“Healing ourselves, healing nature”: Holistic thermalism in Spain as a mutually enriching practice?

Under more sustainable alternatives of tourism, a variety of proposals are encompassed, revolving around resilient and immersive leisure practices in nature. In this context, holistic thermalism stands out as a paradigmatic case of "being-well in nature," relying on the on-site utilization of mineral medicinal waters to achieve an experience that transcends mere recreation, evolving into spiritual and tentacular motivations intertwined with the web of life. Indeed, this is the most significant of its defining qualities, linking thermalism to its most original and ancestral conception. The user must necessarily journey to the location where the health-giving waters reside, engage with their cyclical and ecosystemic components, and their sojourn requires a certain degree of sociability and tranquility, as sensory factors and the environment contribute to creating a therapeutic and healing landscape crucial to thermalism. Simultaneously, the setting where the thermal cure takes place must meet a series of logistical and technical requirements to ensure the success of the treatment, such as providing complementary accommodation, dining services, and other infrastructure dedicated to this slow tourism: paths and trails for strolling through environments of great aesthetic and environmental appeal. In Spain, and given the aforementioned requisites, thermal tourism is typically carried out in areas of high ecological value, within rural areas exposed to depopulation issues and the abandonment of resilient agricultural and livestock practices with the environment. In this sense, the main aim of the research is to reflect on how the use of mineral-medicinal water in thermal places in Spain is linked to the space, natural resources, heritage, population, and landscape, forming a prominent part of the concept of thermalism. At the same time, this represents an opportunity for the conservation of areas of high ecological value.

Management implications

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  The uniqueness of holistic tourism and the fact that it involves non-mass tourism will attract a more concerned user.
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  Modern thermal centres create artificial environments indoor with little direct contact with nature.
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  The efficient management of the landscape and natural resources in thermal locations is necessary.
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  The concept of holistic thermalism should be introduced in thermal centres to position themselves as a health brand.