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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Contemporary society has an increasingly broad and holistic perspective on health and wellness. It is scientifically
proven that thermalism perfectly combines these two aspects. It provides a better quality of life and a complete state of
well-being, physically and psychologically. Several studies have been carried out over the years, reflecting a paradigm shift
in the conception of thermalism establishments. For this reason, the sector's stakeholders need to be prepared and have the
necessary knowledge to respond to the different needs, characteristics, and motivations of both usual and new thermal users
to define better action strategies. In this context, the research's main objective is to present a literature review and content
analysis on the thermalism topic, through the most recognised databases, exploring the offer, identifying its users’ profiles
and pointing out some trends for the market. As a result of the analyses, the growing interest and relevance of thermalism
in scientific production stand out, particularly in tourism, as a social science. There are several studies that present a direct
link between thermalism and tourism activity. It is notorious that thermal activity has both a recreational and medicinal
dimension, all over the world. Literature analysis has also revealed the power of thermal waters for the treatment of a wide
range of diseases and health issues, related to different medicalspecialities. Although the more traditional thermalism is still
very present, the most recent studies portray some gradual changes on the demand and supply side, with a constant
adjustment of both. Particularly in the user profile, there is evidence of a rejuvenated, healthier and heterogeneous demand,
with different motivations to frequent the thermal spas. On the supply side, it can be seen that these establishments are
seeking to reinvent themselves in order to complement their basic offer related to medical dimension, also focusing on the
leisure, to enrich the experience of their regular users and attract others. Regarding the expected trends, they are mainly
related to 1) Increased demand for prevention, leisure and well-being dimension; 2) Changes in the user profile; and 3) High
potential for tourism activity.
Description
Keywords
Thermalism Health and wellness Users' profile Literature review Trends
Citation
Publisher
Academic Conferences International Limited