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ASCLEPIUS
NATURAL THERMAL WATER SPRINGS IN GREECE
Νature endowed Greece with a rare landscape and unique beauties, as well as a multitude of thermal water springs with significant therapeutic properties. Spas are part of the national wealth of the country, and their therapeutic properties were already known in antiquarian times. The ancient Hellene philosophers praised the thermal springs, where the Nymphs offered the divine gifts of health, well-being, strength, and spirit invigoration. Thermal springs were an essential element of religious ritual, ensuring the soul’s well-being through the metaphorical concept of ‘catharsis’. Aristotle’s quotation: “The energy of the mind is the essence of life” is fitting in this case, as well-being does not concern physical health only, but it is a general feeling, an internal spirit of health, force and beauty. It is an on-going process that brings balance of mind and body. A balance needed in our 21st century life-style with many different work and environmental pressures.
The natural thermal water mineral springs are scattered in the Hellenic territory to about 850 sites. Their chemical and physical characteristics differ in either temperature or chemical composition with the presence of rare active ingredients, giving them different therapeutic properties: spa hydrotherapy (thermalism). The geographical distribution of the natural thermal water springs in Greece is not accidental as it is connected with either geotectonic events (e.g., springs of Kaifa, Kyllini, Langada) or volcanic activities (e.g., springs of Methana, Milos, Lesbos, Samothrace, Limnos).
WHY SPA TOURISM
Visitors should feel more like tourists and not as patients.
The nature of humans is threefold:
- PHYSICAL BODY, which is made up of all the naturally occurring elements of our Mother Earth (O2, H2, Ca, K, Na, Mg, etc.)
- MIND
- SOUL
All three must be in balance for the existence of good health. The World Health Organisation defines ‘health’ in its 1946 constitution as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of an illness or a disability”. A person can, therefore, easily understand that the meaning of health is not given only by medicine, but also by other factors, such as environment, economy, work, etc., and is based solely on a feeling of well-being. This is in fact going back to ancient hellenic philosophy and medical care, where the ancient Asklepion centres, healing complexes in honour of Asklepios, god of healing, offered a holistic approach to health.
PARTICIPATION IN THE THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(1) SOCIETY (new jobs, psychological benefits)
- Participation of Local Authorities
- Participation of LOCAL ENTERPRISES
- Participation of LOCAL SOCIAL BODIES (mainly through co-operatives and strengthening female entrepreneurship. Participation in local events and religious tourism, where through cultural walking tours someone comes in contact with the spirituality of Orthodoxy, and ancient hellenic philosophy.
(2) ECONOMY (new jobs, psychological benefits)
- Revenues to the local market
- Revenues to the state budget
(3) ENVIRONMENT
Development of an Alternative tourism model, not mass tourism, and promotion of geomythology of each place.
Integration of infrastructure in the natural environment and local characteristics:
- Ecological and energy-saving buildings
- Water reuse for the protection of natural resources
OBJECTIVES
- The cared visitor should feel as a tourist and not as a patient.
- Balance of Body, Soul, Mind, so that the cared visitor should feel at the final-end physical, psychological, and mental well-being.
At the end of the visit, to say I HAD A GREAT TIME AND WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK, AND RECOMMEND MY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE TO MY FRIENDS…!!!
OUR PHILOSOPHY FOR THERMAL-MEDICINAL TOURISM
- The visitor to enjoy a multitude of physical, social and cultural activities.
- Food to be a combination of a Mediterranean diet and local natural products, prepared mainly by local women associations.
- Each centre to be staffed by suitable traditional and alternative medicine practitioners, therapists, psychologists, etc.
CURRENT SITUATION IN GREECE
- The legal framework of thermal springs is specified by law 4398/24-12-2006, and the Ministerial amendment 17414/2-10-2009 of the Minister of Tourist Development.
- The state institution that has the responsibility of thermal springs is the National Tourist Organisation.
- The Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration has recorded and described almost all the thermal water mineral springs and their properties.
What is required is the recording of the current state of all thermal water springs, i.e., which are in operation and their ownership.
EUROPEAN INCENTIVE
INVESTMENT
There are many thermal spa centres with hotels that are either for sale or need investors to expand and restructure the whole business.
HIPPOCRATES
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