Spa And Wellness Tourism Lag Behind In Greece

Greece was called on to follow Cyprus’ example and take advantage of the international opportunities wellness tourism offers at a recent workshop held at the Helexpo Palace in Athens.

The workshop entitled “Wellness and Spa Tourism-developments and prospects” was organized by the Fitness&Spa-All About Wellness magazine and held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization and the Cyprus Tourism Organization.

Cyprus Tourism Organization Marketing Manager for Athens Ioanna Hadjicosti gave insight on Cyprus as a health and wellness destination during the recent workshop on wellness and spa tourism.

During the workshop, Ioanna Hadjicosti, Cyprus Tourism Organization marketing manager for Athens, presented data on the strong growth of health and wellness tourism in Cyprus.

According to a study by UK’s independent consultancy Tourism Research & Marketing, health tourism currently accounts for four percent of world tourist arrivals.

Ms. Hadjicosti said the Cyprus Tourism Organization pays special attention to health tourism, as it is a market that is increasing rapidly.

On his part, Yiorgos Tavelis, CEO of spa consultancy company Spa Creators Limited, noted that the development of Cyprus as a spa destination was a result of the high organization efforts of the Cyprus Spa Association and the state.

On the Greek side, according to Stavroula Kouznetsov, spa manager and representative of the Greek Spa Managers Club, Greece lacks in regards to legislation on wellness centers and support from government agencies.

The Greek Spa Managers Club was launched in November 2009 and aims to set standards for spa managers, share the best practices and create a Hellenic Spa Association.