site.btaEuropean Executive: Thermal Tourism Faces Major Structural Challenges

The main challenges facing thermal and health tourism were outlined on Tuesday by Markos Danas, Vice President of the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA), during the panel "Forum of the Health Tourism Industry" at HEALTHXCHANGE 2026 in the Golden Sands resort.

Danas shared impressions from the EHTTA General Assembly held in the Portuguese town of Caldas da Rainha, where representatives of the sector discussed organizational and financial issues and the future of thermal tourism in Europe.

According to him, the sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by declining state support and a changing socio-economic model in Europe. "The first condition for sustainability is to have profit. After that you think about the environment and everything else," he emphasized.

Danas noted that nearly 12,000 companies in Europe use thermal and healing waters, and many of them have traditionally relied on state subsidies and reimbursement for their services. This system, however, is gradually weakening.

He gave the example of Greece, where after the financial crisis of 2010-2011 subsidies for thermal tourism were sharply reduced. This forced businesses to reorient themselves and seek new customer groups beyond the traditional visitors – pensioners.

"Health ministers every year reduce the subsidies or the reimbursements for pensioners. Little by little," Danas commented, adding that the sector is increasingly developing new services aimed at a younger audience and at modern wellness and preventive health programmes.

The forum is organized by the European Spas Association (ESPA), the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism (BUBSPA) and the HTI Conference & Expo. Hosts include the Tourism Ministry and the Varna Municipality, with BTA as the main media partner. The event is taking place in the year marking 20 years since the establishment of BUBSPA.