With new products and themes on offer, the Bavarian spa resorts are flourishing. This year, the wellness tourism in the region registered a total revenue of 4.5 billion euros.
Tourism in Bavarian health and spa resorts contributes to the economy of the state with 4.5 billion euros annually. This is the result of a study conducted by the German Economic Institute for Tourism at the University of Munich. The study was presented at the Bavarian Heilbädertag in Oberstdorf.
“The results show that wellness tourism in Bavaria is an important economic factor and a strong pillar of health care,” said Klaus Holetschek, Chairman of the Bavarian Association of Spas. The Heilbäderverband includes 47 municipalities and 25 health resorts in Bavaria.
With new products and themes, the spas are increasing the added value of their offers. “We can appeal to more people who are willing to do something for their health and spend money for it.”
In the past, the spa resorts and wellness tourism had to cope with health care reforms with drastic declines in the ambulatory preventive services. “We have completely reorganized ourselves and developed into modern health care centers in rural areas,” said Holetschek.
According to the study, spas account for 58% of tourism revenues. Other than that health resorts account to 25% of services and 17% of retail revenues.
Bavaria Finance Minister Markus Söder (CDU) encouraged the spa and health care facilities to expand and specialize in order to remain competitive. “The future is not in the classical health care,” he said in Oberstdorf. The health consciousness of people will grow even more, issues like wellness and recovery will become increasingly important.
“People want to live not only longer, but also longer to be healthy.” Over the past 15 years, wellness tourism in Bavaria has been supported with around 287 million euros.