site.btaEstonia's Economy Minister Highlights Nature-based Solutions as New Catalyst for Health Tourism's Economic Development

Nature-based solutions could be the new catalyst for the development of health tourism as an economic sector, said Estonian Economy and Industry Minister Erkki Keldo on day one of the European Spas & Balneology Congress 2025 in Haapsalu, organized by ESPA and Estonia's Economy and Industry Ministry.

BTA is a media partner of the October 8-10 event.

Erkki Keldo opened the congress with a short speech to the audience, pointing out that this is a leading event of the European SPA Association, which was last held in Estonia nearly 20 years ago. According to him, spa culture has been at the heart of Estonian tourism for two centuries. Although it does not have natural hot mineral springs like many other European resorts, the country's spa centers have become an important destination for health tourism thanks to the tradition of therapeutic mud therapy.

According to him, the spa industry supports three main goals of tourism, including regional development by attracting foreign tourists, achieving a year-round tourist season, and realizing a longer length of stay, as visitors spend significantly more time in spa hotels than in ordinary accommodation.

The European Spas Association was founded in Brussels in 1995 as a non-profit and non-governmental association. It is an umbrella spa industry organization representing 20 European countries which develop spa and balneotherapy tourism and use natural healing resources such as mineral water, therapeutic mud and a sea climate. Bulgaria joined ESPA in 2007.