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29/07/2003Hungary's spa tourism

 
One of Hungary's greatest potential sources of wealth is the warm, bubbly therapeutic thermal waters that flow beneath the surface of much of the country. And if the Hungarian government, the tourism industry and private developers play their marketing cards correctly, they could help Hungary's long-term viability as a tourist destination in the thermal spa tourism sector. Thermal baths have a long history in Hungary, says Tamas Galambos, philosopher and spa aficionado who regularly wades in the almost 40- degree waters of Budapest's posh Gellert Hotel, the site of a Turkish bath that stands as a reminder of the 150 years of Turkish occupation of this country. The age-old Turkish baths and the spa culture that Hungarians adopted are one of the most positive legacies inherited from that period. The historic baths of the Gellert Hotel are only one of a myriad of what are today a host of exotic spas and bathhouses that are not only a hotspot for locals, but also an important tourist attraction. Some are Turkish baths with dark cave-like structures with mysterious light coming from domed ceilings, while some are simple local bathhouses. Others are recently constructed luxurious hotels that are all part and parcel of the infrastructure of many towns or cities. Underneath some 80 percent of Hungarian territory you can find some kind of medicinal waters, says Bela Pal, a state secretary for the tourism office of the Prime Minister's office. And, spurred on by a handful of regionally ambitious industry leaders, Hungary's spa business is going regional as well. Imposing local industry leaders like the Hungarian oil and gas company Mol and telecommunications giant Matav are on drives of their own for regional expansion. The nation's largest hotel and spa group, Danubius Hotel Rt, has not been left in the dust with its own dreams of the revival of the traditional spa culture.


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