Hot and Mineral Springs
Introduction
The essence of tourism is to experience something different and exciting than what an individual is used to. There are many successful tourist destinations in the world, with some places drawing in millions of visitors from all parts of the world annually. Some tourist destinations are very popular such as London, Paris, New York City, Cannes, and Monaco. The question becomes, what makes these places so attractive. One of the most important aspects of a tourist attraction is the environment. The cleanliness, serenity, Architecture, beauty and the uniqueness are some of the attractive features of an environment. Other aspects are the presence of an industry such as the film industry, landmarks, history and the nature of the local community may influence the attractiveness of a tourist location. Among the environmental tourist attractions, natural hot and mineral springs stand out. The springs are unique and limited in number enhancing their attractiveness. It is, therefore, important to look into how their contribution towards the development of tourist destinations in their locations and their role in the health and wellness tourism industry.
Natural hot and mineral springs
Hot springs are springs of groundwater that is geothermally heated and rises from the earth crust (Crossley, Jamieson, & Brayley, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap). There are many hot water springs around the globe. Their differences come in terms of the temperatures of the water rising from the ground. Some have water whose temperatures can allow a bath while others are too hot, and immersion would result in fatal injuries. The hot spring water often carries with it dissolved minerals such as lithium and calcium. Mineral springs, on the other hand, are those whose water contains minerals and other dissolved substances that may alter the taste of the water to give it an alleged therapeutic value. Substances dissolved include sulfur compounds, salt, and gasses.
Image of a mineral spring
Hot and mineral springs are thought of as the original spas. This term, ‘spa’ came from a town in Belgium called Spa that is widely known for its hot springs. Naturally, hot springs will mainly be found around areas that have experienced volcanic activity, where there are fault lines in the earth’s crust or where there are magma chambers (Cooper & Cooper, 2009). These springs can be found anywhere in the world. For example, there are some in Australia, the United States, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand and Japan.
Contribution to the development of tourist destinations
Hot and mineral springs are widely recognized in the tourism industry and are often marketed in a combination of a visit to the springs and other related activities such as hiking, visiting historical places and others in relation to the geography of the area. Some developers have created resorts around the springs to provide a full package for the visitors who in many occasions opt for a spa treatment. Hot and mineral springs are major components of the rising health and wellness tourism which is a significant part of the ever high demand for recreational aspects of tourism that is nature-based. In many parts of the world, hot springs are particularly considered as important influences on the development of health and wellness but are developed and enhanced to encourage other tourists. Research shows that there has been extensive cultural and historical use of the springs across the world (Cooper & Cooper, 2009). The interaction as a result of this has led to the development of spa towns dating back to hundreds of years such as Aachen in Germany and Bath in the United Kingdom.
The health and wellness movement has recently grown increasing the availability of ‘coffee-table’ marketing and spread of information related to the spa experience at the hot and mineral springs. The visual nature of the Internet and the immediacy of travel and booking facilities has also triggered a long-term culture of touring to these areas (Crossley, Jamieson, & Brayley, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap). The increased number of visitors could also be attributed to the passing of information verbally from persons who talk of the never-ending benefits of thermalism in relation to clinical treatment. Thermalism has been seen to have to heal and to suppress problems associated with osteoarthritis, psoriasis, and rheumatism. With this information, tourists are flocking wellness spas leading to the development of tourism.
Research shows that hot springs are popular with persons of all ages, social background, genders, and cultures (Erfurt-Cooper, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). At any time of the year, there will be people visiting the site. This is especially in countries that have developed easy access roads to the springs. If the spring is under responsible management that will prevent over-exploitation, then the spring presents a renewable resource that will ensure sustainable development of tourism for a long time.
It is amazing that there are hot and mineral springs on every continent and essentially in every country, which is good news for all the travel and tourism companies (Hem, 2005). There is potential in every country that can be tapped from the springs in the form of making them tourist attractions. The earnings from the tourism business will increase a nation’s earnings. In addition, the business brings in income and development to the local communities boosting their living standards. Hot and mineral springs, therefore, result in economic development of their destinations.
Bathing in these springs is the earliest spa experience that dates back to the Roman times but is also very trendy in the present (Peris-Ortiz & Álvarez-García, 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service). More people are seeking the social, affordable and beneficial experience. With numbers flocking to these sites the governments and developers are taking notice and are now funding many other similar developments.
Contribution of hot and mineral springs to health and wellness tourism
There is an emerging issue among consumers worldwide where they are focusing more on their health and wellness in a ‘back to nature’ approach (Crossley, Jamieson, & Brayley, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap). The new nature and lifestyle is wholesome and focuses on the prevention of lifestyle problems and diseases instead of their cure. The new focus has brought back and renewed the demand for, among other natural remedies, the old-fashioned interest in geothermal and mineral water therapies. The method uses naturally occurring resources hence is better preferred as people move away from chemical treatments.
image of a spring in a health and wellness facility
Hot and mineral springs have also revolutionized health and wellness treatments (Cooper & Cooper, 2009). Taking a bath in the hot and mineral springs or drinking water from the mineral springs is constitutes the new approach to health. Because of this, there is a new form of tourism to source a form of treatment where the curative properties present in the mineral water from the springs are combined with other wellness therapies and treatments and a holiday package. Spas and resorts now source for minerals, as they are the most important ingredients in the thermal treatment process.
The new outlook towards hot and mineral spring treatments has also led to the expansion and modernization of the spa industry to meet the customer’s high expectations. There is now a booming industry to manufacture beauty treatments and build facilities to feed the ever-increasing demand for the services (Peris-Ortiz & Álvarez-García, 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service). This has also boosted the tourism industry as the facilities attract more than 150 million of the spa-goers worldwide.
The common denominator in facilities promoting health and wellness naturally is water. It is used in the landscaping process in the creating of pools, fountains and waterfalls and also in the treatment processes themselves (Erfurt-Cooper, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). The presence of a natural hot or mineral spring increases the number of customers to a spar. To this effect, the resorts without naturally occurring springs are considering tapping into the underground water table along the fault line on the earth’s crust to ensure their customers are satisfied. There is also a growing interest towards natural looking settings and environments. Hotels, spas, and resorts are changing their themes and putting up fountains, waterfall-like features, and rock pools. They are attempts to recreate a natural landscape including features such as hot springs. The importance the society has attached to natural treatments using resources from hot and mineral springs has improved wellness facilities, making the treatments accessible for all.
In some countries, however, for natural hot spring water to receive recognition as beneficial, the water flowing from a spring must be of a certain minimum temperature set (Hem, 2005). For example, the therapeutic value of a natural spring in Japan can only be considered if the spring water has a minimum of 25 degrees Celsius in temperature and contains a certain minimum amount of components as per the Japan’s 1948 Hot Spring law. Another study analyzed the hot and mineral springs of Portugal and concluded that the temperature of the spring waters was between 25 and 45 degrees Celsius and the water was used in the local spas for a wide range of treatments. It is hard to know the success rates of such treatments using these spring waters because most persons using them for treatment purposes also take up normal chemically manufactured medication. Some countries do not embrace this approach because it does not fall within the accepted worldview and therefore, its therapeutic value is questionable.
Conclusion
There are many tourist attractions around the world. Among them, hot and mineral springs are becoming popular among both local and international tourists. Much of the attention comes from the newly formed movement that advocates for a natural way of obtaining health and wellness, all across the world. The movement has introduced a new concept referred to as wellness tourism, which means that people visit a particular place to experience the health benefits offered. Obtaining health benefits from hot and mineral spring is an old tradition among societies and has resurfaced due to the wellness movement.
The health and wellness movement has shifted focus back to the old methods of ensuring the health and fitness of an individual. The renewed worldwide interest in hot springs bathing continues to attract new markets, and we can expect higher participation rates from those already devoted to the practice. Hot springs have had an effect on local economies by boosting the health tourism sector that attracts both local and international visitors. This means there will be continued investments in hot and mineral spring developments. As globalization makes the market less regional, the health and wellness industry can look forward to increased competition and rapid improvement of facilities and techniques.
References
In Peris-Ortiz, M., & In Álvarez-García, J. (2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service). Health and wellness tourism: Emergence of a new market segment.
Erfurt-Cooper, P., & Cooper, M. (2009). Health and wellness tourism: Spas and hot springs. Bristol, UK: Channel View Publications.
In Erfurt-Cooper, P. (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). Volcanic tourist destinations.
Hem, J. D. (2005). Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural water. Honolulu, HI: University Press of the Pacific.
Crossley, J. C., Jamieson, L. M., & Brayley, R. E. (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap). Introduction to commercial recreation and tourism: An entrepreneurial approach. Urbana, Ill: Sagamore Pub.
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