As part of the International Spa Heritage Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY (USA), the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA), in cooperation with the European Travel Commission (ETC), hosted a Business-to-Business Workshop for American travel advisors last week. This event marked the first of its kind held outside of Europe, with the goal of introducing the unique tourism offerings of thermal destinations to the overseas market.
EHTTA Executive Director Simone Zagrodnik expressed satisfaction, stating: “For many of our members, this was a great opportunity to engage directly with the travel trade, share insights, and receive valuable feedback on how to tailor their products for the American market. The quality of the contacts and the level of interaction were exceptionally high.”
Representatives from Baden bei Wien (Austria), Caldes de Montbui (Catalonia/Spain), Caldas da Rainha (Portugal), Daruvar (Croatia), Galicia (Spain), the Resort Development Agency of Georgia, Montegrotto Terme (Italy), La Route des Villes d’Eaux du Massif Central (France), and Spa (Belgium) participated, delivering destination presentations and engaging in face-to-face meetings. In the afternoon, a public tourism expo was held, allowing Saratogians to meet the European delegation and gather information for future travel.
“Thermal tourism is a key niche in Europe, promoting well-being, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering sustainable development. This segment holds great potential for American travelers exploring Europe,” said Miguel Gallego, Head of Marketing at the European Travel Commission. “We were delighted to partner with EHTTA to introduce European spa culture to the U.S. market and share best practices on the sustainable management of these unique destinations.”
As ETC members, national tourist boards were invited to participate. In addition to VisitEstonia, the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) seized the opportunity to highlight thermal destinations and health tourism as a premium partner of the event. CNTB was represented by Leila Kresic-Juric, Director for North America, who remarked: “Congratulations to EHTTA and Saratoga Spa State Park for organizing such a valuable gathering of health travel professionals. It provided an excellent business networking platform, not only showcasing the thermal and wellness offerings of European countries but also fostering connections between American and European partners, which are already leading to new U.S. clients visiting Croatian wellness destinations and spas. A big thanks to EHTTA for this initiative and to ETC for supporting the event!”
Participating European partners included RailEurope, which highlighted the mutual connection of rail travel and spa towns since the early days of tourism. With Croatia Open Land, a Destination Management Company, and ZagrebMed, both from Croatia, stakeholders collaborating with the thermal towns added to the group of suppliers during this important day dedicated to tourism.
The day before, EHTTA, in collaboration with its International Partner, Saratoga Spa State Park, hosted the “European Spa Heritage Conference.” At the conference, EHTTA Scientific Committee President Mario Crecente provided a compelling overview of the development of the original European Thermal Heritage Day and the thematic link of “Therapeutic Landscapes” between Europe and Saratoga Springs. Dr. Oliver Sukrow from the University of Darmstadt (Germany) shared his research findings on the influence of European spas on Saratoga Springs and its heritage. Additional presentations on the history and park system of Saratoga Spa State Park rounded out the conference, which attracted around 300 attendees.
Through the conference and the tourism workshop, American travel trade representatives and hosted media gained valuable and unexpected insights, equipping them to create compelling itineraries and product packages featuring cultural and wellness elements for their clients in the future.
