Thermal tourism has its own market segment directed not only to those who pursue solely thermal treatments but also for those seeking illness prevention, physical improvement and spiritual balance or even for those eager of cultural and wellness programs. During the last years, thermal tourism has improved, requiring an appropriate approach which has to combine properly three aspect: wellness, social and cultural. To respond to this demand the tourism sector needs to improve and adapt the pre-existing skills and competencies of entrepreneurs, professionals and SPAs (Salus Per Aquam) operators. Since thermal tourism combines water treatments with social and cultural activities, it is addressed to promote also the local heritage of thermal towns. In order to do so, we aim to develop new and reinforce existing European professional networks, increasing their capacity to operate at a transnational level, sharing and confronting ideas, practices and methods in thermal water safeguard sector. Moreover, thermal tourism is an ancient practice that has always identified thermal towns enlightening the connection that lies between territory and local economy that can be improved thanks to the exchange of good practices among European thermal tourism actors. In writing stage the partners institution established the following aims: -To strengthen the recruitment and professional development of VET educators (e.g. trainers, tutors, mentors, coaches, thermal and SPAs professionals and operators, tour operators). -To valorize the thermal culture heritage in Europe rediscovering the historical tradition of European thermal cities and promotion of the European thermal towns’ heritage. -To raise awareness on the importance of the thermal water European cultural heritage through education, lifelong learning, continuous training, including actions to support news and pre-existing skills development, social inclusion, critical thinking and youth engagement. -To promote the European thermal tourism to combine welfare, health, tradition, education and labour market creating new working opportunities. -To give better prospects for VET educators, professionals and thermal touristic providers through intercultural approaches and local heritage valorization. -To support the VET sector in the spreading of the local thermal heritage combined with tourism, sport and leisure time to guarantee health and wellness of European citizens. Our main objectives are: − to show partner countries’ thermal towns presenting what they have in common; − to encourage the further development of thermal towns safeguarding their cultural and architectural heritage; − to promote a lasting network among thermal towns which belong to partner countries; − to encourage the development of researches, analyses, studies and statistics in the thermal sector, especially concerning the history, art, and culture heritage; − to develop a new cooperation’s strategy into the European thermal tourism sector. "Thermal Heritage: an European Track" project aims also to produce the following tangible learning outcomes: - Analysis of the state of art of thermal tourism in Europe starting from pre-existing good practices developed by European Institutions. - The joint study program: Thermal Heritage : a track of Europe in e-booklet format. - The elaboration of strategic cooperation among partner institutions plan according to our project results. - The creation of a e-catalogue about thermal route in each partner country. - A good practices collection of work-based setting in each partner country. - The opening of a virtual collaborative space among project partners’ institution to guarantee the life-lasting of the project results and exchanged experiences. Methodology: it will be 1 training course in Bulgaria, 3 project meetings in Italy, Spain, Turkey, seminars, workshops, study visits, dissemination, evaluation and follow up activities. The impact: increasing staff and learners personal and professional competencies, developing of communication and intercultural skills (critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, communication skills in other foreign language), enhancing competencies for VET providers to implement international strategies in the thermal tourism sector, team working abilities improvement in multicultural contexts. In a long term perspective, through the creation of a new VET thermal track network among partners’ organizations we will guarantee the evolving of our work, adding in our network other thermal companies which are not part of our partnership.
Project aims: -To strengthen the recruitment and professional development of VET educators (e.g. trainers, tutors, mentors, coaches, thermal and SPAs professionals and operators, tour operators). -To valorize the thermal culture heritage in Europe rediscovering the historical tradition of European thermal cities and promotion of the European thermal towns’ heritage. -To raise awareness on the importance of the thermal water European cultural heritage through education, lifelong learning, continuous training, including actions to support news and pre-existing skills development, social inclusion, critical thinking and youth engagement. -To promote the European thermal tourism to combine welfare, health, tradition, education and labour market creating new working opportunities. -To give better prospects for VET educators, professionals and thermal touristic providers through intercultural approaches and local heritage valorization. -To show partners thermal towns presenting what they have in common. -To encourage the further development of thermal towns, their cultural and architectural heritage; -To develop a new cooperation into the European thermal tourism sector.
The valorisation of the thermal cultural heritage in Europe and the rediscovery of the historical traditions of European thermal cities has a key role in sustainable tourism development. Thermal tourism has been one of the major trends in the tourism sector. Its growth is confirmed thanks to the fact that in many European countries expressed great interest of this type of tourism at national and international level. Global wellness is a business that has taken great economic importance, bringing and creating a real trend linked to the psycho-physical well-being of people. This has led to an increase of wellness’ centres throughout Europe and a rediscovery of traditional spas that have given rise to marketing actions aimed at promoting the sector to broaden the market segments. To increase this type of tourism new skills in the field of cultural and thermal entrepreneurship have been needed, among them to update the traditional services offered by thermal stations, to explore new ways for local thermal heritage re-discovering according to the tourism challenges. In particular, partners needed to revive the historical thermal cities promoting European thermal towns’ heritage knowledge to increase their local interest and economy.