Spa and Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is often interchanged with the terms “ medical travel”, “health travel”, “healthcare travel”, “health tourism” and “ global healthcare”. Althougt each term has a spesific meaning, they all fall into the description of individuals travelling abroad for any type of medical, quasi-medical or health treatman. It also describes the growing global industry of healthcare profesionals, clinics and hospitals who are marketing themselves to overseas patients.

Spa tourism is ussually mean for general healthcare and relaxation, and involves travelling to destination spas in order to improve health and wellbeing of an individual. Spas are often located in exotic and natural locations, mainly areas rich in minerals, natural hot springs, mud baths and treatmens, mineral waters and other natural resources that are renowned for its healing and have curative powers.

Alternatif medical tourism mainly entails travelling for complementary and alternative health treatments and therapies that are known for effective healing of mind, body and soul. Some of the most popular alternative approaches include:

·         Homepathy

·         Body work treatments

·         Chinese medicine

·         Healing practices

·         Ayurvedic treatments

·         Hypnotheraphy

·         Osteopathy

·         Reiki

·         Spiritual retreats

·         Reflexology

·         Meditation and counseling

International Tourism Organizatin “UN-WTO”

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO/OMT) is a specialized agency of the United ‎Nations and the leading international organization in the field of tourism. It serves as a ‎global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.‎

UNWTO plays a central and decisive role in promoting the development of responsible, ‎sustainable and universally accessible tourism, paying particular attention to the ‎interests of developing countries.‎

The Organization encourages the implementation ‎of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, with a view to ensuring that member ‎countries, tourist destinations and businesses maximize the positive economic, ‎social and cultural effects of tourism and fully reap its benefits, while minimizing its ‎negative social and environmental impacts.‎

Its membership includes 154 countries, 7 territories and over 400 Affiliate ‎Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations ‎and local tourism authorities.‎

Direct actions that strengthen and support the efforts of National Tourism ‎Administrations are carried out by UNWTO's regional representatives (Africa, the ‎Americas,  East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia) based at ‎the Headquarters in Madrid.‎

UNWTO is committed to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, geared ‎toward reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development.‎