steam room, and then enters through holes in the floor. A special pipe for the exhaust air exit makes the atmosphere in such a steam room healthier than in a Roman bath. The healing and healing effect of the traditional Russian bath using various aromatic brooms is known. There is a growing interest in traditional Japanese baths: dry baths using hot sawdust and water baths, which are located in a large wooden barrel.

Among the most common procedures included in the “menu” of spa centers, one can note mud therapy (peloid therapy), used for therapeutic, prophylactic and rehabilitation purposes, clay therapy, phototherapy (light treatment), in particular heliotherapy (solar irradiation), massage (traditional, manual, Thai, Ayurvedic, etc.), aromatherapy, etc. Various cosmetic, tonic, relaxing, anti-cellulite, detoxification, anti-stress, rejuvenating and other wellness programs are offered in such quantities that they can only be limited by the time spent at the hotel.

General principles of organizing treatment and recovery at resorts

High result professional level doctors, skilled hands of massage therapists and experts in the field of aesthetics - all this is used to help resort guests find a state of harmony and tranquility. As part of any wellness program, you can, for an additional fee, get a consultation with a specialist doctor who will prescribe an individual diet for you to follow at home.

As a rule, resort guests have free access to the main infrastructure of the resort (use of swimming pools with thermal water, hydromassage; gym where they can attend group sports classes, etc.). The most important principles of organizing sanatorium-resort treatment are the availability of treatment, focus, a unified system for monitoring health status and the effectiveness of treatment before, during and after a stay at the resort.

The most important principle of sanatorium-resort treatment is its complexity, i.e. the use of a variety of natural healing factors in combination with diet therapy, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, drug therapy and other methods. Basic natural healing factor is climate. Along with the climate, mineral waters and medicinal mud are also used. The most important task of the ongoing course of treatment and recovery is the normalization of the functions of the central nervous system, which helps to streamline the activities of the cardiovascular, respiratory systems, metabolic processes. Required elements treatment and recovery at resorts - therapeutic exercises, health path, sports games, exercise therapy.

For the effectiveness of spa treatment, general resort, sanatorium and individual regimes are of particular importance. The general resort regime applies to the entire territory of the resort and is regulated by the rules of procedure at this resort. It includes the regulated work of resort-wide diagnostic, medical and resort amenities, as well as noise control. The sanatorium regime is the routine and rhythm of life in the sanatorium, which determines a certain periodicity of influence on the patient. The sanatorium regime provides both general rules for all patients, as well as individual instructions and recommendations of the attending physician regarding the patient’s daily routine and the implementation of treatment prescriptions. An individual regimen is compiled individually for each patient and is determined after the first conversation with the doctor. It depends on the nature of the disease and the patient’s condition and can be training when used increased exposure procedures, or gentle - with limitation of the quantity and intensity of the applied therapeutic effect.

Your stay at the sanatorium can be divided into three stages:

The initial period (adaptation), in which a gentle regimen is applied and treatment procedures are not yet prescribed in full; this period coincides with the additional examination of the patient and usually does not exceed 2 - 3 days.

The main treatment period, during which the treatment complex is fully implemented (on average 20 days);

The final period (2 - 3 days), when a gentle regimen is reintroduced and patients rest after completing the treatment cycle.

Examples of wellness programs offered at resorts

"Modern thermal program" (8 days)

Provides medical checkup, doctor supervision during the entire period, 6 sessions of mud therapy and thermal ozone baths, 4 therapeutic massages (reflexology, therapeutic, sports, hydromassage), 2 massages - relaxing and relieving painful sensations(shiatsu, reiki, Ayurvedic, stone therapy with hot stones), 4 procedures for beauty and health.

"Power control" (8 days)

A medical examination is provided, doctor supervision during the entire period of procedures, 6 mud therapy sessions, 6 showers and baths with thermal ozonated and aromatized water, 2 slimming massages with local anti-cellulite effects, 1 lymphatic drainage massage for figure modeling, 2 lymphatic drainage for the whole body, 2 pressotherapy, 1 cosmetologist procedure according to an individual body program and a visit to a nutritionist, menu according to an individual program, thermal card.

"Thermal mud" (3 days)

A medical examination, doctor supervision during the entire period of procedures, 3 thermal mud applications, showers and baths with thermal ozonized water, therapeutic massage, thermal card are provided.

Modern medical and health tourism

Recently, the health tourism market has been undergoing changes. Traditional sanatorium resorts are no longer a place of treatment and recreation for the elderly, but will be replaced by multifunctional health centers designed for a wide range of consumers.

Modern transformations of resort centers are due to two circumstances. First of all, a change in the nature of demand for medical and health services. A healthy lifestyle is becoming fashionable, and all over the world there is a growing number of people who want to maintain good physical shape and need restorative anti-stress programs. These are mostly middle-aged people who prefer active recreation and are often pressed for time. According to many experts, type consumers will be the main clients of sanatorium resorts and a guarantee of the prosperity of medical and health tourism in the 21st century.

The second reason for the reorientation of resorts is that their traditional support, including financial support, from municipalities and the state is declining. Health resorts are forced to diversify their product in order to enter new segments of the consumer market and attract additional customers.

While maintaining their therapeutic function, resorts make the program of stay for patients more varied and hold cultural and sporting events. They offer a wide range of health and recuperation services. Thalassotherapy has recently been very popular in seaside hotels; the Anti-Cellulite and Phyto-Beauty-Rejuvenation programs are also in high demand. The duration of treatment and recovery courses becomes more flexible.

However, holidays at resorts pursue not only medical purposes, but also provide a leisure and entertainment program rich in various animation cycles that can raise vitality vacationers, satisfy their spiritual and emotional needs.

When choosing a place to relax in a health resort, people take into account not only medical factors, but also the sports and animation services that the health resort can offer.

Changes in the recreational needs of the population and their demands for the quality of recreation have led to the development of a resort and recreational system, the main goal of which is to improve human health, quality and life expectancy.

The modern market for medical and recreational recreation includes recreational enterprises providing medical services, travel companies- intermediary enterprises selling services.

Medical services belong to the most expensive category, because... are based on the use of valuable natural medicinal resources, the exploitation of which requires complex balneotechnical management and medical equipment. Providing treatment services is impossible without the presence of specially trained personnel. Health resorts also provide special dietary meals for vacationers.

At the same time, in health resorts, the entire structure inherent simply health centers: comfortable conditions accommodation of vacationers and providing them with interesting entertainment and sports programs. Therefore, holidays at health resorts always cost much more than other types of health holidays.

Therapeutic recreation has a number of distinctive features. Firstly, the stay at the resort, regardless of the type of the latter and the disease, must be long, at least 3 weeks (but today there are programs designed for 7-10 days). Only in this case the desired healing effect is achieved. Secondly, treatment at resorts is expensive. Although relatively cheap tours have recently begun to be developed, this type of tourism is designed mainly for wealthy clients who are increasingly focused not on a standard set of medical services, but on an individual treatment program. Another feature is that people of the older age group traditionally go to resorts when chronic illnesses worsen or the weakening body is unable to cope with everyday stress at work and at home. Accordingly, these tourists make a choice between resorts specializing in the treatment of a specific disease and mixed-type resorts, which have a general strengthening effect on the body and promote recuperation.

A week-long tour, one-day hiking and excursions combined with comfort (trekking) in the mountain resort of Khadzhokh (Adygea, Krasnodar Territory). Tourists live at the camp site and visit numerous natural monuments. Rufabgo waterfalls, Lago-Naki plateau, Meshoko gorge, Big Azish cave, Belaya River Canyon, Guam gorge.