BUDAPEST, 3rd SPA EXPO AND CONFERENCE

Spa and wellbeing are the new trend in Budapest 's tourist development. Budapest , Europe 's new hydrothermal capital, will host the 3 rd SPA Health and Tourism Expo and Conference to be celebrated on the 12 th , 13 th and 14 th of November 2004. The aim of this conference is to promote communication between tourism and health experts to obtain optimal results in their joint collaboration.

This important event is co-organised by Hungary Tourism and Corintia Grand Hotel, participating in this event for the third consecutive time since 2002, when they opened the International Conference marking the start of Hungary 's Year of Health (2003).

This event is a great opportunity where tourism, leisure activities, medical treatments, fitness, wellbeing and beauty centres participate jointly to satisfy the demands of the fair visitors.

Corintia Grand Hotel has further enlarged and improved its excellent facilities to host this 3 rd SPA Expo and Conference and welcome national and international stands and visitors. This fair offers, as in previous editions, the most innovative and state of the art developments in tourism, medicine and wellness.

PARTICIPANTS
In this new edition there is a wide range of exhibition stands. Related to the field of tourism there will be stands exhibiting hydrothermal bath models, competition swimming pools, outdoor swimming pools, aquatic parks, health spas, hotel resorts and other centres offering accommodation and wellness services.

Beauty centres will be represented, as will: hospital and health institutions, professional organisations, local councils, regional development, commercial associations and tour operators who offer wellbeing programmes.

In the area of health and wellbeing there will be stands exhibiting new technological developments in health accessories, technical swimming pools and wellbeing equipment, cosmetic and health product manufacturers and distributors, as well as diet supplement products. Consultants in new wellbeing techniques, such as Feng Shui massage, will also have a space in this great health and tourism fair.

A great number of visitors, both national and foreign, are expected to attend this increasingly popular fair. Amongst these visitors travel agents, hotel representatives and thermal engineering distributors will be present. Health personnel linked to the field of hydrotherapy such as rheumatologists, heart specialists, internal medicine and rehabilitation specialists, and physiotherapists will be attending this fair. Other visitors include dieticians, sport instructors and beauty and cosmetic representatives.

TRAVEL AND HEALTH
Spas and wellbeing are the new trend in the tourist development. Hungary is a hydrothermal country with a wealth of 1300 mineral and medicinal water springs, and a history of 2000 years of hydrothermal treatment enjoyed by Turks and Romans as a social ritual of health. Hungary is also an important tourist destination, if we take into account tourism generated 3.028 million euros revenue in 2003.

We would like to highlight that last year, coinciding with the Year of Health, international tourists made up 45% of hotel bed occupation in Hungary , with wellness hotels being the most popular choice. As a new member to the EU this tourist development places Hungary in an excellent position.

Regular visitors to Hungary 's spas have very high standards when it comes to selecting their travel abroad, they want high quality services and wellbeing in the country's best thermal spas.

The 3rd SPA Conference and Expo in Budapest is a meeting place for health tourism suppliers where they can exhibit their high quality services and offer personalised consultations.

The director of Hungary's National Tourism Office in Spain, in conversation with TERMASWORLD, commented that 'celebrating an annual fair for health tourism service providers is an essential opportunity for them to display new offers and developments, the ideal place are obviously these monographic Fairs.'

He also highlighted that the aim of these annual Health Tourism Fairs in Hungary is to facilitate contact between visitors and representatives. To this end there will be guest doctors, masseurs, physiotherapists etc. that will no doubt find visitors wishing to recover from an illness, to rest or go on holidays, 'our aim is to facilitate service suppliers being informed of new trends and business opportunities'.

PROGRAMME
The 3rd Health and Tourism Fair will open to the public on Saturday 13 th and Sunday 14 th , from 10 am to 6 pm without interruption. The SPA conference will open on Friday 12 th . It is planned that Saturday 12 th the conference will focus on Tourism, Saturday 13 th on Medicine and Sunday 14 th on Wellness.

Children and students have free access. Access is also free for those who register via the internet: http://www.spahungary.hu

RECOMMENDED WEBSITE >> www.hungriaturismo.com